Human Resources Vocabulary Quiz

Human resources, usually shortened to HR, is the department that manages everything to do with employees — recruitment, contracts, pay (payroll), training, performance reviews, holidays, discipline and staff welfare. The term treats people as a valuable 'resource' for the business. In British English you may also hear the older term 'personnel department', though 'HR' is now far more common.

Recruitment is the process of finding and hiring new employees: advertising the vacancy, shortlisting candidates, interviewing and making an offer. Onboarding happens afterwards — welcoming and integrating the new employee, including paperwork, training and introductions. In short, recruitment brings someone in; onboarding helps them get started successfully.

Payroll is the system and process of paying employees their wages or salaries. It includes calculating gross pay, deducting tax and National Insurance, and transferring the net amount to each worker. 'Payroll' can also mean the list of employees a company pays: 'We have fifty people on the payroll.'

An appraisal — also called a performance review — is a regular meeting between an employee and their manager to discuss how well the employee is doing their job. They review achievements, set objectives, identify training needs and sometimes link performance to pay or promotion. Appraisals are usually held once or twice a year.

Redundancy is when an employer dismisses workers because their jobs are no longer needed — for example, when a department closes. It is different from being dismissed for poor performance. People made redundant are often entitled to redundancy pay. In American English this is usually called being 'laid off'. The standard British phrase is 'to be made redundant'.

A salary is a fixed amount paid regularly, usually monthly, and expressed as an annual figure (for example, £30,000 a year). A wage is usually paid per hour, day or week, and is common for manual or part-time work. So you 'earn a salary' as a manager but 'earn a wage' or are 'paid by the hour' in many hourly jobs.

Annual leave is the paid holiday employees are entitled to take each year. In the UK most full-time workers are legally entitled to at least 28 days. It differs from 'sick leave' (time off when ill), 'maternity leave' (to have a baby) and 'compassionate leave' (after a bereavement). To request it, you usually 'book' or 'take' annual leave.

A grievance is a formal complaint an employee makes about something they feel is wrong or unfair — for example bullying, discrimination or a breach of contract. Most companies have a 'grievance procedure' for raising and resolving it. It contrasts with a 'disciplinary procedure', used when the employer has a concern about an employee's conduct or performance.

A probationary period is a fixed length of time at the start of a new job — often three or six months — during which the employer assesses whether the new employee is suitable. During probation, notice periods are usually shorter. If the employee performs well, they 'pass probation' and become a permanent member of staff.

Useful HR abbreviations include: HR (Human Resources), CV (curriculum vitae), PTO (paid time off), KPI (key performance indicator), L&D (learning and development), DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion), NI (National Insurance), and FTE (full-time equivalent). Job adverts may also use 'perm' (permanent), 'temp' (temporary) and 'JD' (job description).