HRCI Glossary of Terms O-Z

Transferring service or manufacturing operations to a foreign country
where there is a supply of skilled and less costly labor.

The process of helping new employees learn the organization’s policies,
procedures, and culture in addition to their job responsibilities.

Person-to-person communication, such as a conversation between
two employees.

The skills and knowledge a person learns from day-to-day work experience.

Acquiring knowledge, practical skills, and competencies while engaged in daily work.

Made available for others to use or modify.

A graphic representation of how authority and responsibility is distrib- uted within a company; includes all work processes of the company.

Planned process that uses the principles of behavioral science to im- prove the way an organization functions.

The way that employees and processes are grouped into departments or functions in an organization, along with a description of reporting relationships.

Services that help an employee find a new job (for example, writing
resumes, networking skills, and counseling)

Transferring certain business functions outside of the organization so that the organization can focus on core activities (examples of outsourced functions include data processing, telemarketing, and manufacturing)

Money that a person or organization has borrowed but not yet paid
back.

Direct costs associated with operating a business, such as rent, salaries,
benefits, equipment, technology, and so on.

Extra time worked beyond the normal hours of employment or the payment for extra time worked.

Owning part of a company or business.

People who live and work abroad but are citizens of the country where
an organization’s headquarters is located.

A vertical bar graph in which values are plotted in decreasing order of
frequency, from left to right; often used in quality control.

A view of the world that does not consider other ways of living and
working.

The number of correct answers required to pass a test.

A payment strategy where management links an employee’s pay to
desired results, behaviors, or goals.

People who are similar to one another in age, background, profession, or status.

The amount of money a person receives for working for one day, or the amount an organization allows an employee to spend on expenses each day (for example, meals and hotels on a business trip)

A method of measuring how effective employees are.

The process of setting goals, measuring progress, and rewarding or
correcting performance for employees.

The process of helping people perform to the best of their abilities, which begins by defining a job, and ends when an employee leaves the organization.

A documented discussion about an employee’s development and per- formance that involves managers, HR, and the employee.

The behaviors and results that management expects employees to achieve on the job.

Pay linked to how well the employee meets expectations; better per- formance results in more pay.

An employee’s regular or usual job or position in a company.

Special non-monetary privileges (such as a car or club membership) that come with senior job positions; also called executive perks or fringe benefits.

Political, Economical, Socio-political and Technological (PEST) data that is gathered and reviewed by organizations for planning purposes.

A technique in which a company gives its employees the benefits that come with owning stock, including “dividends”, but does not actually give them stock in the company.

A wage system in which the employee is paid for each unit of produc-
tion at a fixed rate.

Finding suitable jobs for applicants.

Missing work after asking permission in advance, such as for vacation
or a medical appointment.

Inability of employees to advance further in the company due to me-
diocre performance or lack of opportunities.

A method to help guide and make decisions.

Unrest, agitation, or turmoil about a government’s actions or beliefs.

Recruiting host country nationals to manage subsidiaries in their own country, and recruiting parent country nationals to fill management positions at headquarters.

A term Geert Hofstede uses in his cultural theory to describe hierar- chical relationships between people in a culture. For example, high power distance means there are strong hierarchical relationships. Low power distance means greater equality and accessibility among the population.

The extent to which a score on a scale or test predicts future behavior.

Payments employees receive for meeting goals by a certain time; also,
payments for insurance.

The hourly wage, usual benefits, and overtime that most workers
receive in a certain location.

Incorrect conclusions where the first impression of someone or some-
thing continues despite contradictory evidence.

A diagram used to assess business processes; sometimes called “process mapping.”

A person who monitors another person or activity (for example, some- one who supervises an exam)

A method of organizing a company in which the departments are
grouped by product.

Formal or informal evaluation of an employee’s progress toward goals
and recommendations for improvements and development.

A series of corrective actions aimed at an employee to resolve a prob-
lem or improve performance.

A methodical approach to planning and guiding project processes
from start to finish.

Advancement of an employee’s rank, usually with greater responsibility
and more money.

Rights of property ownership relating to key information, materials or
methods developed by an organization.

An unwritten agreement of the mutual beliefs, perceptions, and informal obligations between an employer and an employee, which influence how they interact.

Buy or acquire something through payment or barter.

Giving a number to a measurement of something.

An increase in salary that an employee receives, often for good perfor-
mance.

The amount covered, or the amount of difference (for example, a “salary range” is the difference between the lowest and highest amount paid for a particular job)

An employee’s pay compared to the total pay range for the same job function.

Rating employees from best to worst against each other according to a
standard measurement system.

A demand for money or other goods in exchange for releasing a person or property.

Changing the process of applying for a job or the work environment for a qualified person with a disability.

Surveys that gather information on what other companies pay em-
ployees and what kind of benefits they provide.

To return home from an international work assignment.

The return of an employee to the home country after living in another country (for example, an expatriate going home from an international assignment)

Using past performance to identify employees who can fill future vacancies (unlike succession planning, which focuses on future potential)

A warning given to an employee who violates an organization’s rules
and may result in dismissal.

A task that is part of an employee’s job description.

sSock with rules about when it can be sold (restricted stock is usually issued as part of a salary package, and has a time limit on when it can be fully transferred)

Methods of motivating employees to stay with the organization and
making sure employees are satisfied and rewarded.

Performance measure used to evaluate the financial outcome of an investment.

The often unanticipated disorientation resulting from “re-entry” back into one’s home culture after an expatriate assignment.

The process of analyzing potential threats and deciding how to prevent
them.

How a person acts as appropriate to a particular job function or
position.

To perform an action or attitude in a simulation in order to understand a different viewpoint.

All citizens are subject to the laws of their country, no individual is
above the law, and everyone must obey it.

Applying Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-based goals to help a company achieve business success.

A benefit provided by some organizations that allows eligible employ-
ees paid time off during a specific time period for study, rest, or travel.

The amount of money between the highest and lowest amount paid for
a particular job.

The lowest and highest wages paid to employees who work in the
same or similar jobs.

A broad range of legal regulations that strengthen corporate account- ing controls in the U.S.

A conversion of a raw score to a common scale that can be used for
comparison.

“A graph with a vertical and horizontal axis with dots at each data
point. Also called a “scatter plot”” or “dot chart.””

The total number of right and wrong questions on an exam (for example, pre-test questions do not count)

An instrument used in employee selection to help assess job suitability. Examples include in-basket exercises, psychometric tests, and cultural adaptability inventories.

The total number of right and wrong questions on an exam (for exam- ple, pre-test questions do not count)

Method for choosing the best candidate for a job.

Evaluation of one’s own performance, abilities, and developmental
needs.

The ratio of the number of employees who leave their jobs to the total
number of employees in the organization.

An additional payment (other than salary) given to an employee when
employment termination occurs.

Unwelcome verbal, visual, or physical conduct of a sexual nature that
is offensive or inappropriate.

An operational approach where each country or unit uses administra- tive services from a central source rather than repeating these services in different locations (examples of services include finance, purchas- ing, inventory, payroll, hiring, and information technology).

The code of law from the Koran that regulates both civil and criminal
justice as well as individual behaviors and morals.

Occurring over a brief time (for example, a short-term loan or a short-
term assignment)

A work assignment outside the home country that is usually less than
6 months long.

A method of assessing a job candidate’s skills by asking them how they would respond to specific work-related issues and problems.

A strategy to improve current business processes by continuously
reviewing and revising them.

Technology that lets people communicate over the Internet to share information and resources (for examples, Twitter, Facebook, Linke- dIn, and podcasts)

A group of people who interact because they have a common interest. The group communicates either in-person or using technology (for example, Facebook or Twitter)

An organization’s voluntary obligation toward the good of the environ- ment in which it operates.

Identifying candidates who are qualified to do a job by using pro-ac-
tive recruiting techniques.

The number of employees who report to one manager in an organization. The more people that a manager supervises, the wider the span of control.

A method of paying expatriates that gives part of their salary in the currency of the home country and part of their salary in the currency of the host country.

Work groups that support the major business of an organization with activities such as accounting, customer service, maintenance, and personnel.

The act of selecting, hiring, and training people for specific jobs, as
well as reducing the workforce when needed.

A person, group, or organization that has a direct or indirect interest in the organization (for example, owners, investors, employees, sup- pliers, unions, or the community)

A company or business that recently began operating and is in an early phase of development.

Employee benefits mandated by federal or local laws, such as social
insurance and unemployment insurance.

A retention strategy that helps organizations understand why their employees remain with the organization and how they can motivate them to continue their employment.

An oversimplified opinion, image, or attitude that people from a particular group are all the same.

A benefit which gives employees the right to buy or sell stock in their company at a certain price for a specific period of time.

An arrangement between two organizations to pursue common goals and share resources. Unlike a joint venture, the organizations do not form a new legal entity.

A mutually beneficial relationship based upon the common goals of people or organizations.

The process of defining a company’s direction for the future in 4 stages: analysis, development, implementation, and evaluation.

A plan of action that starts with examining the current state of an organization and then deciding how to achieve the best state for the organization’s future.

Setting personal or business targets that require extra effort to achieve.

A company whose voting stock is more than 50% owned by another company. The company with the majority interest is called the “parent company”

Use of habit forming drugs or substances which impair behavior.

Identifying and developing high-potential employees for the organiza- tion’s future success.

Someone who oversees employees in a department or business unit to
assign tasks and make sure work is completed.

Process of planning, implementing, and controlling operations, which begins with acquiring raw materials and continues to customer delivery and support.

The capacity to stay, hold or maintain something, such as a concept, economy, geography, environment, and so on.

A strategic planning technique used to assess the internal and external environment in which a company operates, its strengths and weak- nesses (internal), and opportunities and threats (external).

Type of e-learning in which participants interact without a time delay,
which requires them to attend at specific times.

The process of recruiting, integrating, and developing new workers, developing and keeping current workers, and attracting skilled workers.

A group of available skilled workers, or database of resumes, that a
company can use to recruit in a particular location.

An assessment of job-related behavior from the candidate’s previous employment to predict future performance.

A document which lists the tax money owed to a government or legal
body.

A policy that makes sure that expatriates’ combined home and host taxes are no more than they would have paid if they remained in their home country. The expatriate’s company pays for any additional taxes.

A flexible work arrangement which allows part or full time employees to work at home via a computer.

Holding a permanent job or position without the need for periodic
contract renewals.

A rule that employees must follow the tax laws of the country where
they are working.

An organization that provides locations for people to take exams on
certain dates.

An expatriate who works for a foreign company that is located in the host country (for example, a French person working in China for a German company)

A person or group in addition to those who are directly involved, such as a company that supplies outsourced services to an organization.

The average number of days that a certain job position remains open.

An employee’s complete pay package, including cash, benefits, and
services.

A method for improving the organization by continuously changing its
practices, structures, and systems.

Financial and non-financial benefits that the employee sees as valuable.

An agreement between countries that says an expatriate only needs to pay social taxes to the country in which he or she is working.

A person who is learning and practicing the necessary skills for a particular job.

A way of communicating skills and knowledge (for examples, class- room training, distance learning, online training, and on-the-job- training)

The continuous exchange of information, knowledge, and skills from one context to another.

Changing a message from one language to another while keeping the
meaning.

An organization whose operations, production, or service processes take place in more than one country, and are interconnected.

Gathering information from the past to identify patterns which will
help predict future outcomes.

A benefit whereby the employer provides full or partial payment for
educational courses completed by employees.

Business that includes everything needed to start operating in a certain location.

One of Geert Hofstede’s cultural dimensions which describes the degree to which cultures accept ambiguity and risk. For example, in cultures with high uncertainty avoidance, people prefer clear, formal rules. In cultures with low uncertainty avoidance, people are comfortable with flexible rules.

Paid in advance, or invested as beginning capital.

Software that allows a human and a computer to share information.

To formalize an agreement; in testing, to confirm the accuracy.

The extent to which something is accurate (for example, the extent to
which an exam actually measures what it claims to measure)

Model of how businesses receive raw materials, add value to the raw
materials, and sell finished products to customers.

The unique benefits, costs, and value that a business delivers to its
customers.

The lasting beliefs of members of a culture about what is good or
desirable and what is not.

Profit-sharing, incentives, bonuses or commissions that align compensation with performance.

A person or company that sells services and/or products, such as a
recruiting firm, financial consultant, or relocation company.

A legal doctrine that makes a person liable for the negligence or
crimes of another person.

A group of people who work in different times, locations, or organiza- tions, who communicate using technology.

A written statement which clarifies what the organization wants to be in the future.

Extra benefits or discounted services offered to employees with little extra cost to the employer. Examples include additional life insur- ance, gym memberships, and concierge services.

The lowest and highest wages paid to employees who work in the
same or similar jobs.

An interactive seminar on the Internet. (usually a live presentation)

Term used in statistics to show the frequency of different choices.

A positive lifestyle which includes good health, enjoyable recreation
and leisure time, and social belonging.

Services to improve and maintain the health of employees.

A business function that produces one product or focuses on a single
area.

Services to support the well-being of employees and to help them balance their jobs, families, and personal lives.

The people working for a single company, industry, or a geographic
region.

Metrics used to determine the effectiveness of HR functions, such as
turnover rates, organizational culture, and succession planning.

Identifying and analyzing what an organization needs to achieve its
goals, in terms of the size, type, and quality of its employees.

The regular movement of employees from one function, time, or place to another, as needed.

The ability to effectively manage time at work with the time spent on leisure or with family members.

Services to support the well-being of employees and to help them balance their jobs, families, and personal lives.

A place, such as an office or factory, where people work.

Organizations that function like trade unions and represent the rights
of workers. Works councils are most common in Europe and the UK.

A budgeting process that requires that every budget item is approved instead of only budget changes being approved. No reference is made to previous budget expenditures.