ATS & Recruiting Glossary
Plain-language definitions of 15 terms used in applicant tracking, candidate management, and the ATS buying process.
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Hiring Funnel
The hiring funnel is the set of sequential stages a job candidate moves through from application to offer acceptance. Each stage has a conversion rate that reveals bottlenecks in your recruiting process.
Hiring Funnel Conversion Rate
Hiring funnel conversion rate measures the percentage of candidates who advance from each stage to the next — from application to phone screen, phone screen to first interview, and so on through to offer acceptance. Stage-level conversion data shows where the pipeline is leaking and which stages are creating bottlenecks.
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Offer Acceptance Rate
Offer acceptance rate is the percentage of job offers extended that are accepted by candidates. A high rate (80%+) indicates good hiring process alignment — candidates reaching the offer stage have a clear expectation of the role and compensation. A low rate (<65%) typically signals compensation misalignment, process delays, or candidate experience problems.
Offer Management
Offer management is the workflow of generating, approving, sending, and tracking a formal job offer through an ATS. It covers offer letter templating, approval chains, e-signature collection, and HRIS handoff.
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Passive Candidate
A passive candidate is a person who is not actively job hunting but may be open to the right opportunity. Reaching passive candidates through outbound sourcing — LinkedIn, referrals, talent communities — is how high-growth companies fill hard-to-fill roles faster than relying on inbound applications alone.
Pipeline Stage
A pipeline stage is a defined step in the hiring process through which all candidates progress — from application to offer or rejection. ATS tools organise candidates by stage, enabling recruiters to track where every candidate is in the process at a glance.
Pricing reality pages for Workable, Greenhouse, Lever, Ashby, Breezy, and JazzHR operational boundary
A working definition used while expanding the content depth for candidatetrackingsystem.net.
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Sourcing vs Recruiting
Sourcing and recruiting are adjacent activities in talent acquisition but are often confused. Sourcing is the work of finding and engaging potential candidates — especially passive ones who aren't applying. Recruiting is the work of moving engaged candidates through a hiring process to a decision.
Structured Interview
A structured interview uses a standardised set of questions and a competency-based scoring rubric (scorecard) applied consistently to every candidate for the same role. Research shows structured interviews predict job performance 2x more accurately than unstructured conversations.
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Time to Hire
Time to hire measures the number of days from a candidate's first touchpoint (application submitted or first contact by a recruiter) to the moment they accept an offer. It is distinct from time-to-fill.
Time-to-Fill vs Time-to-Hire
Time-to-fill and time-to-hire are related but distinct recruiting metrics. Time-to-fill measures the full cycle from job requisition opening to offer acceptance. Time-to-hire measures from the candidate's first engagement with the process to offer acceptance. Understanding the difference helps teams identify whether delays are in sourcing or in the interview process.
Learn more
Knowing the terms is the first step. The decision wizard and learn guides help you apply them to your buying decision.