How to use jargon in the recruitment process

Chris Lee

When communicating with customers and clients, many businesses tend to avoid technical jargon that may be confusing. However, it may be beneficial to use these complicated terms in the recruitment process – especially when hiring senior staff, writes Chris Lee.

In most industries, senior professionals are expected to be experienced and knowledgeable in their field, with a good working knowledge of the common technical shorthands and acronyms. Knowing the ins and outs of their field is exactly why they are professionals: knowledge of acronyms and other short-cuts helps an employee work quicker and more effectively. When hiring a new employee, their knowledge of common jargon can be a key indicator of their overall skill level.

When hiring for senior positions it’s vital to know whether the candidates actually have the skills to do the job. Using certain jargon can help create a list of the best possible candidates as well as helping narrow down a shortlist. For example, in the cloud computing industry, acronyms and jargon such as SaaS, IaaS and Hypervisor are regularly used as they refer to some of the foundations of a cloud based system.

To save time, Engineers and other members of staff will use these acronyms to communicate with each other on a daily basis. When hiring a new engineer it’s imperative that they have a working knowledge of these terms, especially if they’re going to have more responsibilities or even lead a team.

Despite the advantages of using technical jargon, there are times when complicated or confusing language should be avoided in the recruitment process, such as hiring juniors and entry-level candidates. In these cases, some thought should be taken as to what the candidates are likely to know, with the frequency of technical terms used in the recruitment process reflecting this. This isn’t to say that all jargon should be avoided; on the contrary, jargon can also be used to gauge an entry level candidate’s knowledge and willingness to learn.

The level of jargon will also change by industry and business, and what may work for some, may not work for others. For example, one design studio may require a junior who has an exceptional knowledge of the design process, despite being relatively inexperienced, while another design agency may be more willing to train their candidates from scratch. In another industry, such as catering, it may be better to avoid jargon altogether – it’s up to the business to decide what is best for the industry.

How to use jargon in the recruitment process

To get the most out of using technical jargon, it should be used in initial job postings as well as the interview process. It may seem beneficial to leave jargon out of job postings, but doing so will likely result in applications from candidates who do not possess the skills necessary. Instead, using jargon and acronyms from the beginning of the recruitment process will help a business create a better, more informed shortlist of candidates.

Using jargon in an interview is important because this allows the interviewer to gauge two things: the knowledge of the candidate, and their ability to research and learn new skills and expertise.

It is important to not entirely dismiss a possible candidate for their lack of jargon knowledge: some companies use different shorthands, and by judging the candidates on other criteria (and allowing them to highlight their skills in other ways) means that a business will not overlook a very skilled worker, who can simply be trained in the terms they do not yet understand – especially in junior positions.

Remembering not to use jargon all of the time

Jargon cannot be used exclusively in the recruitment process, and a business needs to know when to use clear, concise and easy-to-understand language.

If a business doesn’t know when not to use jargon, the following guidelines may help:

• Only use jargon to refer to key skills and processes, e.g. applicant must have a working knowledge of IaaS and SaaS;
• When describing what the job involves, always use clear, simple language;
• When explaining what a business does, always use clear, simple language;
• Provide entry-level applicants and juniors with jargon busters or research before interviews.

Producing a jargon buster can be extremely useful for a business – especially if it is hosted on the company’s website. This is because:

• It shows that the applicant has done their research;
• It provides a source of information to clients and customers who may wish to learn a little more about the services a business provides.

Conclusion

Using jargon can be a great technique for gauging a job candidate’s skills, especially in technical fields in which specific shorthands or acronyms are common place. However, jargon must be used sparingly, with clear simple language used when possible – especially when hiring juniors or entry-level candidates.

By Chris Lee, on behalf of the Six Degrees Group.