deadwood

Definition

Employees who contribute nothing but somehow haven't been fired yet, occupying desks and drawing salaries like workplace furniture. HR knows who they are; everyone knows who they are.

Example Usage

After the merger, the new CEO's first priority was clearing out the deadwood from middle management.

Source: Human resources and management terminology

Related Terms

Intermediate

allowances

The corporate world's way of saying 'here's some extra cash for specific things' without calling it a raise. This could be travel allowances, housing allowances, or that sweet per diem that employees definitely use exactly as intended. In accounting, it's also shorthand for 'money we've set aside because we know something will probably go wrong.'

👥 Human Resources

Intermediate

time to hire

The number of days between when a candidate enters your pipeline and when they accept an offer, measuring recruitment efficiency. Different from 'time to fill' which starts when the requisition opens—HR loves having multiple confusing metrics.

👥 Human Resources

Beginner

talent

A natural aptitude or skill, or in HR and recruiting speak, any human being with a pulse and relevant keywords on their resume. Corporate talent acquisition teams have elevated the hunt for 'top talent' to an art form involving bizarre interview questions and salary ranges that mysteriously depend on 'experience level.' The term makes employees sound like performing artists, which is fitting given how much acting is required in open-plan offices.

👥 Human Resources

Advanced

FLSA

Fair Labor Standards Act—the 1938 federal law establishing minimum wage, overtime pay, and child labor standards. It's the reason you get paid extra for working more than 40 hours, assuming your employer classifies you correctly.

👥 Human Resources

Beginner

full-cycle recruiting

When one recruiter handles every step of hiring from writing the job description to extending the offer, rather than passing candidates along an assembly line of specialists. It's the HR equivalent of farm-to-table, but with humans.

👥 Human Resources

Beginner

recruit

A fresh-faced newcomer to an organization who hasn't yet learned which meetings are actually mandatory or where the good coffee is hidden. In HR-speak, recruiting is the art of convincing qualified strangers that your company's 'unique culture' is worth trading their current misery for your brand of chaos. Military origins, because apparently hiring civilians requires the same strategic planning as assembling an army.

👥 Human Resources

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