They are often used in presentations, when trying to patronise junior staff or as a way of covering up for the fact that you know very little. Buzzwords and jargon have become part and parcel of the business world, but which ones are loathed most?

Research compiled by Brand Learning has shed light on which examples business leaders believe are most overused in management. Here they are:

(1) Transformation (24 per cent)

(2) Millennials (16 per cent)

(3) Disruption (11 per cent)

(4) Agility (nine per cent)

(5) Human Capital (eight per cent)

(6) Purpose (six per cent)

(7) Responsiveness (six per cent)

(8) Holacracy (one per cent)

Read more on the subject:

• Why do cloud companies have to use so much jargon?
• 50 office jargon phrases we hate
• Five corporate buzzwords that are killing productivity

The findings were determined by quizzing 900 business leaders in 42 countries, accompanied by 70 interviews with CEOs and senior executives from the likes of Diageo, Microsoft and Dyson.

Mhairi McEwan, group CEO and co-founder of Brand Learning, said: “Businesses need to stop talking about human capital and start to involve their employees, and their suppliers for that matter as ‘humans’ – people with spirit; with intellectual, physical and emotional needs. It is time for leaders to move beyond pure financial control to embrace a more purposeful, value driven concept of growth.”

When asked what was most important in the pursuit of growth, the three most popular answers were the happiness of the customer (69 per cent), the talent and effectiveness of our people (64 per cent) and profit (53 per cent). Next in order of popularity were: revenue, shareholder value, the happiness of our people, positive social impact and positive environmental impact.

If you have a piece of jargon you think should be binned, but hasn’t been included, then get in touch via editors@realbusiness.co.uk.