- Generation Z among those least likely to understand corporate jargon, report says
- Younger workers struggle to fit into a remote work world
- Leaders Should Prioritize Inclusivity, Not Fancy Jargon
New research has claimed that younger workers feel increasingly disconnected from their workplaces: the average Gen Z worker understands just 5.3 of 24 common workplace phrases.
More broadly, the average worker of any age identified seven out of 24, and about half (48.8%) understood five or fewer, revealing a shift in the way workplaces communicate, according to the CareerMinds report.
This comes amid ongoing transformations, with AI automating many administrative functions and post-pandemic hybrid working changing the way colleagues interact with each other.
Workplace jargon is evolving and we’re in the middle of it today
CareerMinds found that younger workers were less likely to understand terms like “in process,” “touch base,” “put it on the back burner,” and “hit the ground running.” Even the most well-known term, “in the loop”, was only understood by 57.3% of respondents.
The report also cites an external study from 2024 that points to a decline in social and verbal communication skills, likely as a result of remote work.
With younger workers less likely to feel like they fit into corporate office environments, both physically and digitally, the report argues that young workers could be affected in terms of career progression, confidence and engagement.
“For managers, the bottom line is simple: Communicating clearly is a leadership skill, not a sign of being less sophisticated,” wrote career expert Amanda Augustine, implying that executives and leaders should focus on including all workers rather than flaunting lesser-known terminology and outdated phrases.
“Workplace slang can be useful as a shorthand, but the findings show how easily it can exclude people who have not yet learned the language.”
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