A Glossary of HRIS & ATS Integration Vocabulary for Modern HR & Recruiting

In today’s rapidly evolving HR and recruiting landscape, understanding the core terminology surrounding Human Resources Information Systems (HRIS) and Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) integration is not just beneficial—it’s essential for driving efficiency and strategic advantage. For HR and recruiting professionals looking to leverage automation and AI, a shared vocabulary is the first step toward building more seamless, data-driven operations. This glossary demystifies key concepts, helping you to streamline operations, enhance candidate experience, and optimize the entire employee lifecycle through smart integrations.

HRIS (Human Resources Information System)

An HRIS is a comprehensive software solution designed to manage and automate core HR functions. It acts as a central repository for employee data, encompassing everything from personal details, payroll, benefits, and time-off tracking to performance management and compliance reporting. For HR and recruiting professionals, an effective HRIS integrated with other systems eliminates manual data entry, reduces errors, and provides a single source of truth for all employee-related information, enabling data-driven decision-making and freeing up valuable time for strategic initiatives.

ATS (Applicant Tracking System)

An ATS is a software application that automates and manages the recruitment process, from job posting and candidate sourcing to screening, interviewing, and hiring. It helps organizations efficiently track and manage large volumes of applications, communicate with candidates, and collaborate with hiring managers. In an automated context, integrating an ATS with an HRIS or other HR tech tools ensures a smooth transition for new hires, automatically transferring candidate data into the HR system upon acceptance, reducing onboarding friction and improving the overall candidate experience.

API (Application Programming Interface)

An API is a set of rules and protocols that allows different software applications to communicate with each other. It defines the methods and data formats that applications can use to request and exchange information. For HR and recruiting automation, APIs are the backbone of integration, enabling your ATS to send candidate data to your HRIS, your payroll system to update employee salaries, or a background check service to report results directly into your recruiting workflow, all without manual intervention. Understanding APIs is key to unlocking robust, custom integration strategies.

Webhook

A webhook is a method for one application to provide other applications with real-time information. Unlike traditional APIs where an application has to “poll” for data, a webhook pushes data to a specified URL when a specific event occurs. In HR and recruiting, webhooks are invaluable for immediate automation. For example, when a candidate status changes in your ATS (e.g., “Hired”), a webhook can instantly trigger a new employee record creation in your HRIS, initiate an onboarding workflow, or send a notification to relevant stakeholders, drastically reducing delays and manual follow-ups.

System Integration

System integration refers to the process of connecting disparate IT systems, applications, and data sources to enable them to function as a cohesive whole. In the HR tech stack, this means linking your ATS, HRIS, payroll, learning management system (LMS), and other tools so they can share data and automate workflows. Effective system integration eliminates data silos, reduces duplicate data entry, improves data accuracy, and creates a streamlined, end-to-end process from talent acquisition through the entire employee lifecycle, leading to significant time and cost savings.

ETL (Extract, Transform, Load)

ETL is a three-phase data integration process used to move data from one system to another, often for data warehousing or migration purposes. “Extract” involves pulling data from source systems; “Transform” cleans, standardizes, and consolidates the data to fit the target system’s requirements; and “Load” inserts the processed data into the destination system. While often associated with large data projects, ETL principles are crucial in HR for tasks like migrating historical employee data during a new HRIS implementation or synchronizing complex data sets between systems, ensuring data integrity and usability.

Data Migration

Data migration is the process of transferring data from one storage system, format, or computer system to another. In the context of HR and recruiting technology, this typically occurs when an organization switches from an old ATS or HRIS to a new one. Successful data migration requires careful planning, data cleansing, and validation to ensure that all historical employee and candidate data, documents, and records are accurately and securely moved to the new platform, maintaining continuity and compliance. Automation tools can significantly de-risk and accelerate this complex process.

SSO (Single Sign-On)

Single Sign-On (SSO) is an authentication scheme that allows a user to log in with a single ID and password to gain access to multiple related, yet independent, software systems. For HR and recruiting professionals, SSO streamlines access to various HR applications like the HRIS, ATS, learning platforms, and benefits portals. This enhances security by centralizing authentication and improves user experience by eliminating the need to manage multiple credentials, reducing frustration and increasing adoption of critical HR technologies.

HCM (Human Capital Management)

HCM is a broad set of practices and software applications focused on managing the entire employee lifecycle, from recruitment and onboarding to performance management, compensation, learning, and offboarding. It extends beyond the administrative functions of an HRIS by incorporating more strategic elements aimed at optimizing employee productivity and engagement. An integrated HCM suite provides a holistic view of the workforce, allowing HR leaders to make strategic decisions that align talent management with overall business objectives, often leveraging automation to connect these diverse functions.

Employee Lifecycle Automation

Employee lifecycle automation involves using technology to streamline and automate processes that occur at various stages of an employee’s journey within an organization, from hire to retire. This includes automated workflows for onboarding new hires, performance review reminders, benefits enrollment, promotion processes, and offboarding tasks. Implementing automation across the employee lifecycle reduces administrative burden, improves accuracy, ensures compliance, and enhances the overall employee experience by making these transitions smooth and efficient.

Onboarding Automation

Onboarding automation uses technology to streamline the processes involved in integrating new hires into an organization. This typically includes automated distribution of welcome emails, IT provisioning requests, benefits enrollment forms, training assignments, and goal setting. By automating onboarding, HR teams can ensure a consistent, engaging, and efficient experience for new employees, significantly reducing the manual administrative tasks associated with bringing someone new onto the team, and helping new hires become productive more quickly.

Talent Acquisition Strategy

Talent acquisition strategy refers to an organization’s long-term approach to identifying, attracting, assessing, and hiring qualified candidates. It goes beyond reactive recruitment by focusing on proactive pipelining, employer branding, and strategic workforce planning. In the age of automation, an effective talent acquisition strategy leverages integrated ATS, CRM, and AI tools to optimize candidate sourcing, improve candidate experience, accelerate hiring cycles, and ensure that the organization consistently attracts top talent aligned with its future business needs.

Candidate Experience

Candidate experience encompasses every interaction a job applicant has with an organization throughout the recruitment process, from their first exposure to a job posting to their final interview or job offer. A positive candidate experience is crucial for employer branding and attracting top talent. Automation plays a significant role in enhancing this by providing timely communications, self-service portals, streamlined application processes, and personalized interactions, ensuring that candidates feel valued and respected, regardless of the hiring outcome.

Data Harmonization

Data harmonization is the process of bringing together data from different sources and ensuring consistency in format, definitions, and values. In HR and recruiting, this is critical when integrating multiple systems (e.g., ATS, HRIS, payroll) that may use different terminologies or data structures for the same information (e.g., “job title” vs. “position”). Effective data harmonization, often achieved through automation and intelligent mapping, ensures that all systems speak the same language, enabling accurate reporting, analytics, and seamless data flow across the entire HR tech stack.

HR Compliance Automation

HR compliance automation involves using technology and workflows to ensure an organization’s human resources practices adhere to relevant laws, regulations, and internal policies. This can include automated checks for background verification, I-9 form completion, mandatory training tracking, leave management, and policy acknowledgment. By automating compliance tasks, HR and recruiting professionals can significantly reduce the risk of legal penalties, maintain accurate records, and ensure that all employee-related processes meet the necessary legal and ethical standards efficiently.

If you would like to read more, we recommend this article: Unleash Hyper-Automation: 5 Webhook Strategies for HR & Recruiting