The Most Overused Business Jargon in Each State

The business world loves some jargon. Corporate leaders are always touting near-meaningless words like “synergy” and used-to-death office phrases like “let’s touch base” (what base?). Job listings start to blur together when every company you apply to work for is looking for “a badass.”

Textio is an AI-driven service that analyzes job postings and identifies the phrases and patterns that lead to the most responses from qualified applications and the quickest hires. The company recently combed through its database of 250 million corporate job postings to find the most common business jargon clichés in each state, revealing how the group-think of corporate hiring can vary from state to state.

In Oregon, it seems, candidates need to be ready for some “revolutioneering,” while California employers ask potential hires to “tee up.” Oklahoma companies claim to be on the “bleeding edge,” and New Yorkers better get ready to “herd cats.” (Not exactly a full-throated endorsement for the state’s workforce.) Not to be left out for lack of statehood, Washington D.C. companies are looking to “shift the paradigm.”

In its editing services, Textio highlights this kind of unspecific, clichéd language as “red flags” for companies looking to attract highly qualified job seekers with their postings—and it’s right to. Jargon is devoid of meaning, and using it turns people off. No one applies for a job looking to “achieve alignment,” and no one needs to be told that their future company is looking for someone to “increase productivity.” What is getting aligned? What kind of productivity? What job wouldn’t involve “corporate values” in some way?

It’s great that Textio brought this to the table, leveraging its expertise in the field. Hopefully reading this will be a change-driver. Maybe it will help your company with its message alignment, or help you craft a really great statement of duties. Go ahead, blaze a trail with that job posting. Go the extra mile. That’s where the magic truly happens, after all. Let’s touch base later. It’s just good practice. Just make sure to have an exit strategy.