The recruiting software
glossary.
Plain-language definitions of the applicant tracking system and AI recruiting terms you'll run into when evaluating tools — from candidate scoring to recruiting CRM to talent pipeline.
Applicant Tracking System (ATS)
Software that manages job applications and candidates through every stage of hiring — from sourcing and screening to interviews and offers. A modern ATS centralizes the pipeline, communication, and records in one system.
AI Candidate Scoring
Using AI to rate how well a candidate fits a role, typically on a 0–100 scale across multiple dimensions such as skills, experience, and logistics, with written reasoning behind each score.
Recruiting CRM
A candidate-and-client relationship management system that tracks contacts, companies, opportunities, and outreach — so relationships are nurtured over time rather than starting cold for each role.
Talent Pipeline
The ordered set of candidates moving through hiring stages for a role — for example sourced, screened, submitted, interviewing, and offer — usually visualized on a Kanban board.
Candidate Sourcing
Proactively finding and engaging potential candidates — often on LinkedIn — rather than waiting for inbound applications to arrive.
Boolean Search
A search technique that combines keywords with operators such as AND, OR, and NOT to precisely target candidates by skills, titles, and locations.
Skill Taxonomy
A normalized vocabulary of skills that maps messy resume language to a consistent, scoreable set of terms — so candidates can be compared on the same basis.
Match Score (Alignment Score)
A single 0–100 score summarizing how well a candidate aligns with a role, aggregated from weighted dimensions such as technical fit, experience, and skill depth.
Interview Intelligence
Turning interview notes or transcripts into structured, evidence-backed assessments — including behavioral reads and role-specific question generation.
EQ / Behavioral Assessment
An evaluation of a candidate's emotional intelligence across dimensions such as communication, collaboration, and self-awareness, grounded in what the candidate actually said.
Multi-Tenant ATS
An applicant tracking system that keeps each client's or business unit's data cleanly separated within one platform — essential for agencies running many client searches at once.
Candidate Portal
A self-service area where candidates browse open roles, apply, track application status, and manage their profile and preferences.
Client Portal
A self-service area where hiring managers review scored shortlists, give structured feedback, and move candidates through stages — often white-labeled by recruiting agencies.
Email Sequence (Drip Campaign)
An automated, multi-step series of outreach emails with configurable delays and personalization, used to keep candidates and clients warm.
Audit Trail
A durable, timestamped record of decisions and changes — such as why a candidate advanced — so a hiring process can be reviewed and defended later.