Love or Hate: Corporate Jargon
Some industries use a lot of buzzwords. From startups to multinational monoliths, every corporate environment has its own blend of buzzwords that can be intriguing and confusing.
Image Photo by Laurin Steffens on Unsplash
Guest Post
If you find common phrases are constantly cropping up, it can be easy to miss their meaning or inadvertently adopt a lot of corporate slang in your everyday communications. But how dominant is corporate jargon? What are the ones we love? And what are the phrases we can’t stand?
The corporate workplace
A corporate workplace typically comprises office spaces and open-plan desks. They’re fast-paced and goal orientated. Employees are professionals who work efficiently, and a hierarchy of roles and structured workflows are in place. Also, unlike roles in hospitality or retail, employees are often providing work for stakeholders and clients rather than customers.
Even when those who work in a corporate setting are working from home for large chunks of the week, they’re expected to retain the formality and drive that’s expected when based in the main office.
Corporate jargon
Corporate jargon, or 'buzzwords', is the language used within corporate settings that often aims to sound impressive or convey complex concepts succinctly. It can include terms that may seem vague to those who aren’t working in that environment.
The use of jargon is intended to show expertise and streamline communication. But it can often mask the simplicity of the underlying message, alienating or confusing those who might not be as aware of this type of language. For instance, ‘hit the ground running’ suggests the ability to pick something up quickly and smoothly, but can sometimes be perceived as an overused phrase. In fact, a recent survey of 2,000 workers by online bingo brand tombola revealed that this phrase was the most used form of corporate jargon among Brits (16%). Also, two-thirds (66%) of us are incorporating corporate phrases regularly, so jargon is part of our everyday lives in many cases.
What buzzwords are being used?
As well as ‘hit the ground running’ being popular, the survey revealed that ‘touch base’ and ‘get the ball rolling’ and ‘singing from the same hymn sheet’ were also common phrases (14%). On the flip side, less popular buzzwords, such as ‘low-hanging fruit’ (33%) and ‘move the needle’ (36%) may not be used because their meaning is not as clear.
Are Brits more savvy to corporate jargon depending on industry?
Attitudes towards corporate jargon can vary significantly across different industries. In sectors like law enforcement and security, the phrase ‘touch base’ is a regular phrase (44%), but over half of those working in science and pharmaceuticals (57%) are particularly unsure of the phrase ‘run up the flagpole’. This indicates that the context is key to the type of jargon being used.
But overall, almost nine in 10 working Brits (87%) encounter phrases they don’t fully understand regularly. This means around 47 million adults in the UK aren’t acquainted with jargon, revealing that it’s a select few who know what this terminology is and when to use it.
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