Guide 165 / 200 5 swaps Formal register
Professional words for “hire”
Five verbs across recruiting and onboarding.
i · When it mattersTwo lines, no filler
"Hire" is the everyday verb. "Recruit" is for the pursuit stage; "engage" is for contracting; "employ" is the HR label; "onboard" is post-signature; "appoint" is for named roles.
ii · The swaps5 ways
- 01Recruit neutral
the pursuit stage
Recruit two senior engineers this quarter.
- 02Engage formal
bring on as a contractor
Engage a firm for the valuation.
- 03Employ formal
formal HR framing
The group employs 240 staff across three offices.
- 04Onboard neutral
get them productive
Onboard the cohort over three weeks.
- 05Appoint formal
name to a specific role
Appoint a new chief of staff.