Basic Human Resources and Recruitment Vocabulary in Spanish

If you’re an employer or an employee in the business world, learning about human resources in Spanish is one of the most important areas of Spanish vocabulary you can study. 

Keep reading to discover why you should learn about human resources in Spanish, some basic vocabulary about this important topic, and useful terms you need to know before going to your next job interview. 

Learning about human resources in Spanish is an investment that will pay for itself the next time you apply for a job where speaking a second language makes the difference! 

Why Learn About Human Resources in Spanish

When learning a second language people usually focus on mastering the basic grammar, common phrases, and a list of important verbs that help them to keep a conversation going. 

However, once you go through that first learning stage it’s important to move towards more specific situations according to your own particular needs. 

If you’re in the business world, you’ll surely need to learn Spanish business words sooner rather than later. Among this type of vocabulary, learning about human resources in Spanish is one of the most useful sets of terms you can find. 

According to Investopedia, human resources are “the division of business that is charged with finding, screening, recruiting, and training job applicants, as well as administering employee-benefit programs.” 

This means that if you’re ever in the position of looking for a job, applying or interviewing for one, you’ll deal with someone from this business division. Perhaps you already have a job and that means that you also have to deal with human resources, as they’re responsible for your payments and benefits. Or maybe, you just happen to work in human resources and you work with these terms every day. 

But, why human resources in Spanish? Well, because no matter on which side of the job interview you are, speaking a second language simply extends your job opportunities or your pool of candidates. 

Basic Human Resources Vocabulary

Let’s start with some basic vocabulary about human resources in Spanish, before moving on to more specific situations. 

The first thing you need to know is that in Spanish “human resources” means recursos humanos. At some companies, this division is known as “human services,” which translates as servicios humanos. In some Spanish-speaking countries people use the term talento humano too, which means “human talent.” 

However, you wouldn’t need to learn about human resources in Spanish if you didn’t have a job or wanted to get one. And that important word “job” translates as el trabajo or el empleo. 

Most of the time, those jobs are offered by a “company” or la compañía, although in some countries it’s also common to refer to the company as la empresa.   

When these companies need to “hire” or contratar new “employees” or los empleados, they usually ask for the help of the human resources division who put a “job ad” or el anuncio de trabajo, and go through the whole “hiring process” or el proceso de contratación and the “job training” or la capacitación. 

Looking for a Job

At that point is when you get in contact with the company, if you’re in search of a new job. You see the job ad and apply for the “open position,” which in Spanish means la vacante. If your “resumé” or el currículum vitae is of interest for the recruiter or el contratador, then you get a “job interview” or la entrevista de trabajo. 

During the interview it’s very important that you ask about the “job title” or el puesto, the “salary” or el salario, also known as el sueldo, and the “benefits” or los beneficios, also known as las prestaciones. 

Among the benefits, one of the most common ones offered by companies around the world is the “Christmas bonus” or la prima de Navidad, which in some countries is also known as el aguinaldo. 

Other important details you need to ask about during a job interview are the “working hours” or el horario de trabajo, what’s the “company policy” or la política de la empresa regarding “vacations” or las vacaciones.

Other important terms you need to know when looking for a job are: 

Being a Good Recruiter

If you’re on the other side of the job interview, you need to make sure that you state very clearly the “job description” or la descripción del puesto, the “job conditions” or las condiciones de trabajo, and the expectations of the company from that position. 

For example, you need to make clear if there’s any kind of “employee write up” or el registro de rendimiento, and if there’s some type of “job training” or la capacitación to be completed before starting on the position. 

Finally, if the interviewee is a good candidate and seems committed to put on some hard work for the company, it’s time to put together a “job offer” or la oferta de trabajo, and hire a new “employee” or el empleado/la empleada. 

Here’s a Human Resources vocabulary list that I think you’ll find very helpful when managing human resources in Spanish: 

Spanish Legal Phrases and Legal Terminology

Finally, you need to know some basic legal terms about human resources in Spanish: 

Now It’s Easier Looking for a Job in Spanish

Learning about human resources in Spanish makes it much easier for you to look for a job or to offer a job in Spanish. Study this vocabulary about human resources in Spanish and go full of confidence to your next job interview. 

Speaking Spanish has plenty of benefits, among them the very fact that being fluent in a second language opens the doors to cooler and better-paid jobs.

Sign up for a free class with one of our certified, native Spanish-speaking teachers from Guatemala. They teach over 24,000 actively enrolled students every month, offer flexible scheduling, and tailored Spanish programs, and will be happy to help you prepare for your next job interview in Spanish! 

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Luis F. Dominguez

Freelance Writer at Homeschool Spanish Academy

Luis F. Domínguez is a freelance writer and independent journalist interested in travel, languages, art, books, history, philosophy, politics and sports. He has written for Fodor’s, Yahoo!, Sports Illustrated, Telemundo, and Villa Experience, among other brands of print and digital media in Europe and North America.

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