Circling back’, ‘synergy’ and ‘move the needle’. A few examples of the language is increasingly creeping into everyday conversations at work, but also under everyone’s skin. Terms like these, coupled with industry-specific jargon, are increasingly slipping out of the business lexicon as organizations look to streamline every aspect of their operations. company in an effort to squeeze out every last drop of efficiency.
And yet, in the hopes of making our communication “more palatable” or less time-consuming, unnecessary acronyms or overly complicated jargon tend to have the opposite effect. Going back to using plain, simple language is what would really save everyone some time.
This is an issue that undoubtedly occurs in a number of different industries and it’s certainly something that we’ve seen become an issue in the technology space that we work in at Babble. Given that it’s an industry already full of complex products with obscure names and fast-moving innovations, it’s no surprise that technology was named the worst offender for its use of confusing jargon when we presented it to the British public.
This can be considered trivial in general, but misuse of language has serious consequences in practice. In fact, when we researched this topic this year, we found that 60% of job seekers wouldn’t apply for tech jobs because they were put off by jargon and “tech talk”. This comes at a time when job openings in the sector are up 191% compared to last year.
Especially for young, inexperienced people, using strange phrases and acronyms only makes integration more difficult and slows down the speed at which they can learn, build their careers and be a useful member of the team. It is certainly doubly difficult and irritating for those for whom English is not their first language.
Small business executives are finding that the impact of overloaded jargon goes far beyond recruiting. More than half (58%) of SMB leaders said they lose time finding technical solutions for their business because they are not clearly explained. 62% also said they had given up trying to upgrade their technology because of jargon.
It’s pretty obvious why terms like the “Internet of Things” and “XaaS” are enough to send people running the other way. They become words that lose all meaning, leading experts in the industry to rely on them but struggle to explain them in simple terms to anyone outside that circle. But the tech industry is vital to the grow of small businesses in this country, so it is incredibly frustrating to see millions of UK SMEs left behind in adopting digital technology if the industry does not address the language barrier.
According to our research, finance, marketing and PR, business management and law are all nearly as guilty as technology and undoubtedly suffer the same consequences, isolating their industries and creating problems in talent attraction, partnership development and broader grow.
Microlanguages developing within our specialized industries may have originally emerged as a way to save time, but they quickly become too smart for their own good, creating exclusivity and ultimately slowing down the ability to collaborate and grow. Whether you’re relatively new to an industry or have been in it for decades, it’s easy to fall into technical terminology, but harmless overcomplications quickly become a habit and get in the way of people’s understanding.
Whether it’s with current or potential employees, or with partners and potential clients, how can you ever expect to commit to someone when you speak an impenetrable language?
As the leader of a company that is always looking to grow on its own, creating a shared sense of camaraderie and way of working is a huge challenge. And when we look to help others enterprises modernizing and expanding, I see how crucial it is to present solutions in a way that translates across industries. By making a conscious effort to simplify the language we use, we can eliminate a whole layer of time-consuming ‘translation’ and become more collaborative partners.
With a recession on the horizon, UK businesses are under enormous pressure and will have to do everything they can to cut through the noise and increase their appeal as an employer, partner and trusted advisor.
By making a concerted effort to remember who we’re trying to reach and adjusting communication accordingly, we can cut down on the fluff, limit the euphemisms and buzzwords, and start talking to each other as if we were humans rather than corporate robots.
It’s time to ditch the jargon. That will lead to less frustration, more integrated employees and stakeholders, more cross-industry collaboration and innovation, and access to more diverse talent.
Matt Parker is the CEO of Babble, a London telecom provider