Staffing and recruiting come with their own vocabulary, and veteran hiring adds even more acronyms. Whether you are an employer planning your first staffing engagement or a job seeker working with a recruiter for the first time, this glossary from Dworo.io explains the terms you are most likely to hear.
Staffing Models
- Contract staffing: A worker is employed by a staffing firm and assigned to a client for a defined period. Learn more in our staffing model comparison.
- Contract-to-hire: A contract assignment that may convert to permanent employment with the client.
- Direct hire: The recruiting firm finds the candidate, and the client hires them directly onto its payroll.
- Temp staffing: Short-term contract work, often for coverage or seasonal peaks.
- Recruitment process outsourcing (RPO): A firm manages all or part of a company’s recruiting function.
Pricing Terms
- Pay rate: The hourly wage paid to a contract worker.
- Bill rate: The hourly rate the client pays the staffing firm, covering pay, taxes, insurance and the firm’s margin.
- Markup: The difference between the bill rate and the pay rate, usually expressed as a percentage.
- Placement fee: A one-time fee for a direct hire, often a percentage of first-year salary.
- Conversion fee: A fee that may apply when a client hires a contract worker permanently before an agreed time.
- Guarantee period: A window after a direct hire during which the firm may replace a candidate who leaves.
Recruiting Process Terms
- Requisition: An approved request to fill a position.
- Sourcing: Finding potential candidates through networks, job boards, referrals and outreach.
- Screening: Initial evaluation of candidates against job requirements.
- Structured interview: An interview that uses the same questions and scoring for every candidate. See our structured interview guide.
- Shortlist: The small group of finalists presented to the hiring manager.
- Time-to-fill: Days between requisition approval and an accepted offer. Read how to reduce time-to-fill.
- Retention rate: The share of new hires who stay for a defined period, such as 90 days or one year.
- Bench: A group of pre-screened candidates a recruiter keeps ready for future openings.
- Onboarding: The process of welcoming, training and integrating a new hire during the first weeks and months.
- Exit interview: A conversation with a departing employee to learn why they are leaving and what could improve.
- Workforce planning: Comparing expected work with available capacity to decide when and how to hire. See our workforce planning guide.
Veteran and Military Hiring Terms
- MOS / AFSC / Rating: Military occupational codes used by the Army and Marine Corps, Air Force and Navy to describe a service member’s job. The O*NET military crosswalk maps them to civilian occupations.
- TAP: The DoD Transition Assistance Program that prepares service members for civilian life.
- SkillBridge: A Department of Defense program that lets eligible service members train with civilian employers during their final months of service.
- COOL: Credentialing Opportunities On-Line, which helps service members find civilian certifications related to their military training.
- Security clearance: Government authorization to access classified information, valuable for defense and federal roles.
- VEVRAA: A federal law requiring covered federal contractors to take affirmative action to employ protected veterans. See the Department of Labor’s VEVRAA page.
- USERRA: A federal law protecting the civilian jobs of service members who serve in the Guard or Reserve. See the USERRA overview.
- WOTC: The Work Opportunity Tax Credit, a federal tax credit that may be available to employers who hire certain qualifying veterans.
Why This Glossary Matters
Clear language leads to better decisions. Employers who understand pricing terms can compare proposals accurately. Job seekers who understand the process know what to expect and what to ask. Veterans who understand civilian terms can explain their experience with confidence.
How to Use This Glossary
Bookmark this page and return to it when a proposal, job posting or recruiter uses a term you do not recognize. If you are comparing staffing proposals, pay special attention to bill rates, markups, conversion fees and guarantee periods, because these drive your total cost.
Keep Learning With Dworo.io
Explore our categories for deeper guides: Staffing Solutions, Hiring Veterans, Veteran Careers, Military Transition and Recruiting Insights. Have a term you would like us to add? Contact Dworo.io and we will update the glossary.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between pay rate and bill rate?
The pay rate is what the contract worker earns per hour. The bill rate is what the client pays the staffing firm, covering pay, taxes, insurance and the firm’s margin.
What does MOS mean in veteran hiring?
MOS stands for Military Occupational Specialty, a code the Army and Marine Corps use to describe a service member’s job. The Air Force uses AFSC and the Navy uses ratings.
What is a conversion fee in staffing?
A conversion fee may apply when a client hires a contract worker permanently before an agreed period ends. Terms vary, so check your staffing agreement.
