A Glossary of Key Technical & Integration Terms for HR & Recruiting Professionals
Navigating the modern landscape of HR and recruiting demands more than just people skills; it requires a foundational understanding of the technical and integration terms that underpin the automation solutions driving efficiency and growth. For HR leaders and recruiting directors, deciphering this specialized vocabulary is crucial for making informed decisions, evaluating new technologies, and effectively collaborating with IT or automation specialists. This glossary provides clear, practical definitions for essential terms, explaining their relevance and impact within the HR and recruiting ecosystem, helping you leverage technology to save time, reduce errors, and scale your operations.
Application Programming Interface (API)
An API, or Application Programming Interface, is a set of defined rules that allow different software applications to communicate and exchange data with each other. In HR and recruiting, APIs are fundamental for integrating various systems, such as connecting an Applicant Tracking System (ATS) with a Human Resources Information System (HRIS), or integrating a background check service with your recruitment platform. For instance, an API can automate the transfer of candidate data from your ATS to an assessment tool, or sync new hire information directly from your recruiting system into payroll. This seamless data exchange eliminates manual data entry, reduces human error, and ensures that all your systems have access to the most current information, streamlining processes from application to onboarding.
Webhook
A webhook is an automated message sent from one application to another when a specific event occurs, acting as a real-time notification system. Unlike APIs, which typically require a request to retrieve data, webhooks proactively “push” information out. For HR and recruiting, webhooks are incredibly powerful for trigger-based automation. For example, when a candidate moves to the “interview scheduled” stage in your ATS, a webhook could instantly trigger an email notification to the hiring manager, create a calendar event, or even initiate an automated follow-up sequence with the candidate. This instant communication ensures immediate action, reduces delays in the hiring process, and provides a highly responsive experience for both candidates and internal teams.
Customer Relationship Management (CRM)
A CRM system, or Customer Relationship Management, is a technology used to manage all your company’s relationships and interactions with customers and potential customers. While traditionally used for sales and marketing, CRMs like Keap are increasingly vital in recruiting for managing candidate pipelines, talent pools, and nurture campaigns. For recruiters, a CRM acts as a robust database for tracking candidate interactions, qualifications, and progress through various hiring stages. It helps build long-term relationships with passive candidates, automate personalized outreach, and manage communication flows, ensuring no promising talent slips through the cracks. Beyond active recruitment, CRMs can also support employee engagement and internal mobility programs.
Applicant Tracking System (ATS)
An ATS, or Applicant Tracking System, is a software application designed to help recruiters and employers manage the entire recruitment and hiring process. From posting job openings and collecting resumes to screening candidates, scheduling interviews, and tracking progress, an ATS centralizes and streamlines every step. For HR and recruiting professionals, an ATS is indispensable for handling large volumes of applications, ensuring compliance with hiring regulations, and providing a structured workflow. It can automate initial candidate scoring, filter applicants based on keywords, and facilitate communication, drastically reducing the administrative burden and speeding up the time-to-hire, ultimately improving the quality of hires.
Human Resources Information System (HRIS)
An HRIS, or Human Resources Information System, is a software solution that integrates a number of necessary HR functions, including payroll, benefits administration, talent management, time and attendance, and employee self-service. It serves as a central hub for all employee data and HR processes. For HR professionals, an HRIS reduces manual administrative tasks, improves data accuracy, and ensures compliance with labor laws and regulations. By automating routine HR operations, it frees up HR teams to focus on strategic initiatives like talent development and employee engagement. Integrating an HRIS with an ATS or payroll system is a common automation strategy to ensure smooth data flow from recruitment to employee management.
Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)
An ERP system, or Enterprise Resource Planning, is a comprehensive software suite that integrates all facets of an organization’s operations into a single system, including finance, manufacturing, supply chain, and human resources. While HRIS focuses solely on HR, ERP encompasses a broader range of business functions. For HR and recruiting, understanding ERP is important when evaluating how HR processes fit into the larger organizational ecosystem. Integrating HR functions within an ERP allows for a holistic view of the business, connecting HR data with financial performance, operational efficiency, and overall strategic planning. This integration can provide valuable insights into labor costs, productivity, and talent acquisition’s impact on business outcomes.
Integration
In the context of technology, integration refers to the process of connecting different software applications, systems, or databases to work together seamlessly and share information. For HR and recruiting, effective integration is the cornerstone of automation. Instead of manually transferring data between your ATS, HRIS, payroll, and background check systems, integration allows these platforms to communicate automatically. This eliminates redundant data entry, reduces errors, saves significant time, and creates a more efficient and accurate hiring and employee management workflow. A robust integration strategy ensures that all relevant data points are synchronized across your tech stack, creating a single source of truth for critical information.
Automation
Automation is the use of technology to perform tasks with minimal or no human intervention. In HR and recruiting, automation transforms manual, repetitive processes into efficient, systematic workflows. This can range from automated candidate screening and interview scheduling to onboarding document generation and payroll processing. The primary benefits for HR and recruiting professionals include significant time savings, reduction in human error, increased operational efficiency, and an improved candidate and employee experience. By automating low-value, high-volume tasks, HR teams can redirect their focus to strategic initiatives that drive talent development, engagement, and overall business growth.
Workflow
A workflow defines a series of interconnected tasks or steps that must be completed in a specific sequence to achieve a particular goal. In HR and recruiting, workflows are central to managing processes like candidate application, interview progression, onboarding, and performance reviews. Automation platforms allow businesses to digitize and automate these workflows, ensuring consistency, compliance, and efficiency. For example, an automated onboarding workflow might include sending offer letters, collecting e-signatures, provisioning IT equipment, and scheduling introductory meetings, all triggered automatically as a new hire progresses. Clearly defined and automated workflows streamline operations, reduce bottlenecks, and provide a clear pathway for every process within the organization.
Data Mapping
Data mapping is the process of matching data fields from one source to another, effectively defining how data elements in one system correspond to data elements in a different system. This is a critical step in any system integration or data migration project. In HR and recruiting, accurate data mapping ensures that when candidate information is transferred from an ATS to an HRIS, for example, the “candidate name” field in the ATS correctly populates the “employee name” field in the HRIS. Proper data mapping prevents data loss, ensures consistency across systems, and is essential for maintaining data integrity and accuracy, which is paramount for compliance and reporting in HR.
Software as a Service (SaaS)
SaaS, or Software as a Service, is a software licensing and delivery model in which software is centrally hosted and licensed on a subscription basis. Users access the software over the internet, typically through a web browser, without needing to install or maintain it locally. Most modern HR and recruiting tools, such as ATS, HRIS, and CRMs, are delivered as SaaS solutions. For HR professionals, SaaS offers numerous advantages: lower upfront costs, automatic updates and maintenance by the provider, scalability to meet changing needs, and accessibility from any location with an internet connection. This model simplifies IT management and allows teams to quickly adopt and utilize powerful HR technologies.
Low-Code/No-Code (LCNC)
Low-Code/No-Code (LCNC) refers to development platforms that allow users to create applications and automate workflows with little to no traditional programming knowledge. Low-code platforms use visual interfaces with pre-built components and drag-and-drop functionalities, requiring minimal coding. No-code platforms take this a step further, enabling non-technical users to build applications entirely without writing any code. For HR and recruiting, LCNC tools are game-changers. They empower HR professionals to build custom dashboards, create automated reporting, design bespoke onboarding forms, or integrate various tools without relying heavily on IT departments. This democratizes automation, allowing HR teams to rapidly prototype and deploy solutions that directly address their specific needs, saving time and fostering innovation.
Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Artificial Intelligence (AI) refers to the simulation of human intelligence in machines that are programmed to think like humans and mimic their actions. In HR and recruiting, AI is transforming how organizations attract, assess, and retain talent. AI applications can include intelligent chatbots for candidate communication, predictive analytics for identifying top performers, resume parsing for efficient screening, and even AI-driven tools for personalized learning and development. For HR leaders, AI offers the potential to significantly enhance efficiency, reduce bias in hiring, improve candidate matching, and provide deeper insights into workforce trends, allowing for more strategic and data-driven talent management decisions.
Machine Learning (ML)
Machine Learning (ML) is a subset of Artificial Intelligence (AI) that enables systems to learn from data, identify patterns, and make decisions with minimal human intervention. Instead of being explicitly programmed for every task, ML algorithms improve their performance over time as they are exposed to more data. In HR and recruiting, ML powers many advanced functionalities. For instance, ML algorithms can analyze historical hiring data to predict which candidates are most likely to succeed, optimize job descriptions for broader reach, or personalize training recommendations for employees. For HR professionals, ML drives smarter, more data-informed talent decisions, helping to predict turnover, optimize compensation, and enhance the overall employee lifecycle based on evolving data patterns.
Robotic Process Automation (RPA)
Robotic Process Automation (RPA) is a technology that uses software robots (“bots”) to automate repetitive, rule-based digital tasks traditionally performed by humans. These bots interact with digital systems and applications in the same way a human worker would, mimicking clicks, typing, and data entry across multiple systems. In HR and recruiting, RPA is excellent for automating high-volume, transactional tasks that span multiple disparate systems, even legacy ones without robust APIs. Examples include automated data entry into an HRIS from various sources, processing background checks, generating offer letters from templates, or consolidating payroll data. RPA allows HR teams to achieve significant time savings and accuracy improvements by offloading tedious, manual work to digital robots, freeing up human staff for more strategic, value-added activities.
If you would like to read more, we recommend this article: Keap CRM Implementation for HR & Recruiting: The Data Protection & Business Continuity Checklist
