Jargon

Every field has its own jargon, and HR is no different. Being an old-fashioned kind of gal, I think of the field as HR. But I've come across some new terms since I started working in the industry.

'Talent management' is one. To me, this makes me think that I should be managing public appearances and submitting a long rider while dealing with a diva-sized ego, wearing a pinky ring and a shiny suit.

Then there's 'onboarding'. This reminds me of water-boarding - that questionable interrogation technique that might be a form of torture - never mind the fact that it's a word that's been verbified (something that I hate).

So I'm guessing that these terms are jargon - terms that make absolute sense to people within the industry, but don't mean quite as much to us 'outsiders'. I'm sure that in a few month's time I'll be bandying them about quite happily, and I'll have forgotten the strange associations they once had for me. But until then, I'm doing an aural double-take every time I hear them.

Any other terms I should be on the lookout for?