The Price of a Person
A term for an employee who doesn't actually quit their job, but stops going "above and beyond" - doing only the bare minimum required to not get fired.
What is "Quiet Quitting"?
75% of job seekers will research a company's social media and employee reviews before even hitting the "Apply" button. This is known as your "Employer ____"
What is Employer Brand?
Unlike an "Exit Interview, this proactive meeting happens before an employee decides to leave.
What is a "Stay Interview?"
What is a Fractional Executive?
Many firms try to save on benefits by labeling workers as this, but the DOL (Department of Labor) is cracking down on it in 2026.
What is an Independent Contractor (or 1099)
This type of hire might be a "High Performer" on paper, but they are considered the most expensive person in the building because they cause the other good people to quit.
What is a Toxic Hire?
This term describes the frustrating trend where a candidate completes multiple interviews, accepts a formal job offer, and then simply fails to show up on their first day without a single phone call.
What is Ghosting?
Gallup research shows this is the #1 reason employees leave a company.
Who is "Their Direct Manager"?
A term for professionals who work 100% remotely while traveling the world or living in different cities.
What is a Digital Nomad?
What is the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act)?
While revenue is the "Top Line" of a financial statement, this cost is almost always the largest "expense" line item for any professional services firm.
What is Payroll (or Labor Costs)?
When hiring a professional through a search firm, this is the most common industry-standard percentage charged for a successful "Direct Hire" placement.
What is 20%? (also accept 15-30%)
Research shows that new hires are 25% more productive if they are assigned one of these—a peer who isn't their manager—to help them navigate the "unwritten rules" and social office culture.
What is an onboarding buddy? (Also accept mentor, buddy, etc.)
By 2026, most major firms have moved away from full-time remote or full-time office work, settling on this "middle ground" schedule.
What is hybrid work?
Even if all your employees are legal to work, simple paperwork errors on this form can lead to fines ranging from $250 to over $2,500 per individual form.
What is the Form I-9?
When a 20-year veteran retires without a successor, the company suffers this "liquid' sounding loss of unwritten rules, process, and client history.
What is Knowledge Drain?
Rather than just talking, many firms are increasingly using these "test runs" where a candidate is paid to do one actual project or attend one team meeting before a final offer is made.
What is a Working Interview?
This is the #1 reason Cited by employees for Quiet Quitting, ranking even higher than low pay.
What is "Lack of Appreciation" (or Not Feeling Valued).
This term describes employees who stay in roles they've outgrown out of market fear, creating a "talent bottleneck" for new graduates.
What is Job Hugging?
The "Magic Number" in the world of employee benefits, where a business officially becomes an "Applicable Large Employer" and must offer health insurance or face IRS penalties.
What is 50 (Full-time equivalent employees)?
This term describes the hidden daily loss a firm suffers when a revenue-generating role (like a billable consultant or salesperson) remains unfilled.
What is the Cost of Vacancy?
This controversial recruitment tactic involves companies posting job listings they have no intention of filling, often just to "test the market" or collect a pool of resumes for the future.
What is a Ghost Job?
According to industry data, nearly 20% of employee turnover happens within this specific time frame, often because the actual job didn't match the "sales pitch" during the interview.
What is the first 90 days?
According to 2026 hiring data, 70% of Gen Z graduates expect to receive their first promotion or a significant title change within this specific, relatively short time frame.
What is 18 months?
In 2026, simply paying an employee a "salary" does not make them exempt from overtime. To be exempt, their salary must meet a minimum threshold, and their job must pass this specific "T-word" test regarding their actual daily activities.
What is the "Duties Test"?