Corporate Jargon and Office Lingo: A List With Explanations and Examples for New-Starters
Corporate jargon or office lingo can be confusing or even intimidating if you're not used to it. This plain-English guide explains common workplace phrases so new-starters can follow conversations with confidence from day one.
Starting a new job can feel exciting and unsettling in equal measure. You'll understand the role you've been hired to do, but if you don't have prior experience in a corporate environment, the language being used by your colleagues might feel unfamiliar.
In your first few weeks in a new role, the phrases flying around meetings and messages — that everyone else seems to nod along to — might be confusing, or even make you feel excluded.
As a Career Advisor who helps professionals move into tech and project management roles, I work with many talented and ambitious people who hit this exact problem. Corporate jargon and office lingo aren’t about intelligence or capability. They’re about familiarity and exposure. Most of this language is picked up over time, especially in tech, digital, IT, and Project Management environments, where teams move fast, and shorthand creeps in.
I’ve put this guide together as a plain-English translator. The goal isn’t to teach you how to sound corporate. It’s to help you follow conversations, ask better questions, and feel more at ease as you find your feet.
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With over 3 years working at Learning People supporting students in their career search, Flo is here to offer one-to-one personal guidance, which proactively supports you as you venture towards your new or expanded career.
What's on this page?
Jump to:
- What Is Corporate Jargon (And Why It Exists)?
- How to Read Office Jargon Without Feeling Out of Your Depth
- Corporate Jargon and Office Lingo: Plain-English Translations
- Jargon You’ll Hear a Lot in Tech, IT, and Project-Led Teams
- Should You Use Corporate Jargon Yourself?
- Final Thoughts: Jargon Is a Language You Can Learn
- Corporate Jargon and Office Lingo FAQs
What Is Corporate Jargon (And Why It Exists)?
When I talk about corporate jargon, office lingo, or workplace jargon, I’m really talking about the same thing. It’s the collection of phrases people use at work to describe everyday tasks, decisions, and performance.
Instead of saying something plainly, the language gets wrapped up in shorthand that sounds “work appropriate” or strategic. I’ve noticed this jargon usually creeps in for fairly simple reasons. People copy the language they hear from managers, leadership teams, or tech culture, and over time, it becomes a habit.
It’s also a shortcut. In fast-moving or cross-functional teams, especially when people work remotely, shared phrases can feel quicker than stopping to explain things properly.
That’s where it gets tricky. This language often sounds more complex than it needs to be, which can make it feel exclusionary. We don’t see it as good or bad. It’s just something you learn to translate as you go.
Fact: Most ANZ Employers Invest in Communication Skills
The same research shows that 70% of New Zealand organisations offer communication training to their employees. This reflects how important clear communication is in modern workplaces.
It also reinforces that struggling with workplace language isn’t a personal failing. Employers expect people to learn how communication works on the job, including how to understand common office jargon and internal terminology.
How to Read Office Jargon Without Feeling Out of Your Depth
One thing I remind people is this: you don’t need to speak in jargon to belong at work.
Understanding it comes first, and using it, if you ever choose to, comes much later. When you’re new, your job is to listen, notice patterns, and quietly translate what’s being said into plain English. This is a process that gets faster and more reflexive as you move through your first weeks in a role.
Furthermore, forcing yourself to speak differently before you've properly settled into a workspace can backfire, as my colleague in the Learning People Career Services team in the UK offices explains:
Asking sensible questions in your own voice is better than parroting corporate phrases...
I completely understand the instinct to adopt the language everyone around you is using when trying to fit into a new company.
But trust me: you'll earn much more respect by asking sensible questions in phrasing that's natural to you, than by using terminologies you're not fully comfortable with yet.
Asking for clarity is normal, especially early on. Most teams would rather explain something once than have it misunderstood.
If confidence is the real blocker, focusing on building confidence in your early career can make these moments feel far less intimidating while you find your voice.
Corporate Jargon and Office Lingo: Plain-English Translations
Below is the part most people come looking for. I’ve grouped common corporate jargon examples and office lingo phrases by theme, with plain-English meanings and quick real-world context.
Don’t worry about memorising lines. This section is about recognising what’s being said so conversations make sense.
Meetings & Communication
- Align on
What it usually means: Agree on a plan, decision, or next step.
Example: “Let’s align on the timeline before we speak to the client.” -
Circle back
What it usually means: Return to this later, not now.
Example: “We’ll circle back once everyone’s had time to review.” -
Take this offline
What it usually means: Discuss separately and in person, often after the meeting.
Example: “That’s detailed, so let’s take it offline.” -
Touch base
What it usually means: Have a short catch-up or conversation about something.
Example: “I’ll touch base with you later this week.”
Workload & Priorities
-
Bandwidth
What it usually means: Time or capacity to take on more work.
Example: “I don’t have the bandwidth to pick that up today.” -
Low-hanging fruit
What it usually means: The easiest tasks with quick results.
Example: “Let’s start with the low-hanging fruit.” -
Quick win
What it usually means: Something easy that shows progress fast.
Example: “Fixing that bug would be a quick win.” - On my radar
What it usually means: I’m aware of it.
Example: “Yes, that issue’s on my radar.”
Decision-Making
-
Sign-off
What it usually means: Formal approval.
Example: “We’re waiting for sign-off from finance.” -
Stakeholder buy-in
What it usually means: Getting agreement from people affected by the decision.
Example: “We need stakeholder buy-in before moving forward.” -
Decision-maker
What it usually means: The person with final authority.
Example: “Let’s check who the decision-maker is.” -
Push back
What it usually means: Challenge or question a request.
Example: “I pushed back on the deadline.”
Culture & Performance
-
Deliverables
What it usually means: The work or outputs you’re expected to produce.
Example: “The deliverables are due Friday.” -
Value add
What it usually means: Extra benefit beyond basic expectations.
Example: “That analysis would be a real value add.” -
Best practice
What it usually means: The commonly accepted way of doing something most efficiently for the best results.
Example: “This follows best practice.” - Moving forward
What it usually means: From now on.
Example: “Moving forward, we’ll document all changes.”
The meaning of workplace jargon becomes clearer with exposure, not effort. You’re not expected to use every phrase. You just need to recognise what’s being said so you can respond confidently in your own words.
Fact: Miscommunication Is a Common Issue for Younger Workers in ANZ
Research into New Zealand’s workforce found that 68% of Gen Z employees have experienced miscommunication at work, often linked to digital tools like email and internal messaging platforms.
For new starters, this highlights how easily unclear language, jargon, or assumptions can lead to confusion. Understanding common workplace phrases and communication styles helps reduce misunderstandings and makes it easier to follow conversations from day one.
Jargon You’ll Hear a Lot in Tech, IT, and Project-Led Teams
If you’re moving into tech, IT, or a project-led role, you’ll notice shorthand creeping into everyday conversations very quickly. I see this even when someone’s job isn’t technical at all.
Marketing, operations, customer support, and finance teams often work closely with developers or Project Managers, so the language spreads fast. This kind of workplace lingo is especially common in remote or agile environments where teams need quick ways to describe complex work.
You don’t need to master it straight away, but recognising the basics helps conversations click into place.
Common examples you’ll hear a lot include:
-
Sprint: a short, focused period of work
-
Backlog: a list of tasks waiting to be done
-
Dependencies: tasks that rely on something else being finished first
-
Roadmap: a high-level plan for future work
I often remind people that this is just shorthand, not secret code. If you’re curious about how these teams operate day to day, understanding what it’s like working in tech, IT or project-led teams can make these terms feel far less intimidating.
Should You Use Corporate Jargon Yourself?
This is something people ask me a lot, usually in a slightly nervous way. The short answer is no, you’re not expected to use corporate jargon to prove you belong. Understanding it is far more important than repeating it.
Jargon can be useful as shorthand once you’re comfortable, but it’s a tool, not a requirement. If you ever feel unsure, stick to plain language. Most managers appreciate clarity over someone trying to sound “corporate”.
I always say this to new starters: confidence comes from being understood, not from using the same phrases as everyone else. That will come naturally, if it comes at all.
Final Thoughts: Jargon Is a Language You Can Learn
If this language feels confusing right now, you’re not behind. You’re just new.
Corporate jargon is something you pick up over time, and most people understand it far sooner than they expect. I’ve watched confidence grow quickly once the phrases stop sounding foreign and start sounding familiar.
If you’re navigating a career change and want a bit of reassurance along the way, support is always available. Sometimes a short conversation helps put everything into perspective.
If you're looking to jump-start your career or switch to a completely new sector, you can book a free consultation with one of our career experts to talk through your next steps and get clear, practical advice tailored to you.
Corporate Jargon and Office Lingo FAQs
The original version of this article was written by Kirsten Bevaart, a Career Services Consultant working in our UK head offices. It has been copy-edited by Florencia Casas del Valle Pacheco, a Senior Career Services Consultant in our Brisbane offices, to ensure it's relevant and helpful to our APAC readership.
