Glossary
Human Resources Manager Terms & Vocabulary
15 essential human resources manager terms with plain-English definitions: the vocabulary you’ll hear in training and on day one.
Key human resources manager vocabulary
These 15 terms come up constantly in human resources manager training, on the job and in interviews. Knowing them helps you follow instructions, document accurately and sound prepared.
- ADA
- Disability rights law.
- At-will employment
- Either side can end employment.
- EEOC
- Equal employment agency.
- Employee relations
- Managing workplace issues.
- Engagement
- Employee commitment.
- Exit interview
- Talk with departing staff.
- FMLA
- Family and medical leave law.
- Handbook
- Policy guide.
- HRIS
- HR information system.
- Investigation
- Fact-finding on complaints.
- Onboarding
- Bringing new hires in.
- Performance improvement plan
- Plan to fix performance.
- Reasonable accommodation
- Change for a disability.
- Title VII
- Anti-discrimination law.
- Turnover
- Employees leaving.
Practice these terms
Test yourself with the free Human Resources Manager practice test: it includes vocabulary questions built from this list. For a complete course, see Human Resources Manager training.
Browse terms from every career in our career glossary.