A Glossary of HR Technology Acronyms and Definitions Relevant to Make.com Integrations
In the rapidly evolving landscape of HR and recruiting technology, understanding the myriad of acronyms and specialized terms is crucial for strategic decision-making and operational efficiency. For HR leaders and recruiting professionals looking to leverage automation and AI, particularly through powerful platforms like Make.com, a clear grasp of this terminology is not just beneficial—it’s foundational. This glossary, curated by 4Spot Consulting, defines key HR technology terms, explaining their significance and how they play a pivotal role in enabling seamless integrations and hyper-automation, ultimately saving your team valuable time and enhancing scalability.
Applicant Tracking System (ATS)
An ATS is a software application designed to help businesses manage the recruitment process by tracking and managing job applicants. It automates various stages of hiring, from initial application to offer letter. For HR and recruiting professionals, an ATS streamlines candidate communication, resume parsing, interview scheduling, and compliance. When integrated with Make.com, an ATS can trigger automated workflows, such as sending personalized follow-up emails, updating candidate statuses across different systems, or even initiating background checks based on specific criteria, significantly reducing manual effort and accelerating time-to-hire.
Human Resources Information System (HRIS)
An HRIS is a comprehensive software solution that consolidates various HR functions into a single system. It typically covers core HR processes like employee data management, payroll, benefits administration, time and attendance, and sometimes recruitment. For HR leaders, an HRIS is the central hub for all employee-related data, providing a unified view of the workforce. Through Make.com, an HRIS can be connected to other business systems, automating data synchronization for new hires, updating employee information in learning management systems (LMS) or project management tools, and ensuring data accuracy across the organization.
Human Capital Management (HCM)
HCM is an umbrella term that encompasses the entire set of HR processes and practices focused on managing and optimizing the human resources of an organization. It’s a broader concept than HRIS, typically including strategic elements like talent management (recruiting, performance, learning, compensation), workforce planning, and analytics, in addition to core HR functions. HCM aims to attract, develop, engage, and retain employees for maximum organizational value. Integrating HCM platforms with Make.com allows for sophisticated automations such as triggered onboarding sequences, performance review reminders, or data-driven insights shared with executive dashboards from various talent modules.
Learning Management System (LMS)
An LMS is a software application or web-based technology used to plan, implement, and assess specific learning processes. It’s used to manage all aspects of e-learning, including course administration, tracking progress, and reporting. For HR and L&D professionals, an LMS is vital for employee training, development, and compliance. Integrating an LMS with Make.com enables powerful automations such as auto-enrolling new hires into mandatory training modules based on their role, sending automated reminders for course completion, or syncing training progress data back to an HRIS or performance management system, ensuring a well-trained and compliant workforce.
Candidate Relationship Management (CRM)
In the recruiting context, a CRM is a system designed to help recruiters build and nurture relationships with potential candidates, often before specific job openings arise. Unlike an ATS, which focuses on active applicants, a recruiting CRM is about proactive sourcing, talent pooling, and long-term engagement. For recruiting professionals, it’s a strategic tool for pipeline development. Leveraging Make.com, a recruiting CRM can automate drip campaigns to talent pools, trigger alerts when passive candidates become active, or push enriched candidate profiles from sourcing tools directly into the CRM, transforming how talent acquisition teams engage with prospects.
Application Programming Interface (API)
An API is a set of rules and protocols that allows different software applications to communicate and interact with each other. It defines the methods and data formats that applications can use to request and exchange information. For HR tech, APIs are the backbone of integration, allowing systems like an ATS and an HRIS to share data programmatically. Make.com extensively uses APIs to connect disparate HR tools, enabling seamless data flow without manual intervention. Understanding APIs is fundamental for anyone looking to build robust automation workflows, as they dictate what data can be exchanged and how efficiently.
Webhook
A webhook is an automated message sent from an app when an event occurs. It’s essentially a “user-defined HTTP callback” that allows real-time data flow between systems. Instead of continually polling an API for updates, a webhook delivers data instantly when something changes. In HR automation, a webhook can be triggered when a candidate applies to a job in an ATS, when an employee’s status changes in an HRIS, or when a form is submitted. Make.com excels at receiving and sending webhooks, making it a powerful tool for initiating immediate actions and workflows based on real-time events in your HR tech stack.
Robotic Process Automation (RPA)
RPA is a technology that allows businesses to configure software “robots” to emulate and integrate human actions when interacting with digital systems. These bots can perform repetitive, rule-based tasks such as data entry, form filling, and extracting information from documents, often by interacting with user interfaces just like a human would. While Make.com focuses on API-driven integration, RPA can complement it by automating processes within legacy systems that lack APIs or by handling web scraping tasks. For HR, RPA can automate tasks like onboarding paperwork, payroll data verification, or benefits enrollment, freeing up HR staff for more strategic work.
Artificial Intelligence (AI)
AI refers to the simulation of human intelligence in machines that are programmed to think like humans and mimic their actions. In HR, AI is transforming various functions, from sourcing and screening candidates to personalizing employee learning and predicting attrition. AI-powered tools can analyze resumes for best-fit candidates, use chatbots for initial candidate screening, or provide data insights for workforce planning. When integrated with Make.com, AI tools can enrich data from an ATS (e.g., using AI to extract skills), automate sentiment analysis of employee feedback, or personalize candidate communications based on AI-driven insights.
Natural Language Processing (NLP)
NLP is a branch of AI that gives computers the ability to understand, interpret, and generate human language. In HR technology, NLP is crucial for tasks involving text data. This includes parsing resumes and job descriptions to match skills and requirements, analyzing candidate responses in screening questions, or interpreting employee feedback from surveys. NLP tools integrated with Make.com can automatically extract key information from unstructured text, categorize inquiries, or summarize lengthy documents, making large volumes of textual HR data actionable and accelerating decision-making.
Software as a Service (SaaS)
SaaS is a software distribution model where a third-party provider hosts applications and makes them available to customers over the internet. Instead of installing and maintaining software, you simply access it via a web browser. Most modern HR technology solutions—from ATS and HRIS to payroll systems and performance management platforms—are delivered as SaaS. This model offers scalability, accessibility, and reduces IT overhead. Make.com’s strength lies in connecting various SaaS HR tools, providing a centralized platform to automate workflows between these cloud-based services, thereby creating a unified and efficient HR ecosystem.
Low-Code/No-Code Development
Low-code/no-code platforms provide graphical user interfaces and pre-built modules that allow users to create applications and automate workflows with minimal or no traditional coding. “No-code” requires no programming knowledge, while “low-code” allows for some custom coding for more complex needs. Make.com is a prime example of a low-code automation platform. It empowers HR professionals, even those without extensive technical backgrounds, to design and implement complex integrations and automations between their HR systems, significantly accelerating digital transformation initiatives and reducing reliance on IT departments.
Integration
In the context of software, “integration” refers to the process of connecting different IT systems or applications to allow them to communicate, share data, and work together seamlessly. For HR technology, integration is vital to prevent data silos, reduce manual data entry, and ensure a single source of truth across all HR functions. Make.com specializes in integrating various HR tools (ATS, HRIS, LMS, payroll, CRM) through APIs and webhooks, creating end-to-end automated workflows that improve efficiency, data accuracy, and the overall employee experience. Effective integration is the cornerstone of hyper-automation in HR.
Single Source of Truth (SSoT)
SSoT is a concept in information system design where all data relating to a particular entity is stored in one, and only one, location or system. This central repository is considered the authoritative and most accurate version of the data. In HR, achieving an SSoT for employee data (e.g., in an HRIS) is critical for consistency, compliance, and accurate reporting across all HR functions. Make.com helps maintain an SSoT by automating data synchronization between interconnected HR systems, ensuring that updates in one system are reflected everywhere, thereby eliminating discrepancies and improving data governance.
Workflow Automation
Workflow automation involves using technology to automate a series of tasks or processes that previously required human intervention. It streamlines operations by defining rules and logic that dictate how tasks move from one stage to the next, often involving multiple systems. In HR, this can include automating the entire onboarding process, from offer acceptance to benefits enrollment and IT provisioning, or automating candidate screening and communication. Make.com is a powerful workflow automation platform that enables HR teams to design, build, and deploy sophisticated automated workflows that connect their entire tech stack, saving significant time and reducing human error.
If you would like to read more, we recommend this article: Make.com API Integrations: Unleashing Hyper-Automation for Strategic HR & Recruiting
