A-Z of The 2023 HR Buzzwords

It feels like a new buzzword in HR finds its way into our emails every week.

But what value can we take from these terms, and what buzzwords are here to stay? More importantly, what do they mean?

Anti Perks | Bare Minimum Monday | Lazy Girl Jobs | Momager | Proximity Bias | Productivity Theatre | Quiet Ambition | Quiet Quitting | Quittok | Tech Shame 

Anti Perks

Anti-perks are perks that are made to seem cool, but may not actually be very beneficial to your working life, or maybe a way for your employer to have a feeling of leverage over you. Unlimited time off may seem nice on the surface, but can actually provoke feelings of guilt amongst employees who actually take advantage of it. Beers in the office can disrupt productivity, and does anyone actually use those nap rooms? Or are they a way to keep you in the office? Employees benefit from perks like flexible working patterns, opportunities to develop skills and generous PTO structure, and employers need to be more aware by conducting surveys in-house.

Bare Minimum Monday

This is the idea of starting your week doing the minimum of what is required of you. With 67% of adults in the UK experiencing anxiety for their week ahead on Sundays, bare minimum Mondays gives the employee the chance for a more positive outlook for the coming work week and this focus on self-care and well-being will allow the employee to escape the grip of burnout.

Lazy Girl Jobs

A term that has arisen to combat the growing feeling of burnout, Lazy Girl Jobs applies to well-paying and flexible roles, allowing the employee to have more leisure time. The need for employees to want more free time to enjoy life without feeling criticised for it has led more employers to offer these flexible roles. This seems like it is here to stay, with searches for 'lazy girl jobs' up 1,267 in August.

Momager

Brought into fashion by celebrities like Kris Jenner, a momager in the past was a mother who is the business manager of one of their children. However, the definition has changed managers who feel responsible for their employees’ mental well-being as well as their output. As the millennial workforce continues to be the largest group in employment, their attitudes and ideals on how they should be treated have found their way into management and should continue to be reflected as time goes on.

Proximity Bias

We cannot avoid groups within the workplace, but proximity bias describes the favouritism given commonly by upper management towards employees who are located closer to them. These individuals are more likely to gain unique opportunities over others, a bit like that one episode of Friends.

Productivity Theatre

Remotely working has allowed employees to work comfortably in their chosen space but employers have quietly installed what is called a ‘Productivity Theatre’. Employers have methods of tracking productivity through keystrokes on laptops and other methods, with employees even losing their jobs due to a lack of activity. This is counterproductive however, employees should feel free to work at the pace they see fit, and employers should focus more on the results. The surveillance of employees will have a negative effect on how they see home working in the future.

Quiet Ambition

In part one, we discussed Quiet Quitting and its growth in the workforce, but Quiet Ambition is very much the opposite. A growing need for personal fulfilment outside of climbing the corporate ladder is the definition of this phenomenon, and brought on by the pandemic, has meant that employees will alter their work life to ensure their own personal ambitions are fulfilled. This can be through earning a certain salary or prioritising their work-life balance. For the future of the workplace, employers must nurture this feeling through perks and empathy for their staff.

Quiet Quitting

Have you ever done the bare minimum in your role? Simply doing what is asked and nothing more? That is what is called quiet quitting. The reasons for this can vary but mainly come down to an inadequate workplace culture for the employees. As burnout has gripped the HR field, employers may notice a rise in quiet quitting, with an April job satisfaction survey stating that 67% of respondents described “quiet quitting” as a fitting adjective for their approach to work

Quittok

​Quitting your role can be a sometimes freeing experience for the employee, but how about recording it for potentially thousands of people to see? Quittok is the trend of employees recording one of their final interactions with their bosses, favoured amongst younger audiences. It has been met with largely positive reactions, with creators being praised for their authenticity and opening up on their pages. But other audiences have criticised the lack of professionalism and attention-seeking that these posts can promote.

Tech Shame

Printers, fax machines, and seemingly ancient telephones. These are the foundations of the office environment, and many employees, especially Gen-Z, struggle to use these tools. Tech shame amongst the younger employees is common, growing up as the first completely digital generation many older employees assume that Gen Z knows their way around all tech. This can lead to embarrassment and a feeling of incompetence. The same feeling is shared amongst older generations and newer technology. There need to be sufficient training videos in place to ensure comfortability amongst all employees.

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