Reason: We love our buzz words and business jargon – we must, we use it all the time. The challenge is not everyone uses the same jargon when talking about the same thing. People from different industries, serving in the military vs. civilian vs. academic organizations, or those who have cultivated a career over decades in a single company with their own ‘special’ way of speaking, can all have completely different words to say the same thing. This can be confusing or amusing at social or professional events, but it can be devastating in the hiring process. Candidates may be a perfect fit, but they (or you) have no idea because the latest buzzy keywords don’t match. Avoid this unnecessary mismatch. Replace or augment keywords with descriptive language when describing a job. And in any candidate screening, turn off keyword filters and instead use descriptive questionnaires to let candidates identify if they have the traits independent of the words they use on their resumes and profiles.
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