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It can be difficult to understand the vibe of a particular workplace from just a job posting, though in today’s economy, a company’s culture is what many job seekers are weighing when applying for new positions.
To explore perceptions of “Business English” in the workplace and how it impacts job seekers, Preply surveyed 1,551 respondents to determine which business buzzwords employees love and loathe the most. What they found: buzzwords can make or break a job seeker’s decision to apply to a particular company.
The study revealed that buzzwords have incredible sway: nearly 70% of respondents said trendy language has influenced their decision to apply to a job… with nearly 1 in 5 job seekers deciding AGAINST applying to a particular company because of certain buzzwords that turned them off.
So what jargon stands out as the biggest red flags? “Rockstar” topped the list (53% said it negatively influenced their decision to apply), followed by “wear many hats” (50%) and “thick skin” (48%) — all of which alludes to a company culture that A) asks too much of employees, and B) might be overly critical or have too-high expectations of them. Other red flags spoke to a stressful work environment, like “work hard, play hard,” “urgently hiring,” “hit the ground running,” and “fast-paced environment.”
On the other hand, the “greenest flags” (buzzwords that turned off job seekers the least) spoke to employee agency: words like “proactive,” “empower,” “proven track record,” and “passionate” topped the list, highlighting that employees want to feel valued and as in control as they can. Phrases that alluded to a considerate company culture also resonated, including “lots of perks and benefits,” “fun/amazing/unique company culture,” “sense of humor,” and “competitive salary.” Hard to argue with good benefits!
Business leaders, don’t turn away 20% of your prospective employees with red-flag buzzwords. The next time you’re looking to hire your next employee, be sure your job postings aren’t driving prospects away with unnecessary jargon. If your organization wants to get to the bottom of what language most motivates prospective employees in your industry, Seven Letter Insight can help.
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