The 20 Most Annoying, Overused and Meaningless Business Buzzwords

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If you're trying to get your point across at work, avoid annoying and worn-out clichés.

Managers say that employees use a horde of common buzzwords every day — such as "dynamic," "deep dive" and "leverage — that really get under the bosses' skin, according to new research from the staffing services firm Accountemps.

When communicating in the workplace, clarity is still king, said Bill Driscoll, New England district president of Accountemps.

"Jargon tends to confuse, not clarify," Driscoll said in a statement. "It's generally best to avoid the tired clichés and trendy buzzwords in favor of clear, straightforward language."

The study revealed the 20 most annoying and overused phrases and buzzwords in the
office today:

• "Out of pocket"
• "Deep dive"
• "Forward-thinking"
• "Dynamic"
• "Let me get back to you."
• "Pick your brain"
• "Employee engagement"
• "LOL"
• "It's not my job."
• "It's above my pay grade."
• "When am I going to get a raise?"
• "I am overwhelmed."
• "Crunch time"
• "Win-win"
• "Value-added"
• "Think outside the box."
• "Leverage"
• "At the end of the day"
• "Circle back"
• "Synergy"

The research is based on interviews with more than 600 HR managers at U.S. and Canadian companies with 20 or more employees.