Decoding confusing corporate language has become something of a minefield for modern workers, with many spending hours trying to decipher what exactly it is their colleagues are trying to say. But not Gen Zers, who are pushing back on typical workplace formalities through humour and personality.
We've all been there, nodding along to phrases like "low-hanging fruit" and "blue-sky thinking," wondering if anyone in the workplace actually knows what these terms mean. Well, it turns out that most employees don't.
In fact, a recent report by LinkedIn and Duolingo surveyed 8,000 workers across eight countries and found that employees are scratching their heads over terms like "boiling the ocean" and "herding cats." It begs the question: do these obscure work phrases actually add any real value to our work?
While using trending phrases in the workplace may make some people appear up-to-date and in the know, this confusing terminology can often backfire. For those who are unfamiliar with these terms or whose first language isn't English, it can be isolating and even embarrassing experience.
Perhaps it's time to cancel formal jargon altogether and create a common language that everyone can understand. And this is where Gen Z employees, known for their creativity and individuality in the workplace, are taking the reigns and changing how we communicate in corporate environments.
As Gen Z will account for 27% of the workforce by 2025, many are shifting the dial and injecting humour and personality into their workplace communications. In particular their out-of-office (OOO) messages, turning them from mundane auto-replies into entertaining gems.
Take Olivia, a marketing assistant from Melbourne, for example. She shares OOO messages from her Gen Z coworkers that range from expressing hopes of winning the lottery and never returning to the office to cheekily warning others not to bother contacting them, injecting their personality traits into workplace dynamics.
In a world where corporate jargon spreads like wildfire and OOO messages become viral sensations, Gen Zer's casual and witty emails shed light on the workplace frustrations experienced by many and the way younger cohorts are coping in challenging, and often confusing, work environments.
While veering away from typical work formalities and structures may not be ideal for everyone, this shift speaks to the way people are navigating new workplace dynamics through language that fosters clarity and inclusivity, with a side dose of lighthearted humour.
Maybe it's time for a corporate cheat sheet, a lingo dictionary on standby or a workplace terminology survival guide that helps all of us navigate the ever-evolving nature of workplace communications. Or better yet, maybe it's time to end the era of cringey workplace language altogether.
