Human Resources Vocabulary and Definitions

A complete set of HR vocabulary and definitions ranging from general terms to expert organizational structures, based on the French-English lecture transcript.

To hire / To employ

Embaucher / être embauché

To fire / To lay off

Licencier / être licencié

To quit / To resign

Démissionner

Organization chart

Organigramme

To shortlist

Présélectionner

Remuneration statement / Salary statement / Payslip

Bulletin de paie

Fixed-term contract (CDD)

Contrat à durée déterminée

Permanent contract (CDI)

Contrat à durée indéterminée

Trial period

Période d’essai

Prior notice

Préavis

Job description

Fiche de poste

Motivation letter / Cover letter

Lettre de motivation

Severance pay

Indemnité de licenciement / de départ

Telework / Telecommuting

Télétravail

Person-job fit

Compatibilité entre une personne et un emploi

Core competency

Compétence de base

Work setting

Cadre de travail

To provide team coaching

Encadrer / Accompagner les équipes

Employee turnover

Roulement du personnel

Exit interview

Entretien de sortie

Efficiency bonus

Prime de rendement

Benefits in kind

Avantages en nature

Occupational illness

Maladie professionnelle

Occupational injury

Accident du travail

Employee representative bodies / institutions

Institutions représentatives du personnel

Talent acquisition

Acquisition de talent

To climb the social ladder / to move up the social ladder

Monter les échelons

Gender gap

Écart entre les sexes

Wage indexation scale

Échelle d’indexation des salaires

Performance appraisal

Évaluation de travail

HR manager

Human Resources managers are responsible for hiring, developing, and looking after employees. This involves functions such as training and monitoring performance.

Line manager

The person who directly interacts with the employees and is responsible for the effective contribution of those employees.

Executive committee (CODIR)

The essential body for steering a company’s strategy, usually composed of the general manager and directors of operational and support services.

Head hunter

A professional whose aim is to hire the best executives in the business.

Economic and social committee (CSE)

The body for representing staff in the company, which must be set up in companies with more than 11 employees.

Staff delegate

Employees elected in order to represent the company’s staff to the employer.

Union representative

A person whose main mission is to represent his union, both to the employer and to the employees.

Works council

One of the representative institutions of staff within a company (comité d’entreprise).

Health, Safety and Working Conditions Committee (CHSCT)

Representative institution aimed at formalizing dialogue between the employer and employee representatives on occupational health, safety, and working conditions.

Quality of work life (QVT)

Actions that reconcile the improvement of working conditions for employees and the overall performance of companies.

HR risk management

A process that enables to map and assess occupational risks according to configurable criteria.

“Prud’homme” council

A first-degree jurisdiction of disputes arising from the execution or breach of the employment contract between employers and employees under private law.

HR policy

A formal set of rules and principles to be implemented within the framework of HR management.

HR innovation

Introducing new practices that will have a positive impact on the employee’s behaviour on his or her position to improve company performance.

Personal training account (CPF)

Allows any active person, from entry into the labour market until retirement, to acquire training rights mobilizable throughout their working life.

Validation Experience (VAE)

Process allowing anyone who has worked to obtain a certification based on experience in order to evolve professionally.

Interest (Intéressement)

A wage savings scheme linked to the results or performance of the company.

Occupational health (Médecine du travail)

The occupational doctor conducts health actions to preserve the health of workers throughout their professional career.

Driving the change

Management of the company in project mode during major transition periods.

Activity map

A summary of the different positions that exist in the company and their links.

Social charges

Contributions payable by the company whose calculation is based on the wages paid.

Waiting time (Délai de carence)

Mandatory rest period between two precarious contracts for the same employee/position, equivalent to 1/3 of the duration of the previous contract.

Disabled worker insertion

Occupational integration of disabled workers into a regular environment; obligation was strengthened in 2008 with penalties for non-compliance.

Intranet

Telecommunications and teleinformatics network for the exclusive use of an organization using internet technology.