New roles. New rituals. New names.
We rebrand “dialogues” as “1:1s,” call burnout “engagement issues” and justify uncomfortable decisions by “culture fit.” HR may become a theatre full of polished processes, catchy slogans and borrowed language.
Not every company needs a Chief Happiness Officer.
Not every process needs a template.
Not every HR term should be accepted without question.
Not every HR decision should be based on data.
Here are some widely used HR terms and the real questions they should raise before we repeat them blindly.
1. One-to-One Meetings
HR term: We hold regular 1:1s.
Questions to ask: Don’t we prefer a dialogue where we actually listen (better hear)? Are these meetings building connection or following blind protocol?
2. KPIs
HR term: We track clear performance indicators.
Questions to ask: Still useful or just changing every time the wind blows?
Do they guide action or just create pressure?
3. Talent Acquisition
HR term: We hire the best talent.
Questions to ask: Who gave us the crown to decide who is “the best”? Are we seeking potential or just profiles that look good on paper and pass AI screening?
4. Quiet Quitting
HR term: They have disengaged.
Questions to ask: Or did they stop believing it is worth the effort? What made them feel it was safer to pull back than speak up?
5. Quiet Firing
HR term: They chose to leave.
Questions to ask: Or did we slowly push them out? Was it truly their decision or simply their only option?
6. Career Cushioning
HR term: People are planning backups.
Questions to ask: Do they feel secure with us? What does that say about our culture of trust?
7. Burnout Prevention
HR term: We offer wellness programs.
Questions to ask: Yoga and apps or real workload changes? Are we helping people recover or helping them perform longer?
8. Employee Experience (EX)
HR term: We have designed the full employee journey.
Questions to ask: Does it feel human or just polished? Was it co-created or copy-pasted?
9. Hybrid Work
HR term: Work from anywhere.
Questions to ask: Does flexibility mean freedom or boundaries? How our people cope with uncertainty?
10. Reskilling and Upskilling
HR term: We prepare people for the future.
Questions to ask: Or are we fixing the mess we created? Are we building capabilities — or just calming fear?
11. Employee Engagement
HR term: Our team is highly engaged.
Questions to ask: Or just silent and exhausted? Do our people feel seen or just surveyed?
12. Diversity & Inclusion (D&I)
HR term: We support diversity.
Questions to ask: On the posters or in decision-making? Do people feel included or simply listed?
13. Culture Fit
HR term: They didn’t match our culture.
Questions to ask: Or did they challenge your comfort zone? Are we defending values or protecting sameness?
14 . OKRs (Objectives & Key Results)
HR term: We align goals across teams.
Questions to ask: Do people believe in the goals or just ticking boxes? Are OKRs creating clarity or just more admin?
15. Human Happiness Department
HR term: We changed HR’s name to make it warmer.
Questions to ask: Did anything else change besides the name? Are we designing happiness or just rebranding HR?
16. Employer Branding
HR term: We are a great place to work.
Questions to ask: Says who- the employees or the marketing team? Does our external story match the internal truth?
17. People Analytics
HR term: We make decisions based on people analytics.
Questions to ask: Are we discovering insights or just collecting data? Do we use numbers to understand people or to avoid conversations?
18. Data-Driven Decisions
HR term: We take a data-driven approach.
Questions to ask: Does the data guide us or override context and nuance? Are we balancing metrics with meaning or just hiding behind dashboards?
19. Coaching
HR term: We offer executive and career coaching for growth.
Questions to ask: Are we empowering change or outsourcing responsibility? Are we clear on why we do it and…for what purpose?
I am sure you can continue the list…
Trendy HR terms will not fix weak culture.
Cool job titles will not build trust.
Frameworks will not make people feel seen.
Copy-paste never works.
Each organization has its own rhythm, culture and contradictions. I call them patterns. What sounds smart elsewhere might fall flat with your people.
Adopt what fits. Adjust what does not. Create when needed.
But never repeat blindly. HR is not a template it is a unique and customized strategy.
Use terms if they help.
Question them if they do not.
And make sure they really mean something, not just sound good.
