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If you have worked in large corporations, bureaucracies, and similar workplaces, or currently work at one, you may have heard a few commonly used words and phrases that have slightly (or completely) altered their original meanings when utilized in a corporate setting. Those are the so-called corporate buzzwords, also known as workplace jargon, business jargon, or corporate lingo. If not at your current workplace, it’s very likely that you have seen corporate jargon phrases, such as “work hard, play hard,” “fast-paced environment,” and “rockstar” being used in job listings to attract new talents to the team.
Interestingly, those company buzzwords seem to work as, according to a recent survey, 7 in 10 applicants said trendy language influenced their decision to apply for a job listing. After all, who wouldn’t want to be referred to as a rockstar or get rewarded for all the hard work they’ve put in? It sounds appealing; hence no wonder many take the bait. However, very few companies actually seem to fulfill their promises. Thus, the many trendy office buzzwords have eventually gained negative connotations and started being seen as “red flags” in job listings.
However, while certain buzzwords for business indeed refer to false or ultimately unfulfilled claims, some merely gain the status of annoying corporate buzzwords due to their constant overuse and often misinterpretation. In fact, 1 in 5 employees dislikes corporate jargon. Regardless, many still agree that using corporate lingo phrases makes someone look more professional, hence their prevalent use in the workplace.
Below, we’ve compiled a list of buzzwords commonly used in the corporate world. Whether you want to upgrade your office lingo and impress your coworkers or learn the covert “red flags” used in job listings, the list below might just do the trick. What’s your relationship with popular buzzwords? Do you agree with their meanings? Have you ever refused to apply for a job that used a specific corporate buzzword in its listing? What was it? Let us know!
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
Downsizing
Meaning: Making the company smaller by firing the staff.
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#2
"We're sticking to our core competency" Meaning: We tried something different, but it didn't work out.
kitten levels tokyo 3 years ago
I thought this meant you were going to just do abdominal exercises.
#3
"At the end of the day…" Meaning: Whatever follows that sentence is all I’m interested in.
#4
Outsourcing
Meaning: We are looking for someone else to do your job.
#5
"We’ll discuss it after the New Year" Meaning: We won't come back to this topic.
#6
"My niece is looking for a job, can you help her?" Meaning: If I hire her, it will not look very good, and people will start gossiping. Can you do it instead?
#7
"We need to be lean and mean" Meaning: You better not take a vacation or decide to quit anytime soon.
indiecognition 3 years ago
"We will make too few people handle too much work for too little money, and do whatever we can to make it as miserable as possible."
#8
Plate’s full
Meaning: We are short-staffed and not planning to hire anyone, so you might have to do extra work.
#9
"Hope you’re well-rested from your vacation!" Meaning: Be prepared for all the work you ignored while on holiday. Here is your "To Do" list. The due date is today.
#10
Rightsizing Meaning: We are firing people, but it's all a part of a strategy, whatever the strategy is.
Headless Roach 3 years ago
*We're firing people, and adding their workload to those who remain.
#11
"If you really think it’s a good idea…" Meaning: I don't think it's a good idea. Or, if you plan to go ahead with this idea and it goes wrong, you will be the only one to blame.
Kurichfield 3 years ago
It's a shame how often people can't take a hint....and when they don't and you call them on it, you're being too blunt.
#12
Risk-averse
Meaning: When management, who are the only ones permitted to be chicken, refer to you as being "too chicken."
#13
"I thought you were handling this" Meaning: Basically, your boss messed up and forgot something they were supposed to do.
#14
Buy-In Meaning: Trying to see if everyone agrees on a concept they had no involvement in.
#15
Double-check Meaning: Although I haven't checked on this yet, I want to "double check" because this check is more important than usual.
Alison Hell 3 years ago
If I dont double check....f*****g Murphy always comes out of hiding...'oooooh, you didnt double check..let's see here...we will just change that' and bam...mistake and busted!
#16
Multi-tasking
Meaning: You better work hard and fast on multiple things at once. Also, could you bring me a coffee?
Theoretical Empiricist 3 years ago
"Doing twice as much as you should half as well as you ought." (a demotivator at Despair.com)
#17
Negative growth Meaning: We are losing money, so don't expect a raise anytime soon.
#18
"I saw your e-mail sent out to..." Meaning: You forgot to include me in an email.
#19
"Business is slow this year" Meaning: You're not getting a promotion or a raise anytime soon.
#20
Revisit
Meaning: Let's leave this project for… never.
#21
"I think my idea solves the problem" Meaning: It's your boss's idea; thus, it's the only right idea.
#22
Empower Meaning: Higher-ups frequently deploy it to ask the employee to work harder, although the employee may find it condescending.
Headless Roach 3 years ago
*I'll micromanage you, but if the task fails - feel 'empowered' to take the blame
#23
Drinking the Kool-Aid
Meaning: Blindly pursuing the cause.
kitten levels tokyo 3 years ago (edited)
Sounds best if said in a voice oozing condescension like a battery drips acid.
#24
"You’ll be able to focus on a critical area for us" Meaning: You're getting demoted.
#25
Mission critical Meaning: You better only focus on this and nothing else.
#26
"Who’s budget is this coming out of?" Meaning: You've already lost the debate.
#27
New Normal
Meaning: It's not normal, just an unpleasant new reality.
#28
Competitive salary Meaning: Salary that is not competitive at all. Just a vague estimate of an employee's anticipated pay.
#29
Giving 110% Meaning: You work hard, but must work even harder.
#30
"Work hard, play hard" Meaning: You only get to experience the first part of the phrase.
#31
Ecosystem
Meaning: A fancy term for "working together."
#32
"Start building consensus" Meaning: One of your coworkers complained that you didn't include them in your ideas.
#33
"Put out some feelers" Meaning: We are not prepared to take any kind of action yet are curious to learn more.
kitten levels tokyo 3 years ago (edited)
Meaning: We view you as an insect. Use your antenna to see what’s going on.
#35
Killing it Meaning: Doing great work. Or, literally, harming one's mental and physical health by giving your all into a job.
#36
Leverage synergies Meaning: Following the merger, there will be downsizing.
kitten levels tokyo 3 years ago
I don’t doubt these phrases are used, but they really do sound like they came out of a Random Word Generator.
#37
Rockstar Meaning: The term frequently employed in job postings that call for repetitive, meticulous work.
indiecognition 3 years ago
"Someone who makes the company look good by sacrificing their own well-being"
#38
The enterprise
Meaning: A risky project or undertaking that will require you to grow some balls.
#39
"Make it disruptive!" Meaning: This better be big and make us money ASAP.
Fabian Bernard 3 years ago
I hate that trendy word. Just old world sharks in cool disguise. F..k them
#41
Matrix structure
Meaning: You work for multiple bosses, and they can all command you.
sofacushionfort 3 years ago (edited)
Each oblivious to to anyone but themselves, but that’s OK: you can keep a lot of plates spinning
#42
"It's just business" Meaning: The phrase to employ if you want to feel less bad about your behavior.
Rumple Schleppskin 3 years ago
Kind of the same as.. It's nothing personal.. but... YOU'RE FIRED!
#43
Family Meaning: Your organization trying to sell its culture as family-like can be annoying.
Jody Whitmarsh 3 years ago
We're family now? So I can borrow your car and bring it back with an empty tank... and how stocked is your fridge?
#44
One-off Meaning: This is the only time you may get encouragement from your boss.
#46
Move the goalposts Meaning: Changing the conditions at the halfway point of the project.
Garritt VS 2 years ago (edited)
More accurately, it's changing the conditions that count as SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION. Also called "scope creep" in IT and project management.
#48
"They’re early adopters" Meaning: You better not speak highly of early adopters.
#49
Thought leader
Meaning: Good compliment to give your boss if you want to ask for a raise (raise not guaranteed).
#50
Strategic fit Meaning: We hope the new corporate partner will prevent the company from going bankrupt.
#51
"Think outside the box" Meaning: If you wanted to "think outside the box," you would have to refrain from saying that.
Headless Roach 3 years ago (edited)
Some people need to learn thinking inside the box first. You know, walking before running.
#54
Sweet spot Meaning: An exclusive target market for the business that cannot be reached.
#55
Insourcing Meaning: You have a better than 50 percent chance of getting promoted.
#56
"Move the needle!" Meaning: I don't want to do this, so you do it instead.
foryouwhynot IB 3 years ago
Move the needle is a sports-term taken to mean here making progress…
#57
Growth Hacking
Meaning: It's unnecessary to make any "hacking" reference while setting new goals.
kitten levels tokyo 3 years ago
These are so confusing and irritating I think I would rather operate a manure museum than work in the corporate world.
#58
Freemium Meaning: A tactic that involves providing a product's "basic" version for free.
#59
Bandwidth Meaning: There isn't enough time, space, or funds.
#60
Ideate Meaning: Act of creating a concept or coming up with an idea.
Vix Spiderthrust 3 years ago (edited)
This is an unusual but perfectly valid word. Perhaps most commonly seen in the phrase "suicidal ideation".
#61
Boots on the ground
Meaning: Military slang for allocating work to staff that will for sure make some people cringe.
What do you think ?
Stump Rumpersonne 3 years ago
So many of these are inaccurate or stretched. OP was not on point
laura edwards 3 years ago
Moving forward... We don't want to hear another word from you on this topic.
Stump Rumpersonne 3 years ago
So many of these are inaccurate or stretched. OP was not on point
laura edwards 3 years ago
Moving forward... We don't want to hear another word from you on this topic.
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