What it means
استخدام (estekhdâm) means hiring or employment, referring to the act of taking someone on as an employee or the status of being employed by an organization. The word is borrowed from Arabic, where it is a Form X verbal noun from the root خدم (kh-d-m, to serve). In Persian, it is the dominant formal term for recruitment and employment, appearing in job advertisements, labor contracts, and government HR regulations. A related everyday word is کار (kâr, work), but استخدام carries the specific legal sense of a formal employment relationship, rather than just any kind of work.
How to use it
- آگهی استخدام دیدم. (âgahi-ye estekhdâm didam.) “I saw a job advertisement.”
- استخدام دولتی خیلی سخته. (estekhdâm-e dowlati kheyli sakht-e.) “Getting a government job is very difficult.”
- شرکت داره نیرو استخدام میکنه. (sherkat dâre niru estekhdâm mikone.) “The company is hiring staff.”
- قرارداد استخدامم رو امضا کردم. (qarardâd-e estekhdâmam ro emzâ kardam.) “I signed my employment contract.”
Cultural note
In Iran, استخدام دولتی (government employment) has long been one of the most sought-after forms of work, valued for its job security, pension entitlements, and standardized pay scales. Entry to most government positions requires passing a competitive national exam. Private-sector استخدام is governed by Iran’s Labor Law (Qânun-e Kâr), which sets rules on contracts, probation periods, and termination rights.