Hiring & ATS Glossary
Definitions of ATS and recruitment terms: outcome-based hiring, impact scoring, per-seat pricing, signal-based screening, keyword matching, and more.
Glossary
Plain-language definitions of the tools, methods, and metrics that matter in modern hiring. No jargon, no fluff.
Key Terms
Hiring & Recruitment Terminology
What Is an Applicant Tracking System (ATS)?
Software that automates recruitment, from posting jobs and collecting applications to screening candidates and managing hiring pipelines.
98% of Fortune 500 companies use an ATS (Jobscan, 2025).
Definition → · Read full guide →
Signal-Based Hiring
A hiring methodology that evaluates candidates on measurable outcomes (revenue, teams scaled, systems built) instead of keyword frequency.
The approach that powers Curriculo ATS’s scoring engine.
Definition → · Read full guide →
Impact Scoring
A composite candidate score (0–100) calculated across role fit, measurable outcomes, and contextual relevance. Replaces keyword matching with outcome-based evaluation.
Definition → · See how it works →
AI Resume Screening
Using artificial intelligence to parse, evaluate, and rank job candidates automatically, replacing manual resume review with intelligent scoring.
83% of companies plan to use AI to screen resumes (ResumeBuilder.com, 2024).
Definition → · Read full guide →
Candidate Ranking
The process of ordering candidates by signal strength, evaluating quantified achievements, career trajectory, and role fit to surface the best matches.
Hybrid Search
A search method combining text matching, semantic vector search, entity extraction, and LLM ranking to find candidates even when exact keywords don’t match.
Definition → · See AI Search →
Hiring Pipeline
A visual workflow of stages (Applied → Screened → Interview → Offer → Hired) that tracks candidates through the recruitment process.
Careers Portal
A public-facing website where companies list open jobs and candidates apply. Modern portals include custom branding, dynamic forms, and SEO optimization.
Definition → · See Careers Portal →
Candidate Sourcing
Candidate sourcing means going out and finding people for a job, instead of just waiting for them to apply. It is the difference between fishing with a net and putting up a sign that says "fish, please come here."
Candidate sourcing is the proactive part of recruiting: actively searching for, identifying, and reaching out to potential candidates, including people who are not currently looking for a job. It feeds your hiring pipeline before, or alongside, the applications that come in on their own.
Definition → · Read full guide →
Employer Brand
Employer brand is how people see you as an employer, separate from your product brand or your customer brand. Your product brand is why people buy from you. Your employer brand is why people want to work for you, stay, and tell others to apply.
Definition → · Read full guide →
Offer Acceptance Rate
Offer acceptance rate is the percentage of job offers that candidates accept. You find it by dividing the number of offers accepted by the number of offers extended, then multiplying by 100. If you made 10 offers and 9 people said yes, your rate is 90 percent.
Definition → · Read full guide →
Recruiting CRM
A recruiting CRM is software for staying in touch with people you might hire one day, even if they have not applied. If an ATS is your inbox for job applications, a recruiting CRM is your contacts list for future hires.
A recruiting CRM (candidate relationship management) is a tool that helps you build and nurture relationships with candidates over time, especially passive ones who are not actively job hunting. It manages outreach, talent pools, and follow-ups so good people stay warm until a role opens.
Definition → · Read full guide →
Time to Hire
Time to hire counts the days between a candidate first entering your pipeline (often when they apply) and accepting your offer. In the United States it averages about 42 days in 2026. Modern AI screening can cut that by a large margin.
Definition → · Read full guide →
Cost per Hire
Cost per hire = (all your internal hiring costs + all external hiring costs) ÷ number of hires. In 2026 the average is about $4,700 per hire according to SHRM, and far higher for senior roles.
Definition → · Read full guide →
Talent Pipeline
A talent pipeline is a ready list of good people you could hire later, kept warm before you even have a job open. Think of it like a pantry: you stock it ahead of time so that when you are hungry, dinner is already half-made.
A talent pipeline is a pool of potential candidates you have identified and stay in touch with, so you can move quickly when a role opens. Instead of starting your search from zero every time, you begin with a shortlist of people who already know you.
Definition → · Read full guide →
Quality of Hire
Quality of hire measures the long-term value a new employee brings, judged by things like their job performance, how long they stay, how fast they ramp up, and how satisfied their manager is. In short: did this hire turn out to be a good one?
Definition → · Read full guide →
Candidate Experience
Candidate experience is how an applicant feels about every step of your hiring process: the job post, the application form, the interviews, the waiting, and the final answer. It includes the people you reject, not just the person you hire.
Definition → · Read full guide →
Headcount Planning
Headcount planning is the process of deciding how many people a company needs to hire, in which roles, and when, so that hiring lines up with the company's goals and budget. It turns "we should probably hire someone" into a clear plan of who, when, and how much.
Definition → · Read full guide →
Keyword Matching
Keyword matching counts word frequency. AI screening (especially signal-based) evaluates context, achievements, and role fit.
Definition → · Compare with impact scoring →
Outcome-Based Hiring
Outcome-based hiring is a screening model that ranks candidates on measurable accomplishments rather than on keyword overlap with a job description. The model extracts four categories of signal from each resume: revenue (deals closed, ARR generated, savings produced), teams (people managed, orgs built or scaled), systems (built, shipped, scaled, owned in production), and problems (solved, complex, novel).
Definition → · Read full guide →
Cost of a Bad Hire
A bad hire is an employee who fails to meet performance expectations and either leaves or is terminated within the first year. The U.S. Department of Labor estimates the direct cost at 30% of first-year salary, but the real number, once you account for lost productivity, team disruption, and replacement recruiting, ranges from $17,000 for entry-level roles to $240,000 or more for senior positions.
Definition → · Read full guide →
Time to Fill
Time to fill starts earlier, the day you open the job, and ends when someone is hired. Time to fill includes all the waiting before the right person shows up; time to hire measures how efficiently you move a candidate once you have one.
Definition → · See time to hire →
Skills-Based Hiring
The McKinsey work summarized in The shape of talent in 2023 and 2024 shows skills-based hiring adoption climbing from 40% in 2020 to about 60% in 2024, and outcome-based screening is the technical mechanism that makes skills-based hiring real instead of aspirational.
Definition → · Read about outcome-based hiring →
Per-Seat Pricing
No. Curriculo ATS charges a simple price. Pro is $100/month (early-bird $50/month), regardless of how many team members you add. No hidden per-seat surcharges.
Definition → · See flat-rate ATS pricing →
Resume Parsing
Candidates apply and their resumes are stored in the system. Modern ATS accepts PDF, DOCX, and plain text.
AI or keyword filters evaluate resumes against job requirements. Traditional ATS uses keyword matching; modern ATS like Curriculo ATS uses signal-based scoring.
Definition → · Read how an ATS works →
Applicant Tracking
An applicant tracking system is software employers use to collect, organize, screen, and rank job applications. According to research by TopResume, approximately 80% of resumes are rejected by ATS before reaching a hiring manager.
Definition → · What an ATS actually does →
The Big Picture
How These Concepts Connect
An ATS is the system. Signal-based hiring is the methodology. Impact scoring is the measurement. AI screening is the automation. Together, they replace manual hiring with intelligent, data-driven decisions.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the difference between ATS and CRM?
ATS manages inbound applications. CRM manages outbound talent relationships and nurture campaigns. Some tools (like Lever) combine both.
What is signal-based hiring?
A methodology that scores candidates on measurable outcomes instead of keyword matches. Curriculo ATS is the first ATS built on this approach.
Do I need to understand these terms to use Curriculo ATS?
No. The AI handles scoring, ranking, and screening automatically. These definitions help you understand what’s happening under the hood.
Is there a difference between AI screening and keyword matching?
Yes. Keyword matching counts word frequency. AI screening (especially signal-based) evaluates context, achievements, and role fit.
Signal-Based Hiring, Definition | Curriculo
Signal-based hiring evaluates candidates on measurable outcomes (revenue, teams scaled, systems built) instead of keyword frequency.
Impact Scoring, Definition | Curriculo
Impact scoring is a composite candidate score (0–100) calculated across role fit, measurable outcomes, and contextual relevance.
Recruiting CRM, Definition | Curriculo
A recruiting CRM is software for staying in touch with people you might hire one day, even if they have not applied.
Candidate Sourcing, Definition | Curriculo
Candidate sourcing is the proactive part of recruiting: actively searching for, identifying, and reaching out to potential candidates.
Candidate Ranking, Definition | Curriculo
Candidate ranking orders candidates by signal strength, evaluating quantified achievements, career trajectory, and role fit.
Candidate Experience, Definition | Curriculo
Candidate experience is how an applicant feels about every step of your hiring process.
Applicant Tracking System, Definition | Curriculo
Applicant tracking system (ATS) definition: software that runs recruiting from job posting and applications to screening and the hiring pipeline.
Careers Portal, Definition | Curriculo
A careers portal is a public-facing website where companies list open jobs and candidates apply.
Resume Parsing, Definition | Curriculo
Resume parsing is how an ATS extracts structured data from uploaded resumes so candidates can be screened and ranked.
Per-Seat Pricing, Definition | Curriculo
Per-seat pricing charges for each hiring manager or interviewer on an ATS; flat-rate plans avoid that surcharge.
Quality of Hire, Definition | Curriculo
Quality of hire measures the long-term value a new employee brings, judged by performance, retention, ramp time, and manager satisfaction.
Cost per Hire, Definition | Curriculo
Cost per hire equals internal plus external hiring costs divided by the number of hires.
AI Resume Screening, Definition | Curriculo
AI resume screening uses artificial intelligence to parse, evaluate, and rank job candidates automatically.
Offer Acceptance Rate, Definition | Curriculo
Offer acceptance rate is the percentage of job offers that candidates accept.
Keyword Matching, Definition | Curriculo
Keyword matching counts word frequency on a resume; AI screening evaluates context, achievements, and role fit.
Time to Hire, Definition | Curriculo
Time to hire counts the days between a candidate first entering your pipeline and accepting your offer.
Time to Fill, Definition | Curriculo
Time to fill starts the day you open the job and ends when someone is hired, including waiting before the right person shows up.
Cost of a Bad Hire, Definition | Curriculo
A bad hire is an employee who fails to meet performance expectations and either leaves or is terminated within the first year.
Skills-Based Hiring, Definition | Curriculo
Skills-based hiring focuses on what people can do rather than pedigree; outcome-based screening is the technical mechanism that makes it real.
Applicant Tracking, Definition | Curriculo
Applicant tracking is the practice of collecting, organizing, screening, and ranking job applications in software.
Employer Brand, Definition | Curriculo
Employer brand is how people see you as an employer, separate from your product brand or your customer brand.
Hiring Pipeline, Definition | Curriculo
A hiring pipeline is a visual workflow of stages that tracks candidates through the recruitment process.
Hybrid Search, Definition | Curriculo
Hybrid search combines text matching, semantic vector search, entity extraction, and LLM ranking to find candidates even when exact keywords don’t match.
Talent Pipeline, Definition | Curriculo
A talent pipeline is a pool of potential candidates you have identified and stay in touch with, so you can move quickly when a role opens.
Headcount Planning, Definition | Curriculo
Headcount planning is deciding how many people a company needs to hire, in which roles, and when.
Outcome-Based Hiring, Definition | Curriculo
Outcome-based hiring ranks candidates on measurable accomplishments rather than keyword overlap with a job description.
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