Human resources Glossary
IT Recruitment Glossary
Key terms, hiring concepts, and tech recruitment definitions
This glossary has been created as a practical resource for anyone who wants to better understand the language used in IT recruitment. The hiring process in the technology sector often includes specific terms, internal expressions, and recruitment concepts that may not always be clear to candidates, employers, or even people working close to the process. For that reason, this page brings together a wide range of definitions related to tech hiring, talent acquisition, interview stages, sourcing methods, candidate evaluation, recruitment models, and common HR terminology used across the English-speaking market.
Active candidate
Boolean search
Candidate Experience
Competence based interview
Direct Hire
Executive Search
Employer Branding
Employee Referral
Headhunter
Job Description
Job briefing
Offer letter
Panel interview
Recruitment Agency
Technical test
Whether you are a software developer preparing for interviews, a hiring manager trying to structure a better recruitment process, or a company looking to improve the way you attract technical talent, this glossary is designed to make those concepts easier to understand. Each definition has been written in a direct and professional way, with a strong focus on real use within the world of technology recruitment. Rather than giving vague or overly academic explanations, the aim is to offer useful context that reflects how these terms are actually used by recruiters, HR teams, CTOs, founders, and candidates during the hiring journey.
The IT sector moves quickly, and recruitment within this space comes with its own challenges. Roles are often highly specialised, hiring processes can involve several stages, and both clients and candidates need to navigate a market where competition for talent is high. Terms such as ATS, Boolean search, technical test, candidate experience, direct hire, or executive search are part of the daily language of modern recruitment teams, but not everyone uses or understands them in the same way. This glossary helps create clarity around those concepts so that decisions can be made with a better understanding of the process.
It is also a useful page for employers who want to strengthen internal alignment between HR and technical stakeholders. In many organisations, recruitment involves a mix of people with different priorities, from recruiters and talent acquisition specialists to engineering managers, product leaders, and business directors. Having a shared understanding of common recruitment terms can make communication smoother, improve hiring conversations, and help teams move forward with a more structured and informed approach. In the same way, candidates can use this glossary to feel more prepared and more confident when entering a recruitment process for a technical role.
At NBS IT Recruitment, we work closely with companies and professionals across the English-speaking tech market, so we know how important it is to use clear language and keep expectations aligned from the beginning. This glossary page has been built with that same idea in mind: to offer a reliable reference point for the terms, expressions, and concepts that shape the world of IT recruitment. Whether you are reading a job description, preparing for a panel interview, reviewing an offer letter, or simply trying to understand how the recruitment market works, this glossary is here to help you move through the process with more clarity.