Recruitment

/rɪˈkrutmənt/ noun

Definition

the action of finding new people to join an organization or support a cause

Etymology

from French recrutement, from recruter 'to recruit'

Kelly Says

Common in business and military contexts

Ethical Language Guidance

Gender History

Recruitment has historically filtered women into support roles and excluded them from leadership pipelines; bias persists in job descriptions, interview panels, and promotion pathways.

Inclusive Usage

Use gender-blind recruitment language; remove coded masculine terms ('aggressive,' 'ninja'); ensure diverse hiring panels and transparent criteria.

Inclusive Alternatives

["hiring","talent acquisition","staffing"]

Empowerment Note

Organizations like Lean In and Hidden Figures initiatives documented women's systematic underrepresentation in recruitment for technical and leadership roles, driving structural reform.

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