Some companies try to differentiate themselves from others by branding themselves as more than just one company. Instead, companies like this one supposedly have a higher purpose. The only thing is that these identities are usually backed up by loads of rhetorical bullshit.
Look no further than WeWork, for a corporate unicorn that gained worldwide recognition and only collapsed when its IPO collapsed, also because its S-1 paperwork was interspersed with “Yogababble”.
The truth is, there are tons of companies out there that adhere to the same set of rules that WeWork drove to its spectacular demise, and when you’re applying for a job you want to be wary of the meaningless corporate drivel that if only to avoid it working for a company that, amid pimped-up rhetoric, may mask broader inefficiencies.
What is yogababble?
Even if you haven’t come across the term, you are likely familiar with Yogababble, which is interchangeable with a host word that aptly defines hollow corporate dictionaries (see: jargon, catchphrases, etc.).
G / O Media can receive a commission
However, Yogababble is indicative of a newer species typically used by tech-savvy companies that share ideas about bringing about widespread social change through everything they sell, sometimes conveyed through whims related to spirituality. The phrase was coined by NYU in 2019 Marketing Professor Scott Galloway, specifically related to WeWork’s doomed IPO prospectus that same year.
Usually this type of trap isn’t even subtle, as it’s scattered throughout the corporate mission statements and the “about” sections of countless corporate websites. The thing is, there is a direct correlation between the level of Yogababble a company uses and the sharpness of its financial returns, especially when it comes to shareholders.
Galloway explained how this works in a video in 2019:
Of course, this is not only endemic to billion dollar corporations, although it has an ubiquitous root among great business leaders. Smaller businesses have also capitalized on the apparent need for Yogababble.
How to recognize yogababble before applying for a job
As you scour a job posting and read a company, ask yourself a simple question: do you understand what a company does and what values it has after reading a mission statement or an “About” section?
If a company claims to “leverage existing synergies between corporate actors and new technology to drive social change and innovate,” you are likely to be selling a lot of Yogababble. It doesn’t have to be pure yogababble either – traditional company jargon is also widely used and doesn’t have to deal with spiritual issues to create confusing clichés.
Bottom Line: If after reading the higher calling, if you are more confused about the purpose of a business, don’t apply as you may end up in a house of cards.
Why not apply to companies that use Yogababble?
This type of rhetoric is often a paving stone for damn problems a company might face. Rather than finding that higher calling by working there, it is more likely that a company that bases its reputation on an unclear mantra is having profound problems that negatively affect the longevity of your job and your work experience.
We work was notorious for its employees working long hours for low wages. Over faced internal and public accounting on the treatment of women employees and the behavior of its former CEO Travis Kalanick in 2017 (currently the company’s slogan is “We create opportunities by making the world move”, whatever that means). You can probably give more examples. This culture is so widespread that it becomes part of the culture broader corporate culture, with everyone’s LinkedIn profiles with self-proclaimed titles like “Chief Accounting Ninja” or “Change Alchemist”.
It is more than possible that any platinum jargon a company uses is just masking its reckless – or possibly even reckless – leadership. So when a company wraps itself in a yogababble blanket or spits out corporate platitudes to lure you in, it’s all the more reason to stay far away.
