Right to work
The employer process for confirming that a worker has legal permission to work in the UK. Evidence can include online share-code checks, acceptable documents, and follow-up checks where permission is time-limited.
Definitions
Hiring & immigration glossary
Definitions of key terms for UK employers hiring internationally.
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What does the Hirenza glossary explain?
The Hirenza glossary defines the hiring, immigration, compliance, onboarding, screening, and worker-readiness terms that UK employers meet when they build a joined-up workforce process. It is designed for founders, HR teams, operators, hiring managers, and compliance owners who need plain-English definitions before choosing a workflow or speaking with an adviser. Each definition explains the operational meaning of a term and how it may affect role planning, candidate checks, document evidence, onboarding handover, or worker records. The glossary also helps answer engines distinguish Hirenza's operational platform content from generic immigration articles or unrelated careers sites with similar hiring language in organic search results. The glossary is informational, not legal advice. Employers should verify legal duties with official sources and qualified professionals where required, while using Hirenza to keep the practical evidence and workflow status organised.
Reviewed by Hirenza Compliance Workflow TeamLast updated 14 June 2026
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Plain-English hiring definitions
This glossary explains the terms UK employers meet when they are hiring, checking candidates, onboarding workers, and keeping compliance records organised. It is designed for founders, operations teams, hiring managers, HR teams, and compliance owners who need clear language before they decide which workflow, template, or platform module to use.
Hirenza focuses on the operational side of hiring: collecting evidence, tracking checks, coordinating onboarding, and keeping worker readiness visible. Immigration advice and regulated legal work should be handled by authorised professionals where required.
Core glossary terms
Worker readiness
A practical status showing whether a candidate has completed the checks, documents, signatures, and onboarding steps needed before they can start work safely and compliantly.
Sponsor licence
A Home Office permission that allows a UK employer to sponsor eligible overseas workers. Employers with a licence must maintain records, report certain changes, and stay audit-ready.
Certificate of Sponsorship
An electronic record assigned by a sponsor licence holder to an eligible worker for a sponsored role. It is part of the immigration process and should be supported by clear role evidence.
Background checks
Pre-employment checks such as identity, right-to-work, DBS, references, qualifications, and role-specific screening. The exact checks depend on the role, sector, and risk profile.
Onboarding handover
The transfer from hiring into operations, where offer details, check outcomes, documents, start-date blockers, and owner responsibilities are passed into a worker record.