Navigating Language Barriers in the White-collar World
First-Generation Professionals face more than the average new hire when entering the workplace.
Beyond just learning their job responsibilities, FGPs grapple with assimilating into office culture, which involves adapting to the language and communication norms of a white-collar environment. This process entails adopting a particular communication style and flexing interpersonal skills to match the company's implicit practices. FGPs may struggle with knowing proper communication protocols, as a Baem research participant shared1:
Norms around office or email communication were just not something that I think I grasped. I was much more accustomed to informal communication, and so a lot of the realities of more formal modes of communication were things I had to sloppily learn my way into. What does it mean when you tell somebody you can't respond to their email right away? Well, to me, it meant you couldn't respond to their email right away. To them, it meant something a lot less kind.
Communicating in the workplace becomes even more complex because of corporate speak.
Corporate speak, or workplace jargon, often dictates communication style within an organization, but it can have a negative impact on productivity. Recent research by LinkedIn states 40 percent of working professionals have encountered misunderstandings or errors at work because of their limited grasp of workplace jargon or its misuse. Furthermore, professionals (61 percent) believe that workers with a better understanding of workplace jargon are able to get ahead at work3.
Corporate speak provides colleagues with the vocabulary to describe their work, but it can also create an in-group dynamic. Studies on linguistic capital have highlighted that an employee’s ability to interact with and communicate fluently with colleagues has a significant impact on how their capabilities are perceived. Those from non-English speaking households or those with English as a second language often describe the process of learning workplace jargon as stressful, which can hinder their confidence in fully participating in conversations with colleagues 4.
Concerns about misunderstanding or misusing jargon may heighten the anxiety that FGPs can often experience when adapting to white-collar work environments. Our research at Baem reveals that FGPs may waver on sharing their working-class background for concern it will negatively impact the way they are perceived. One participant shared:
My dad grew up – to say “dirt poor” is a literal thing. Like, they didn't have a floor. They were sharecroppers in the Mississippi Delta and Louisiana in the ’30s, so there's a lot back there that you don't necessarily want to speak about. And it's not about shame. It’s about “How much am I going to share about my FGP experience that Others me?”
I think many of us will hesitate before we divulge or disclose something about our background that might make people go, “Hmm, maybe not quite from sound stock, this one,” or “Don't know about your background – you don't have the same experience I do, so I'm not going to relate to you.” … It feels potentially fraught: opening a door up for potential bias or potentially puts up a wall when you talk about anything that Others you, that separates you from other people's experience.
The intricacies of workplace communication become even more evident when it comes to remote work.
With the prevalence of remote work and decrease in in-person interactions, Gen Z employees have struggled to engage in casual conversations with coworkers or pose questions, fearing that doing so might diminish their perceived competence. Similarly, FGPs may confront difficulties in communicating with ease and establishing rapport with others, a skill needed for fostering professional relationships that are vital for career advancement. Another Baem research participant emphasized the necessity of code-switching, which entails adapting language and behavior to conform to corporate culture5 :
Being a Black man in corporate America, I was always trying to figure out how to, unfortunately, minimize myself so that I didn't appear too overbearing. Or if something really upset me, I always held it back to make sure that people didn't know because I didn't want to be deemed “the angry Black man.” I mean, I’m generally not an angry person … Not understanding social capital and not feeling like I had or don't necessarily relate to the life experiences of a particular group gets really, really tough. So I have to really, really seek hard to find opportunities to interject in a conversation to show that kind, caring, hardworking side of myself because I'm not given that opportunity otherwise.
Furthermore, remote work has reduced opportunities for on-the-job learning, which frequently involves observing body language and having small talk. These seemingly unremarkable moments are pivotal in imparting unwritten rules and behavioral guidelines to new employees within the office environment. The absence of these experiences can impede the professional development of FGPs6.
Consider how your organization can practice more inclusive communication and support all new hires, including FGPs, in more easily adapting to workplace communication norms.
Demystify jargon from the start by building and maintaining a list of frequently used acronyms and terms in your team or organization. Share it during new hire orientation, and make sure it includes common workplace idioms so that it’s not assumed that these are understood by everyone.
Provide leaders with training or insight on how to engage and manage FGPs. This can support managers to identify and help with challenges that some FGPs may experience, such as unfamiliarity with email protocol or navigating organizational hierarchy. Encourage managers to provide regular, constructive feedback to FGPs to help develop their communication skills.
Foster a culture of mentorship by pairing FGP hires with experienced employees who can provide guidance on the nuances of workplace language and dynamics. Mentors can also help create psychological safety, especially when questions arise and FGPs aren’t sure whom to turn to.
Create opportunities for new hires to learn by inviting them to listen in on calls or meetings among colleagues, particularly if they are primarily working in remote or hybrid environments. This will help reveal how people tend to communicate with one another, how information tends to be presented, and how decisions get made.
Taking these measures goes beyond just welcoming FGPs as new hires – it signifies the organization is truly committed to their success, in their first 90 days and beyond.
Resources
1
"Qualitative Research on Barriers to Workplace Inclusion for First-Generation Professionals." Center for Behavioral Science Methods Research and Methodology Directorate, Issued 1 May 2019. https://www.commerce.gov/sites/default/files/2019-07/Qualitative%20Research%20on%20Barriers%20to%20Workplace%20Inclusion.pdf2
"Qualitative Research on Barriers to Workplace Inclusion for First-Generation Professionals." Center for Behavioral Science Methods Research and Methodology Directorate, Issued 1 May 2019. https://www.commerce.gov/sites/default/files/2019-07/Qualitative%20Research%20on%20Barriers%20to%20Workplace%20Inclusion.pdf3
"The State of Workplace Jargon: How and Why to Avoid Office Jargon." LinkedIn and Duolingo, 12 June 2023. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/state-workplace-jargon-how-why-avoid-office-andrew-mccaskill/?src=or-search&veh=www.google.com%7Cor-search4
"How to Survive in a World of Corporate Speak." The Washington Post, 19 May 2020. https://jobs.washingtonpost.com/article/how-to-survive-in-a-world-of-corporate-speak/; "Linguistic capital and status: The interaction between language skills, personal reputation, and perceived collaboration performance." European Management Review, Volume 20, Issue 1; 19 April 2022. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/emre.12519/; "The State of Workplace Jargon: How and Why to Avoid Office Jargon." LinkedIn and Duolingo, 12 June 2023. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/state-workplace-jargon-how-why-avoid-office-andrew-mccaskill/?src=or-search&veh=www.google.com%7Cor-search5
"Remote Work Is Failing Young Employees." The New York Times, 22 November 2021. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/22/opinion/remote-work-gen-z.html6
"Remote Work Is Failing Young Employees." The New York Times, 22 November 2021. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/22/opinion/remote-work-gen-z.html