Are We In The Midst Of A Culture Shift In The Workplace?

It’s that time of year again where a lot of us are glued to our TV screens watching Love Island and subsequently, this becomes a hot topic of conversation in the workplace. Notably, an episode of the reality series aired on Monday 17th June sparked a debate on Good Morning Britain focused on the fact that the Love Island contestants used the word ‘like’ 86 times in a one-hour episode. This has sparked up conversations regarding the culture we now live and work in and whether using colloquial language is becoming more or less acceptable, especially in a professional capacity.

What’s your opinion on using relaxed language in the workplace? How important is it to maintain that level of professionalism, whether that be in an interview, business meeting or more informal business capacity? Many of us aren’t consciously aware of the words we use and can even swear without realising or use colloquial words such as ‘like’.

The question is whether this can make us look less professional and if this can lead to us missing out on potential opportunities. Sometimes it can be difficult to realise what phrases we use over and over again but the people around you may pick up on this straight away – ask your friends or colleagues!

There are many factors indicating that we are in the midst of a culture shift in the professional workplace. Is it now acceptable for men to wear jeans with a shirt and tie or no suit jacket? Or for women to show bare legs and not wear a skirt that covers the knees? Many now put this down to personal opinion as well as adapting to the environment you’re in.

Let us know if you think we are in a more relaxed culture now in comparison to a few years ago. Should we be maintaining strict standards in the workplace or ‘moving with the times’?