When Corporate Jargon Becomes a Barrier for Newcomers

JurnalPost.com - Entering the professional world for the first time often makes us realize that understanding a language does not always mean understanding communication. During our education, we are accustomed to language that is relatively familiar in daily life. However, once we enter the workforce, we encounter terms and communication styles that we have rarely, if ever, encountered before.

This is particularly felt by students undergoing internships as part of the process of getting to know the professional world. The transition from campus to office requires us to adapt not only to new tasks but also to a new communication culture. One example is the use of corporate terms (or jargon) that sound natural to experienced workers but are confusing to newcomers.

Interestingly, this confusion does not always arise because we do not understand the language. We may speak the same language and even know the literal meaning of a word. However, when that word is used in a work context, its meaning is no longer that simple. At this point, corporate jargon can become a communication barrier, not because the language is different, but because the context behind it is not necessarily understood by everyone. A study of more than 1,800 participants found that messages laden with corporate jargon make it harder for people to process information, feel less confident, and become more reluctant to ask for help. Younger participants were also more hesitant to ask for clarification (Bullock & Bisbey, 2025).

Take the example of follow-up. Simply put, this term means to follow up on something. In the workplace, this term often appears in abbreviated form, namely “FU,” especially in text messages. For experienced workers, there is nothing strange about the abbreviation. However, for those of us seeing it for the first time, a simple question arises: “What is FU?” Even after knowing that FU stands for follow-up, other questions may still arise: what needs to be followed up on, and to whom?

A similar thing happens with WIP or Work in Progress. This term is used to state that a job is still in process, for example, when a supervisor asks about the progress of a task and is answered with “it’s still WIP.” From here, other terms emerge such as working file, which is a file that is still being actively worked on. This file is usually requested when the work is not yet finished so that its progress can still be monitored. For experienced workers, all of this sounds normal. For newcomers, it all feels like a foreign vocabulary that must be learned.

From this experience, it is clear that confusion in communication is not about not understanding the language, but about not sharing the same context. A LinkedIn and Duolingo survey showed that about 60 percent of Gen Z professionals in India find workplace jargon confusing, and Duolingo suggests that the constant use of jargon can make newcomers feel isolated (Agarwal, 2023). This means that entering the professional world also means entering an environment with its own communication habits. We are not only required to understand the work assigned but also how the people within it communicate.

So, does the use of these terms become a problem? Actually, not always. Terms like follow-up or WIP actually make communication shorter and more practical for people who already understand the meaning. Research from Bocconi University shows that jargon can help workers learn faster and work better because the meaning is explicit and mutually understood. On the other hand, the same jargon can be a barrier for outsiders and newcomers (Reagans et al., 2026). The problem arises when that understanding is assumed to be held by everyone, including those entering the workforce for the first time.

Therefore, the solution is not to eliminate corporate jargon, but to make it easier to understand. Experienced workers can briefly explain the terms used to newcomers, while newcomers should not feel afraid to ask.

Thus, the issue is not merely the use of corporate jargon, but the difference in understanding between those who are already familiar with the working world and those who are just entering it. A term can feel simple to one person but confusing to another because they do not share the same experience and context. Ultimately, speaking the same language does not necessarily mean having the same understanding.

Bibliography
Agarwal, M. (2023, June 13). 'Keep me in the loop', 'take offline' are some of the most confusing workplace terms: LinkedIn-Duolingo. Business Today. https://www.businesstoday.in/amp/latest/corporate/story/keep-me-in-the-loop-take-offline-are-some-of-the-most-confusing-workplace-terms-linkedin-duolingo-385365-2023-06-13

Bullock, O. M., & Bisbey, T. (2025, August 25). Jargon in the Workplace Reduces Processing Fluency, Self-Efficacy, and Information Seeking and Sharing. International Journal of Business Communication, 1-19. https://doi.org/10.1177/23294884251364525

Reagans, R. E., Burt, R. S., & Liu, D. D. (2026, April 2). Jargonization, Language Development, and Team Performance. Sociological Science, 13, 314-331. https://doi.org/10.15195/v13.a14