Meaning & use
prospective employees
Last updated
Meaning
nounplural
People who are being considered for a job, or who may apply for one in the future.
Grammar: Always plural; use the singular 'prospective employee' for one person.
Patterns
- prospective employees for something
- attract prospective employees
- a pool of prospective employees
The company held an open day to meet prospective employees.
We ask prospective employees to complete a short online test.
Good pay and flexible hours help attract prospective employees.
Word forms
| singular | prospective employee |
|---|
Common combinations
- attract prospective employees
- A clear career path helps attract prospective employees.
- interview prospective employees
- Managers spend two days a week interviewing prospective employees.
- prospective employees for a position
- She screens prospective employees for the sales position.
- meet prospective employees
- Come to the fair and meet prospective employees from local colleges.
Synonyms and how they differ
- job candidates
- Very close in meaning, but 'candidates' usually suggests people who have already applied, while 'prospective employees' can include those who have not applied yet.
- applicants
- Use when people have formally sent in an application; 'prospective employees' is broader.
- recruits
- Often means people who have already been hired or are in training, not just being considered.
Opposites
Word family
- prospect noun
- A person or thing seen as a possible future customer, employee, or partner.
- prospective adjective
- Expected or possible in the future, as in 'a prospective client'.
Commonly confused: prospective employees or perspective employees?
prospective employees vs perspective employees
'Perspective' relates to a point of view, so 'perspective employees' is a mistake; the correct word here is 'prospective'.
Practice
Which sentence uses the phrase correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Prospective employees' means people being considered for a job, so meeting them before an offer makes sense. Option 3 uses 'perspective', which means a point of view and does not fit.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “prospective employees”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.