Human Resources deals with many facets of staff employment. From sourcing the top talent to deciding on pay and benefits HR has quite a number of highly important responsibilities. The idioms we have included in this particular list are related to choosing staff, onboarding, training, and pay and benefits. See our HR and recruitment idioms list right here.
| Idiom | Definition | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| Cream of the crop | The best people or things in a group or category. | “Our HR team is tasked with finding the cream of the crop candidates for our executive positions.” |
| Needle in a haystack | Something that is very difficult to find due to its rarity or the vastness of the search area. | “Finding qualified candidates for this specialized role is like finding a needle in a haystack.” |
| Cast a wide net | To make a broad or extensive search for something, typically referring to recruitment efforts. | “When hiring for our new project, we need to cast a wide net to ensure we find the right talent.” |
| Plenty more fish in the sea | There are many options or opportunities available, especially when it comes to finding potential candidates. | “Don’t worry about finding the perfect candidate right away; remember, there are plenty of fish in the sea.” |
| Hit the ground running | To start something immediately and with full speed, typically referring to a new job or project. | “We need someone who can hit the ground running in this fast-paced environment from day one.” |
| Learn the ropes | To become familiar with the basic tasks or rules of a new job or activity. | “Our new interns will spend the first week learning the ropes of the company’s policies and procedures.” |
| Cut your teeth | To gain initial experience or prove oneself in a particular field or area. | “She cut her teeth in the marketing department before transitioning to a leadership role.” |
| Get the hang of | To become skilled or proficient at something after a period of learning or practice. | “After a few weeks of training, I finally got the hang of the new software system.” |
| Plain sailing | To be easy and uncomplicated, often used to describe a task or process. | “Despite initial concerns, the project went smoothly and turned out to be plain sailing.” |
| Golden handcuffs | Financial incentives or benefits given to employees to encourage them to stay with the company. | “The company offered her golden handcuffs in the form of stock options to retain her valuable expertise.” |
| Golden handshake | A large sum of money or other benefits given to an employee upon retirement or termination. | “After decades of service, she received a generous golden handshake upon her retirement.” |
| Gravy train | A situation or job that provides easy and profitable work with little effort. | “Working for that consulting firm is like riding the gravy train; the clients just keep coming.” |
| Paid peanuts | To be paid a very small amount of money for one’s work. | “With the long hours he puts in, it’s frustrating to be paid peanuts compared to his colleagues.” |
| Hand to mouth | Living from one paycheck or financial windfall to the next, with no savings or security. | “With the rising cost of living, many families find themselves living hand to mouth these days.” |
| Bring home the bacon | To earn money to support oneself or one’s family. | “As the sole breadwinner, he works hard to bring home the bacon and provide for his family.” |
| Cherry on top | Something extra that makes a good situation even better. | “The company’s generous vacation policy is the cherry on top of an already great benefits package.” |
| Silver lining | A hopeful or positive aspect in an otherwise negative situation. | “Despite the setback, there was a silver lining: it forced us to rethink our strategy and innovate.” |
| Take a breather | To pause or take a short break, especially to relax or regain composure. | “After a hectic day of meetings, I need to take a breather and clear my mind before the next one.” |
| Down tools | To stop working or cease activity, often used in a labor context. | “When the workers realized they hadn’t been paid, they downed tools and refused to continue until they received their wages.” |
| Clock in / Clock out | To record one’s arrival and departure times at work using a time clock or similar system. | “Employees are required to clock in and out each day to ensure accurate records of their working hours.” |
ℹ️ Other Useful Pages
👉 Business English Idioms List
👉 Student Space
👉 Tutor Toolkit
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