Staying abreast of certain HR lingos can give working professionals an edge over the rest.
It is often observed that most employees are oblivious to certain corporate terms (read: HR lingos) and hence, face hesitation, especially during conversations or meetings. A lot of times, candidates who walk in for interviews also find it difficult to understand certain terms used by the HR managers, which leaves them confused. So are HR jargons becoming more prevalent in the human resource space? "HR jargons these days are not only restricted to HR, but also employees as well as prospective candidates. We find many employees use a majority of the jargons during appraisals, rewards and recognition programmes, and also during learning and development workshops. Jargons such as ‘normalisation', ‘motivation', ‘flexi-time', ‘benchmarking', etc are widely used. However, the usage of these jargons is never a consideration for HR managers. All we look at is the employee's attitude and depth of domain knowledge and the overall performance of the employee," says Vishwanath Kamanuru, senior manager, HR, CSS Corp.
"It is an age of acronyms and young managers. It is more a style that one has to follow. In the age of facebook and twitter, people would like to show that they are part of a younger thinking and hence HR jargons are becoming prevalent," notes P. S Srikumar, Vice President, TalentPro.
Does knowing HR jargons give an employee the extra edge in interviews? Chirag Buch, CEO – India direct & head – HR- Bharti AXA GI feels that the basic terminologies related to an employee such as ‘KPI' or ‘PMP' provide the initial perception that the candidate is aware and has been a part of common processes of evaluation and matrix found in a corporate setting. "However, if the employee is unable to break it down further as to what constitutes the measurable, it sets him/her on the back foot. In an interview, the interviewer looks for specific examples of his/her past experience rather than deciding merely on the use of jargons. On the contrary, clear, simple and logical conversations are far more effective." Rahul Kulkarni, head HR of Kale Consultants is of the opinion that knowledge of HR jargons can definitely give an employee the extra edge in interviews "It shows that the candidate has a good understanding of HR processes and is abreast with the latest in people management." The use of HR jargons during conversations and meetings stimulates one's thinking process. It also reflects the impressive way of communication in the business environment. Having said that, do HR jargons help bridge the communication gap between HR managers and employees? "Most jargons need to be understood well. A common observation is that employees know what ‘CTC' is, but are not sure of what exactly to expect in their package. Hence, there is a gap between using the terminology and actually knowing the meaning of the same. This in fact, leads to difference of opinions and miscommunication between HR and the employees," adds Kamanuru.
"Delivering a message laden with jargons might not be the correct way to bridge a communication gap. All employees may not necessarily comprehend HR jargons and thus, instead of a clear message, there is a likelihood of a convoluted message being discharged. Communication should always be clear and easily understood by the recipients. Any HR manager who is able to communicate to the employees in their dialect and terminology would find it easy to build connect with them," notes Amit Kombi, senior consultant – HR, SAP Labs India. HR jargons, if executed correctly, can go a long way in bridging communication gaps with various levels and divisions of any organisation. One must ensure that the use of such jargons and terminologies is not overdone.
It is often observed that most employees are oblivious to certain corporate terms (read: HR lingos) and hence, face hesitation, especially during conversations or meetings. A lot of times, candidates who walk in for interviews also find it difficult to understand certain terms used by the HR managers, which leaves them confused. So are HR jargons becoming more prevalent in the human resource space? "HR jargons these days are not only restricted to HR, but also employees as well as prospective candidates. We find many employees use a majority of the jargons during appraisals, rewards and recognition programmes, and also during learning and development workshops. Jargons such as ‘normalisation', ‘motivation', ‘flexi-time', ‘benchmarking', etc are widely used. However, the usage of these jargons is never a consideration for HR managers. All we look at is the employee's attitude and depth of domain knowledge and the overall performance of the employee," says Vishwanath Kamanuru, senior manager, HR, CSS Corp.
"It is an age of acronyms and young managers. It is more a style that one has to follow. In the age of facebook and twitter, people would like to show that they are part of a younger thinking and hence HR jargons are becoming prevalent," notes P. S Srikumar, Vice President, TalentPro.
Does knowing HR jargons give an employee the extra edge in interviews? Chirag Buch, CEO – India direct & head – HR- Bharti AXA GI feels that the basic terminologies related to an employee such as ‘KPI' or ‘PMP' provide the initial perception that the candidate is aware and has been a part of common processes of evaluation and matrix found in a corporate setting. "However, if the employee is unable to break it down further as to what constitutes the measurable, it sets him/her on the back foot. In an interview, the interviewer looks for specific examples of his/her past experience rather than deciding merely on the use of jargons. On the contrary, clear, simple and logical conversations are far more effective." Rahul Kulkarni, head HR of Kale Consultants is of the opinion that knowledge of HR jargons can definitely give an employee the extra edge in interviews "It shows that the candidate has a good understanding of HR processes and is abreast with the latest in people management." The use of HR jargons during conversations and meetings stimulates one's thinking process. It also reflects the impressive way of communication in the business environment. Having said that, do HR jargons help bridge the communication gap between HR managers and employees? "Most jargons need to be understood well. A common observation is that employees know what ‘CTC' is, but are not sure of what exactly to expect in their package. Hence, there is a gap between using the terminology and actually knowing the meaning of the same. This in fact, leads to difference of opinions and miscommunication between HR and the employees," adds Kamanuru.
"Delivering a message laden with jargons might not be the correct way to bridge a communication gap. All employees may not necessarily comprehend HR jargons and thus, instead of a clear message, there is a likelihood of a convoluted message being discharged. Communication should always be clear and easily understood by the recipients. Any HR manager who is able to communicate to the employees in their dialect and terminology would find it easy to build connect with them," notes Amit Kombi, senior consultant – HR, SAP Labs India. HR jargons, if executed correctly, can go a long way in bridging communication gaps with various levels and divisions of any organisation. One must ensure that the use of such jargons and terminologies is not overdone.