UK Recruitment Glossary
NDA (Non-Disclosure Agreement)
In recruiter context
Common in senior roles, anything client-facing, and most US tech roles. Read it before signing. The two clauses to scrutinise: (1) what counts as confidential (sometimes everything, including the existence of the NDA), and (2) duration (sometimes indefinite). NDAs are normal; over-broad NDAs are not. If something feels punitive, ask for it to be narrowed.
Related terms
Acas
Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service — the UK government body providing free workplace dis…
Cold Application
Applying to a job without any prior contact, referral, or recruiter conversation.
Constructive Dismissal
When an employer's conduct fundamentally breaches the employment contract, forcing the employee to r…
Hard Skills
Specific, measurable, technical skills you either have or you don't — programming languages, softwar…