The common ‘office jargon’ phrases your Gen Z co-workers can’t understand

Corporate buzzwords are catching workers of all ages out (Picture: Getty Images) Whether you’re being asked to ‘touch base’ or ‘circle back’, modern office life comes with a language all of its own – and not everyone is fluent. In fact, a 2023 report by Duolingo and LinkedIn found that 58% of professionals think workplace jargon is overused, with 60% admitting they’ve had to look up what these terms mean. But new research from Careerminds UK suggests Gen Z is finding the corporate code especially difficult to crack. In a survey of 600 UK employees, the youngest generation understood just 5.3 out of 24 common workplace phrases on average – roughly one in five, and fewer than any other age group. Explaining the findings, Amanda Augustine, certified professional career coach (CPCC) and resident expert at the workforce consultancy firm, said: ‘Many of these phrases pre-date Gen Z’s entry into the workplace, and they’re rarely taught in any formal way. Ask Metro Use AI to go deeper into the stories you care about – powered by Metro and trusted publications. ‘Instead, people tend to pick them up over time through meetings, interactions with their senior team members, and day-to-day experiences at work. Younger staff find corporate-speak particularly tough to decipher (Picture: Getty Images) ‘As this latest wave of uni graduates start their careers, plenty will be hearing these phrases for the first time, and few will want to admit they’re lost.’ These are the office phrases your Gen Z colleagues are most likely to stumble over, with plain-English translations that workers of all ages will appreciate. In the pipeline Just 28.0% of Gen Z staff surveyed were able to define what ‘in the pipeline’ meant, compared with 55.9% of Gen Xers and 48.3% of all respondents. Example: ‘We’ve got a new website in the pipeline.’ What it means: Something is being worked on or planned but isn’t ready yet. Where it comes from: The phrase originally referred to oil, gas and water travelling through pipelines. Over time, it became a metaphor for anything that’s progressing through a process before reaching its final destination. Touch base Only 35.4% of younger respondents said they understand this piece of jargon — a stark difference compared to Gen X at 61%. Example: ‘Let’s touch base next week about the project.’ What it means: To have a quick chat or catch up with someone. Where it comes from: The term was borrowed from baseball, where a runner must physically touch each base before moving on. Put it on the back burner While 55.5% of respondents understood their colleagues asking them to put something on the back burner, this figure dropped to 29.3% among Gen Z specifically. Example: ‘We’ll put that idea on the back burner until next month.’ What it means: To postpone something while focusing on more urgent priorities. Where it comes from: The expression comes from cooking. Pots placed on the back burners of a stove receive less attention and lower heat, allowing those on the front burners to take priority. Hit the ground running There was a steep drop in understanding between the age groups here; 40.2% for the younger generation versus 63.6% overall. Example: ‘We’re looking for someone who can hit the ground running.’ What it means: To start a new job or project confidently and make an immediate impact. Where it comes from: The phrase is widely believed to have military origins, stemming from World War II when paratroopers were trained torun as soon as they landed so they could avoid enemy fire. Let’s take this offline It’s perhaps not surprising that a generation of digital natives might struggle with this one, but just 25.9% of the Gen Zs surveyed understood the meaning of taking something offline. Example: ‘Let’s take this offline and go through the details later.’ What it means: To continue a discussion privately after a meeting (via video call or in person) rather than involving everyone. Where it comes from: In the world of computer science, an ‘online’ system is connected to a main network, while ‘offline’ means processing data separately or disconnected from the active shared line. Which office jargon phrase do you find most challenging or confusing? Hit the ground runningCheck Push the envelope Compared to 27.5% for all respondents, 18.1% of office newbies knew what pushing the envelope means. Example: ‘We want a marketing campaign that really pushes the envelope.’ What it means: To challenge limits or try something innovative. Where it comes from: This actually has nothing to do with letters; rather the flight envelope in aviation – the limits within which an aircraft can safely operate. Test pilots who flew beyond those limits were said to be ‘pushing the envelope’ Blue sky thinking The proportion of Gen Zs who could explain this widely-disliked phrase was almost half that of the wider workforce (13.8% versus 26.5%). Example: ‘Today’s meeting is all about blue sky thinking.’ What it means: Coming up with ambitious or imaginative ideas without worrying about practical constraints. Where it comes from: This phrase, which sprung up around the mid-20th century although the original source is unknown, uses the image of an open blue sky with no limits to describe sitting in a dark office looking at numbers. Go figure! Drinking the Kool-Aid Across the board, less than one in five people were able to define this surprisingly dark piece of corporate-speak. Example: ‘He’s really drunk the Kool-Aid since getting that promotion.’ What it means: Believing in a company’s ideas, culture or leadership so completely that you stop questioning them – often used critically. Where it comes from: A reference to the Jonestown Massacre of 1978, where cult leader Jim Jones made over 900 members of the Peoples Temple drink a poisoned liquid wrongly reported to be Kool-Aid — in fact, it was a cheaper brand named Flavor Aid Synergy Over 85% of Gen Zers surveyed said they were stumped by this one, but the situation wasn’t much better among older workers, 81.3% of whom struggled. Example: ‘The merger should create more synergy between departments.’ What it means: Different people or teams working together to achieve better results than they could separately. Where it comes from: The word comes from the Greek synergia, meaning ‘working together’. While it’s been used in science and medicine for centuries, it became a favourite piece of corporate-speak during the management boom of the 1980s. Move the needle There wasn’t too much difference here, with 18.2% of people saying they understood the meaning of ‘move the needle’ against 15.5% for Gen Z. Example: ‘Make sure your ideas move the needle.’ What it means: To make a noticeable difference or have a significant impact. Where it comes from: The expression refers to the needle on an analogue gauge or dial, which moves if something has measurably changed. Hard stop in five While a mere 11.2% of young workers knew the meaning of the term ‘hard stop in five’, the figure was only marginally better across the age groups at 14.5%. Example: ‘I’ve got a hard stop in five, so let’s cover the key points.’ What it means: The speaker has to leave in five minutes, so the meeting needs to end promptly. Where it comes from: A ‘hard stop; is project management and scheduling jargon. Unlike a ‘soft’ deadline, it highlights there’s absolutely no flexibility. Whiteboarding It’s a similar story for ‘whiteboarding’, which 13% of all respondents could define compared to just under one in 10 Gen Zs. Example: ‘Let’s spend 20 minutes whiteboarding some solutions.’ What it means: Collaboratively sketching out ideas, plans or solutions. Where it comes from: Exactly what it sounds like, referring to a physical whiteboard even if the brainstorming is happening elsewhere. Ideate This came in as the least-understood of all workplace jargon tested, with more than 95% of those surveyed having no idea(te). Example: ‘We’ll use the workshop to ideate new product concepts.’ What it means: To generate or develop new ideas. Where it comes from: While it sounds like meaningless modern office jargon, ‘ideate’ actually dates back to the early 17th century — though it didn’t become a business buzzword until the rise of innovation workshops in the late 20th century. Do you have a story you’d like to share? Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@metro.co.uk