Recruitment: meaning, definitions and examples

Refers to the overall process of identifying, attracting, interviewing, selecting and onboarding employees. Used more formally in business contexts.

• The recruitment process took three months to complete.
• We need to improve our recruitment strategies to attract top talent.

Simpler and more commonly used term for adding new employees to a company. Often used in day-to-day conversation.

• The company is hiring a new marketing manager.
• Are you still hiring, or have all positions been filled?

Concerns the activities involved in recruiting and managing employees, particularly the actions related to maintaining the necessary workforce levels.

• We have a staffing shortage in the IT department.
• The staffing agency helped us fill the vacant positions quickly.

Describes the state of having a job or the relationship between an employee and an employer.

• Her employment with the company began last January.
• The unemployment rate has dropped significantly, indicating increased employment.

Used in general terms when talking about hiring people for jobs or onboarding members for an organization. Often associated with civilian sectors.

• The company has a rigorous recruitment process for new employees.
• Our recruitment drive for volunteers will start next week.

Used to describe voluntarily joining the military or armed forces. Generally associated with individual choice and formal enrollment.

• His enlistment in the navy was a proud moment for the family.
• The process of enlistment requires thorough physical and mental evaluations.

Refers to the mandatory enlistment of people into national service, usually the military. Associated with government orders and wartime.

• During the war, conscription was necessary to build the army.
• Many young men faced conscription and were forced to serve in the military.

Similar to conscription, primarily used in the United States to describe the selection of individuals for compulsory military service. Can also be used in sports contexts to describe the selection of players.

• The draft was reinstated during the conflict to increase troop numbers.
• He was chosen in the first round of the NBA draft.