'What's your bandwidth?' 10 corporate jargon phrases office workers hate

Have you ever asked an employee to touch base, or called a colleague a superstar? While it may seem like a way to build connections with your team, it's probably not having the desired effect. 

While more than half of employees are likely to use corporate jargon when they're in the office, 29% said working somewhere where these phrases are part of the everyday vernacular has made them less likely to even start conversations with their colleagues, according to a recent survey from water filter company Brita Vivreau. Twenty-five percent said they're less likely to speak up or ask questions in meetings, due to fears of not fitting in with their peers.   

"Corporate jargon is all too common in the workplace but can be exclusionary and leave employees feeling left out — creating barriers between them and their colleagues," Eloise Leeson-Smith, a leading linguist and language expert, said in the release. "This will often result in ineffective communication in the workplace, which can be incredibly costly for employers."

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Corporate jargon has an even bigger impact on Gen Z employees, the survey found. Thirty-eight percent are less likely to start a conversation with colleagues and almost a third feel as though corporate jargon is used in the workplace just for the sake of it. The biggest offenders: Senior managers. As a result, 31% of employees said these buzzwords make them feel less confident speaking to senior colleagues. 

In comparison, almost half of office workers said they have their most authentic conversations with colleagues in the office when making tea or coffee — with 33% saying that informal water cooler conversations make them feel more part of a team, and 43% say it helps them establish relationships with colleagues. 

"For any company wanting to foster a workplace culture of inclusion and prioritize staff mental well-being, creating opportunities for employees to communicate and connect authentically is essential," Leeson-Smith said.

If you want to build more authentic connections and start meaningful conversations, be sure to avoid these overly-used phrases when engaging with each other at the office: