UK Recruitment Glossary
Employee Referral
In recruiter context
The single highest-converting application route in UK hiring. Referred candidates are typically 5-10x more likely to get an interview and 3-5x more likely to get the offer than direct applicants. Most employers run formal referral schemes with bonuses (£500-£3,000 for placements, more for senior roles). The referrer doesn't need to know you well — they just need to vouch that you're worth the recruiter's time. The cleanest way to ask: a one-line LinkedIn message naming the role, why you're interested, and 'would you be willing to refer me internally?' Don't pretend the relationship is closer than it is.
Related terms
Coding Test
A timed technical assessment used in UK tech hiring — typically HackerRank, CodeSignal, or a custom …
Dismissal
The legal term for an employer ending your employment — covers everything from gross misconduct to r…
ATS (Applicant Tracking System)
Software that hiring teams use to receive, store, filter, and rank job applications.
Cold Application
Applying to a job without any prior contact, referral, or recruiter conversation.