Canadians Share Their Views on Corporate Jargon

Corporate jargon, with its specialized language tailored for professional settings, often muddles the distinction between clarity and complexity. While such terminology aims to enhance understanding, it frequently leads to confusion instead. Despite its unpopularity, many still rely on corporate lingo—so what keeps this confusing vocabulary in circulation?

While often viewed negatively, corporate jargon is still a staple in today’s workplaces. To uncover Canadians’ true feelings about this language, LingualNeeds, an online language learning platform, conducted a survey of over 1,000 Canadian residents. The goal was to explore how office buzzwords are utilized and perceived across the Canadian professional landscape.

Key takeaways:

• 88% of Canadians use corporate jargon expressions or buzzwords at work
• On average, Canadians use corporate buzzwords six times a day
• “Touch base” is the most common jargon phrase in Canada, whilst “ping you” is deemed most annoying
• “G.O.A.T.” is the term most over-used by Gen Z at work, followed by “slay”
• Arts & Culture and Legal are the most jargon-heavy industries
• 93% of Torontonians use corporate jargon, approximately 6 times a day
• Buzzwords are most frequently used during in-person conversations, followed by meetings
• Buzzwords are used least frequently in formal documents and client meetings

Online lessons

Learn a language with personalised 1-on-1 classes with our expert tutors from all over the world

English lessons online
French lessons online
Spanish lessons online

How often do Canadians use office buzzwords?

Our research reveals that Canadians incorporate corporate buzzwords into their conversations approximately six times daily. Interestingly, 4% of respondents confessed to using this jargon more than 15 times each day!

Corporate jargon is so prevalent that, on average, individuals report coming across a new term or phrase more than twice a month.

Younger employees tend to embrace business buzzwords more than their older counterparts. In fact, Gen Z incorporates these trendy terms into their work conversations an average of eight times a day, while Baby Boomers use them the least, averaging just five times daily.

Canada’s bilingual nature naturally influences its workplaces, where employees often blend languages regardless of the primary one spoken. In French-dominant environments, a notable 29% of workers incorporate English business jargon into their conversations. Conversely, in English-speaking offices, about 6% of employees sprinkle in French terms, showcasing the country’s rich linguistic diversity in professional settings.

Notably, jargon was more prevalent in French-speaking workplaces, where 90% of employees utilized it, compared to 87% in English-speaking offices.

How do Canadians feel about corporate jargon?

Views on corporate jargon are diverse. While some employees appreciate it as a tool for clarity, others have a more critical perspective. In fact, nearly 25% of workers believe that jargon aids in grasping the speaker’s message. Conversely, 20% of employees feel that using jargon can undermine their perception of authenticity.

If Canadians often find corporate jargon perplexing, frustrating, and off-putting, why is it still so widely used? The reasons differ from person to person, but our research highlights a few key motivations: many use jargon to save time with shorthand phrases, enhance communication with colleagues, and convey ideas more efficiently.

Surprisingly, a quarter of respondents admitted they resort to corporate jargon just to blend in with their colleagues. This desire to conform could shed light on the persistent use of buzzwords in the workplace. Notably, this trend is even more pronounced among male employees, with 28% of them acknowledging that they use jargon primarily to fit in.

If you want to explore more about this topic, don’t miss our article Dating Beyond Language: UK Views on Multilingual Romance.

Learn online

Learn a language online with our free learning materials.

Learn Spanish online
Learn English online
Learn French online

What is the most annoying corporate lingo?

Buzzwords can serve as effective tools for clear communication and showcasing expertise, but some phrases can really irritate people. Topping our list of the most annoying corporate jargon is “ping you,” followed closely by “get your ducks in a row” and “put a pin in it.”

The most used workplace jargon

Although just 22% of Canadian employees believe that corporate jargon enhances their understanding of communication, a striking 88% still admit to using such buzzwords in the workplace. Our survey reveals the most commonly used slang terms in professional settings:

1. Touch base
2. At the end of the day
3. Win-win
4. Circle back
5. Bottom line
6. It is what it is
7. Sus
8. Bet
9. Hit the ground running
10. Keep me in the loop

If you frequently use the phrases “at the end of the day” or “circle back,” you might want to think twice. These expressions have made it onto the list of the top 10 most annoying phrases, suggesting that it’s best to steer clear of them in the future.

Corporate jargon usage differs significantly between departments and levels of seniority. Management leads the pack as the top users of corporate lingo, followed closely by the Sales team. Operations ranks third, while Marketing and HR take the fourth and fifth spots, respectively. Interestingly, Legal departments tend to avoid corporate jargon, primarily because they rely heavily on technical and specialized language.

Is Gen Z a generation of jargon users?

A striking 92% of Gen Z reported using corporate jargon in their workplaces, yet 20% admitted that these buzzwords leave them feeling confused—the highest rate among all age groups. When asked about the most overused terms, “G.O.A.T” topped the list, followed closely by “slay” and “sus.” As this generation advances in their careers, we might witness a growing incorporation of their unique language into the corporate lexicon.

In a survey of Gen Z participants, the term “period” emerged as the most irritating phrase they encounter in the workplace, particularly when used by their colleagues.

Among the phrases commonly used across generations, Gen Z employees identified “piggybacking” as the most annoying term in the workplace.

Corporate language dislikes across Canada

Canadians have diverse opinions on word choices that can vary significantly from region to region. We surveyed 44 cities to discover which phrases or buzzwords residents find most irritating. If you’re communicating with clients or colleagues in these areas—or planning a visit—it’s wise to choose your words carefully and consider alternatives.

Conclusion

The study reveals that corporate jargon is prevalent in modern workplaces, with nearly 90% of Canadians using such expressions. While our research shows that these terms remain a staple in professional communication, opinions among Canadians vary, with many expressing frustration over their use.

As “ping you” emerges as the most irritating phrase, its usage may decline. In contrast, “touch base,” currently the most frequently used expression, is expected to remain a staple in conversation.

A generational shift in workplace language is becoming evident. Although jargon is prevalent across all age groups, younger employees tend to incorporate buzzwords more frequently into their everyday conversations. This trend suggests that we may see an increase in the use of such language in the workplace in the future, potentially leading to a transformation in the vocabulary we adopt at work.

Enhance your communication skills in a multicultural workplace and broaden your professional vocabulary with LingualNeeds’s tailored corporate language training. Our expert tutors offer personalized one-on-one sessions designed to empower employees with the essential skills for successful interactions with bilingual teams and international clients.

Methodology

Between October 26 and 31, 2023, we conducted a survey with 1,002 Canadian residents from 44 cities, exploring their perspectives on corporate jargon. Our respondents, aged 18 and older, comprised 42% males and 58% females, representing a mix of those working in office and remote environments.

To determine the most frequently used corporate jargon, we surveyed respondents about the buzzwords they personally use most often and those they hear most commonly in their workplaces. We then aggregated the occurrences of each buzzword to identify the top contenders.