The HR function, perhaps more than most, is one that heavily employs buzz words and terminology – and this isn’t a bad thing if these neatly encapsulate a concept, aid understanding and engage audiences. ‘eX’ or ‘employee experience’ is one example of this which has been appearing in lots of internal and external programmes, communications and articles in recent months.

Technical terms, phrases and acronyms are useful prompts or reminders, but an over reliance on them can spell trouble if they are not properly explained and understood.

The phraseology can create confusion and risks only being accessible to ‘those in the know’ and closed to those who haven’t benefited from explanations and definitions. How often, when presented with a phrase, term or acronym, have you thought, ‘Am I expected to know what this means – and will I appear stupid for saying that I don’t?’ How many times have you suspected that others in the meeting or copied into the email feel the same? Have you ever desperately turned to Google for help or sought explanations from a sympathetic colleague, in the strictest confidence?

To outsiders – and many insiders – the ‘buzz words’ or ‘jargon’ can overcomplicate what is supposed to be simple and they may actually undermine the value of a framework, concept or approach that is critically important to the organisation – for example, our definition of ‘eX’ is, “Every interaction an employee has with an organisation from their first contact in the recruitment process to the last one before they leave”. It is critical to be consciously and continuously working to optimise these experiences to ensure engagement and, ultimately, organisational performance. If not properly explained or positioned alongside crucial elements, like Employer Value Proposition or Employer Brand, the term ‘eX’ might be perceived as the latest fashionable HR-themed phrase and not the far-reaching set of programmes or initiatives that many organisations are working on.

Ironically, the people you are there to support might come up with some choice pejorative terms of their own to describe it, such as ‘HR-speak’.

It is clear then that, in a world of increasing complexity, we HR professionals should be helping our leaders, managers and employees navigate an uncluttered path. Colleagues and clients should always know what we are talking about.

This can be difficult when there are so many conflicting priorities, ideas, concepts and frameworks jostling for position on our radar. It is also a challenge if different initiatives, programmes or departments are run by different teams that are too isolated from one another – even though they should be overlapping.

However, there are a number of ways it can be achieved:

1. Make sure that the frameworks and initiatives you are working on have clear, unwavering definitions and, importantly, that the purpose or desired outcome of each is clear to all groups responsible for delivering these programmes.

2. Ensure that teams working on related or overlapping initiatives connect regularly. For example, if Marketing is working on Employer Brand, the Compensation & Benefits Team is leading on the Employee Value Proposition and the Talent Team is taking care of Employee Engagement, they should be exchanging on their objectives and progress regularly. And, in the case of eX, all of these teams should be exploring how their respective areas can enhance the day-to-day working experience of employees.

3. See to it that you always consider your audience when you are preparing to communicate your initiative. Provide clear definitions and underline the connections between programmes, as well as their purposes and the links to both the people and the business strategies.

4. For key HR campaigns, partner with your internal communications team to get their feedback and support to ensure that your planned communications are clear and your intended messages are coming across in the right way.

5. Establish a culture where it is customary to check that everyone who needs to, understands the shorthand terms, abbreviations and acronyms that are used – for example, in team meetings.

6. Following on, this positive working practice can be reinforced by instilling in everybody that the only stupid question is the one that wasn’t asked. Employees should feel empowered to ask about any word or phrasing they are unsure about, entirely assured that it will not lead to a black mark or feelings of embarrassment.

Ultimately, we must always actively seek to avoid having valuable frameworks and approaches being downplayed and devalued as ‘HR speak’. Having these sensible safeguards in place as part of an overall people strategy roadmap will go a long way to preventing unintentional ‘roadblocks’ that prevent and delay progress.

Jenny Merry, Market Leader for UK, Ireland and France at Kincentric