Job ad buzzwords - how many phrases do you recognize?
Are you a real team player with a hands-on mentality who thrives in a dynamic environment? Congratulations - you seem to be qualified for 90% of all job advertisements!
Candidate Experience
Ivana Batt
Recruiter
Ivana is passionate about recruiting and supports start-ups as well as SMEs in hiring new talent.
LinkedIn🚩 The top buzzwords - and what they really mean:
1. flat hierarchies
Sounds: like proximity & eye level
Often means: nobody knows exactly who decides - or when.
2. dynamic environment
Sounds: exciting
Often means: chaos. Deadline yesterday. Plan tomorrow.
3. start-up mentality
Sounds: lean & hustle
Often means: no budget, but pizza and visions every day.
4. market-oriented salary
Sounds: fair
Often means: We pay what we have to - not what you are worth.
5. creative freedom
Sounds: creative
Often means: We don't have a plan, so have fun doing it.
6. team player wanted
Sounds: like collegiality
Often means: everyone does everything, and no extra sausages please.
7. hands-on mentality
Sounds: practical
Often means: you just do it yourself - regardless of whether it's your job.
8. work-life balance
Sounds: nice
Often means: We hope you balance it out yourself somehow.
9. family working environment
Sounds: warm
Often means: private and professional life can become blurred.
10. further development opportunities
Sounds: like a career
Often means: learning by doing. A lot of doing.
Why this (usually) doesn't work
Applicants have a buzzword radar - and it's now pretty finely tuned. If every ad is "innovative, flexible and team-oriented", then none of them are really special. The result: the job ad comes across as generic, arbitrary - or worse: inauthentic.
It's better this way: plain text that sticks
Be specific instead of vague.
👉 "You work directly with our founders and contribute your ideas - from day one."
Show real insights.
👉 "We sit in an open office, all at the same table - including management"
Let people speak.
👉 "What I like about working here? That my suggestion was implemented straight away - no marathon meetings."
(- Employee X)
Conclusion: Get out of the buzzword loop
Job ads are your invitation - not your elevator pitch. If you remove buzzwords and replace them with real content, you have a better chance of finding suitable matches. So: more substance, less show.
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