There is no shortage of terminology describing the hiring process. Unfortunately, we aren’t all using the same ones to describe the same things. This often leads to inefficient (and sometimes amusing) misunderstandings. So rather than talking in circles or adding to the confusion, here’s a map of our interview process terminology.
The five steps of the hiring process:
Attracting = convincing people that they want to work for your organization
Before spending time and energy collecting and vetting candidates, you need people who actually want to be candidates. Attracting are all those activities to get the word out on how great the organization and the jobs are. For example, advertisements, cultivating great ratings, attending career fairs, gathering employee testimonials, creating that perfect website that showcases your amazing culture.
Sourcing = collecting applications for the job
Once you have a job, you need people to apply to it. Sourcing are all the activities to collect candidates. For examples, posting on job boards, engaging with third-party recruiters or staffing agencies, advertising jobs on social media with a big ‘apply now’ link, and combing through LinkedIn. All in the effort to be noticed by those who would make perfect candidates and convince them to apply.
Screening = Identifying which applicants are qualified
Getting people excited about the job and collecting applications is fantastic but, not everyone who applies is actually qualified for the job. Screening are all the activities that allow employers to identify which of the candidates are qualified. For example, resume reviews and screening calls, or solutions like Career.Place which replace resumes and screening calls with standard questions and assessments to quickly screen candidates.
Selecting = Choosing which qualified candidate to hire
If the first three steps are successful, organizations often have more than one qualified candidate for a job. Selecting are all the activities that allow an organization to choose which individual to hire. For example, in person and panel interviews and reference checks.
Hiring = Turning the selected candidate into an employee
Once the final candidate is selected, they still need to accept the job and start. Hiring are all the actions required to turn that candidate into an employee. For example, negotiating salary, completing offer letter, obtaining security clearances, conducting background checks and drug screens, and launching the on-boarding process.
Bringing it all together
With our hiring process terminology map, you no longer need to wonder what we are talking about. Now we can quickly jump into the fun stuff, namely, how to improve, optimize, and expand efforts.