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An HR generalist manages end-to-end HR operations: hiring, payroll, compliance, L&D, and exits. An HR business partner (HRBP) is more strategic — they partner with specific business units to align people strategy with business objectives, advising leaders on workforce planning, culture, and organisational design. HRBPs typically operate at a higher level and require strong business acumen.

The six core recruitment metrics are: (1) Time-to-hire — speed of filling roles, (2) Cost-per-hire — total investment per hire, (3) Offer acceptance rate — quality of offers, (4) Source of hire — which channels perform best, (5) Quality of hire — 90-day performance rating of new hires, (6) Candidate Net Promoter Score (cNPS) — candidate experience feedback. Track these in a simple dashboard monthly.

Free LinkedIn sourcing tactics: (1) X-Ray search via Google: site:linkedin.com/in "job title" "city" "skill", (2) Use LinkedIn's own search with Boolean filters in the search bar, (3) Engage with relevant posts and connect with commenters, (4) Join and participate in LinkedIn groups for your niche, (5) Post compelling job updates on your profile — reach is free. Save advanced InMail credits for senior roles.

eNPS measures how likely employees are to recommend your organisation as a great place to work. Ask: "On a scale of 0–10, how likely are you to recommend us as an employer?" Promoters (9–10) minus Detractors (0–6) = eNPS. Scores above 20 are good; above 50 are excellent. Run eNPS quarterly and use it to identify engagement and retention risks early.

Competency-based interviewing evaluates candidates against pre-defined behavioural competencies required for the role — such as "stakeholder management", "adaptability", or "data-driven decision making". Each competency has 2–3 structured questions and a scoring rubric. This approach reduces unconscious bias, improves prediction of on-the-job performance, and creates a defensible hiring record.

Induction is the formal process of introducing a new employee to the company — policies, systems, team structure, and compliance training — typically in the first 1–3 days. Onboarding is the broader, longer-term process (typically 30–90 days) of integrating the employee into their role, culture, and team so they become productive and engaged. Best-practice onboarding significantly improves 12-month retention.

Called a "no-show" or "offer drop", this is preventable by: (1) Keeping engagement high between offer and joining — send weekly check-ins, welcome kits, and team introductions, (2) Confirming resignation from previous employer on the day they resign, (3) Checking in on the last working day at their previous company, (4) Having a backup candidate warm for critical roles. Offer drop rates above 15% indicate a deeper offer quality or experience problem.

The 90-day rule is the principle that new hires who leave within the first 90 days represent a failed hire — a failure of either sourcing, assessment, or onboarding. Many organisations track "90-day attrition" as a quality-of-hire indicator. Recruiters who consistently have high 90-day attrition need to revisit their competency assessment, candidate briefing, or expectation-setting process.

Under Indian law and ethical HR practice, you must not ask about: caste, religion, marital status, pregnancy or family planning, age (unless a legal requirement), disability (unless directly relevant), sexual orientation, or financial history unrelated to the role. Stick to competency and experience-based questions directly tied to the job requirements. Discriminatory questions expose the company to legal liability and reputational damage.

RPO is when a company transfers all or part of its recruitment function to an external provider. The RPO provider acts as an embedded talent acquisition team — managing JDs, sourcing, screening, interview coordination, and reporting under the client's brand. RPO is cost-effective for high-volume hiring or companies that lack in-house TA bandwidth. India's RPO market is growing rapidly.