Glossary
HR Assistant Terms & Vocabulary
15 essential HR assistant terms with plain-English definitions: the vocabulary you’ll hear in training and on day one.
Key HR assistant vocabulary
These 15 terms come up constantly in HR assistant training, on the job and in interviews. Knowing them helps you follow instructions, document accurately and sound prepared.
- ATS
- Applicant tracking system.
- Background check
- Screening history.
- Confidential
- Private.
- E-Verify
- Online work authorization check.
- EEO
- Equal employment opportunity.
- Exit interview
- Talk with departing staff.
- HRIS
- HR information system.
- I-9
- Employment eligibility form.
- Job posting
- Advertised opening.
- Offer letter
- Job offer document.
- Onboarding
- New hire process.
- Open enrollment
- Benefits sign-up.
- Orientation
- New hire introduction.
- Personnel file
- Employee record.
- Termination
- End of employment.
Practice these terms
Test yourself with the free HR Assistant practice test: it includes vocabulary questions built from this list. For a complete course, see HR Assistant training.
Browse terms from every career in our career glossary.