warm body

Definition

Any person hired to fill a position with minimal qualifications required—the staffing equivalent of 'good enough.' The bar is literally set at having a pulse and showing up.

Example Usage

We need to staff the call center by Monday, so just hire any warm body who can pass the background check.

Origin

Military and temporary staffing terminology from the mid-20th century

Fun Fact

The 'warm body' approach typically results in turnover rates exceeding 100% annually, making it paradoxically more expensive than selective hiring.

Source: Temp agency and volume hiring slang

Related Terms

Beginner

resume

That document you spend hours perfecting to summarize your entire professional existence into one or two pages, which recruiters will skim in approximately six seconds. It's supposed to showcase your skills and experience without lying too obviously, formatted in a way that's both ATS-friendly and human-readable. The verb form means to continue something you paused, like your career after explaining that two-year gap.

👥 Human Resources

Beginner

trainee

An employee who's still learning the ropes, typically fresh out of school or new to an industry, undergoing structured training before assuming full responsibilities. Trainees exist in that awkward limbo where they're expected to contribute but forgiven for not knowing things that everyone assumes are obvious. The period when asking "stupid questions" is not only acceptable but encouraged.

👥 Human Resources

Beginner

total compensation package

The art of making a mediocre salary sound impressive by including things you already expected, like health insurance and the privilege of occasionally working from home. It's what recruiters mention when the actual paycheck is disappointing.

👥 Human Resources

Beginner

learning and development

Formal programs, training, and educational opportunities provided to employees to build skills and advance careers. Often abbreviated as L&D, it ranges from useful technical training to mandatory workshops everyone sleeps through.

👥 Human Resources

Beginner

retiree

Someone who has successfully escaped the corporate hamster wheel and now spends their days pretending to be busy with hobbies while secretly napping. The ultimate goal of every employee who's sat through one too many pointless meetings. They're living proof that there is, in fact, life after email.

👥 Human Resources

Intermediate

change agent

An individual tasked with driving organizational transformation and getting people to embrace new processes. Usually the most hated person in the department until the change actually works.

👥 Human Resources

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