Employment Glossary

If you want to succeed at work, you need to know the vocabulary. Use this human resources glossary to learn essential terms about development, labor relations, and benefits.
Men in the warehouse using a digital tablet.
What Are Non-Exempt Employees?
Training new employee
Is On-the-Job Training Really Effective for Employee Development?
Manager providing 360 review results to her colleague
What Is a 360 Review?
Woman working hard
The Advantages and Disadvantages of Merit Pay
Happy female employees at work in office setting
How Employers Offer Variable Pay and Benefits to Retain Employees
Nurse using digital tablet with patient in hospital and collecting long term disability insurance.
See the Essentials About Long-Term and Short-Term Disability Insurance
A visit to the doctor.
What Are Paid Personal Days for Employees?
Birds-eye view of business
What Is a Part-Time Employee?
Businessman seated at workstation studying plans
A Guide to Giving Two Weeks' Notice When Quitting Your Job
Employer of Choice
Are You an Employer of Choice?
Why You Want to Offer Brown Bag Lunches and Other Internal Training
A woman uses her smartphone to electronically deposit her bonus check.
What Is Bonus Pay?
Businesswoman conducting a background check.
What Is Background Checking?
Disgruntled person at office desk with box of belongings whose job was terminated for cause.
For What Reasons Will an Employer Fire an Employee Immediately?
Businesswomen working in office
Here's How You Can Encourage and Inspire Employee Motivation
Workers with various jobs wear appropriate business attire within the guidelines of their dress code.
Your Dress Code Provides a Guide So Employees Know What Is Expected
Grid of hexagonal portraits of people with a hand adding new person.
Do You Know Your HR and Management Acronyms and Abbreviations?
Team member contributing to projec
How to Add Value Through Contributions in Your Organization
Two colleagues communicating and using body language to convey their meanings.
How to Decipher Nonverbal Communication in the Workplace
Late for meeting
Why Would an Employee Receive a Reprimand Letter?
Low Section Of People Waiting For Interview On Chair
Everything You Need to Know About Employee Job Descriptions
Manager conducting an employee evaluation.
Why Organizations Do Employee Performance Evaluation
Climbers reaching the top of a mountain
How to Set and Achieve Goals
Employers need to determine if their candidate is a good fit for their job.
Use These Ideas to Select Employees Who Will Fit Well in Your Open Job
Tell us why we should hire you?
What Do Employers Accomplish With a Hiring Freeze?
Woman using a well-organized agenda to run a successful meeting in an office.
How to Develop a Meeting Agenda That Will Yield Your Desired Outcomes
Employment termination occurs for a number of different reasons.
What Are the Key Causes of Employment Termination?
Two women work on learning the new Human Resources Management Information System (HRIS)
What, Exactly, Is a Human Resources Information System?
Businesswoman and two businessmen are using a laptop to write the requirements that their job analysis has identified.
How to Do a Job Analysis
Effective interpersonal communication means that the participants end up sharing meaning.
Learn the Main Components of Communication in the Workplace
Businesswoman leading meeting in startup office
What Makes Up Your Company Culture?
Businesswoman leading meeting in conference room
Roles and Responsibilities of a Meeting Leader
Business colleagues talking while using laptop at office
What Exactly Is an Entry Level Job?
Organizational hierarchy chart.
Understanding the Chain of Command in Your Workplace
Two professionally dressed colleagues at a vendor conference, standing at their booth.
Need a Dress Code for Employees Who Interact With Customers?
A woman is talking on her cell phone while working on a laptop.
What Are References?
Middle agedman and woman fly a colorful kite on a beach
Is Early Retirement a Good Option for You?
Young professionals stand in a circle with arms raised in an icebreaker activity
What Is an Icebreaker?
Three women in an office having an argument
You Can Counter Negativity in the Workplace With These 9 Tips
Female architect with blueprint leading meeting in open plan loft office
Learn About Cultural Fit Assessment When Interviewing Candidates
Senior job searcher's resume CV.
Find Out About the 2 Types of Recruiters and What They Do
Pyramid of workers building up to a manager on the top level signifying the internal management process.
How Do You Develop Your Organization's Managers Successfully?
Businesswoman blowing nose in office
What is an Excused Absence From Work?
Image shows a woman walking into a room, pulling a suitcase, on the phone, and wearing a red power suit. Text reads: "What is a per diem? It's the daily allowance paid to employees for expenses incurred while traveling for business. Covers lodging, meals, tips, taxi, and other ground transportation fees. Does not cover the cost of transportation to and from an employee's place of employment"
Per Diem Pay and How Employers Pay Employees for Travel
Employee being promoted at work
How an Employee Promotion Recognizes Their Contribution to the Firm
An empty desk in an office where an absent employee usually sits.
Absenteeism Is When Employees Don't Come to Work
Medical professionals consulting
A Look at Shift Work and Employees Who Work in Shifts
people clapping at work
Learn What Works and What Doesn't When Recognizing Employee Succces
Mom baby and doctor examining the baby
Want the Best Employees? Offer the Best Benefits.
Stressed employee sitting at a desk
What Is Harassment?
He needs an immune booster for his defense against flu
Want to Know More About Employer Paid Sick Days Policy?
Woman and man talking at desk in office during employee evaluation
What's the Purpose of Employee Evaluation?
Five coworkers dressed in business casual attire looking at a speaker.
What Is Business Casual Attire?
a grid of hexagonal portraits, hand adding new one
A Look at the Purpose and Benefit of Having an Employee Handbook
Employee orientation at a computer
You Can Quickly Integrate a New Employee With a Successful Orientation
Teammates push each other in office chairs during a team building exercise.
What Is Team Building?
A woman is holding a phone intervew with a prospective employee.
Phone Interviews: a Great Job Applicant Screening Tool
Female employee meeting with female human resources manager in office
What Does Managing Human Resources Mean?
Man and woman employees giving and receiving feedback with grace and dignity.
You'll Get More Feedback if You Receive It With Grace and Dignity
Active listening is a skill that every employee needs to acquire as demonstarted by this female employee.
You Can Become an Effective Active Listener