Keynote 6 – Unit 1 Vocabulary FLASHCARD

Gig worker (n.)

/ɡɪɡ ˈwɜː.kər/

a person who works temporary jobs typically in the service sector as an independent contractor or freelancer.

Ex: Many gig workers lack traditional benefits like health insurance and paid time off.

Side hustle (n.)

/ˈsaɪd ˌhʌs.əl/

a piece of work or a job that you get paid for doing in addition to doing your main job.

Ex: Promoting parties is my side hustle. I get paid, but not the amount that I want.

Slash career (n.)

/slæʃ kəˈrɪər/

a working lifestyle where a person holds multiple professional roles or titles at the same time.

Ex: Instead of sticking to a single office job, she chose a slash career as a lawyer and yoga instructor.

Meritocracy (n.)

/ˌmer.ɪˈtɒk.rə.si/

a social system or organization in which people get success or power because of their abilities, not their money or social position.

Ex: The company is a meritocracy. Good work is rewarded with promotions.

Subjectivity (n.)

/ˌsʌb.dʒekˈtɪv.ə.ti/

the influence of personal beliefs or feelings, rather than facts.

Ex: To avoid bias, the agency eliminated subjectivity from performance evaluations.

Endeavour (v.)

/enˈdev.ər/

to try to do something.

Ex: He endeavors to do three jobs at once to make ends meet.

Foray into something (phr. v.)

/ˈfɒr.eɪ ˈɪn.tuː ˈsʌm.θɪŋ/

to do or attempt something outside one's accustomed sphere / to enter into a new or different field or area of activity.

Ex: She decided to foray into the world of digital marketing after years in finance.

Paradigm-shifting (adj.)

/ˈpærədaɪm ˈʃɪftɪŋ/

causing a complete and fundamental change in the usual way of thinking, doing, or understanding something.

Ex: The rise of gig platforms has introduced a paradigm-shifting model for the modern workforce.

Add a/an + adjective + dimension to something (phr. v.)

to introduce a new feature, aspect, or measurement that makes it deeper, richer, or more complex.

Ex: Remote collaboration adds a new digital dimension to our daily office work.

Pivot to/towards something (phr. v.)

/ˈpɪv.ət tuː ˈsʌm.θɪŋ/

to change direction, strategy, or focus toward something new or different.

Ex: Many companies are pivoting towards remote work to adapt to changing employee expectations.

Sinecure (n.)

/ˈsaɪ.nə.kjʊr/

a paid position that involves little or no work.

Ex: After years of working for the company, he was offered a comfortable sinecure with a good salary and very few responsibilities.

Attrition (n.)

/əˈtrɪʃ.ən/

the process of gradually making somebody or something weaker or less.

Ex: The company struggled with high employee attrition, with many workers leaving each year.

Deskilling (n.)

/ˌdiːˈskɪl.ɪŋ/

a process of reducing the amount of skill that someone needs to do a particular job.

Ex: The use of machines has led to the deskilling of some factory workers.

Fungible (adj.)

/ˈfʌn.dʒ.ə.bəl/

of goods, able to be replaced or exchanged.

Ex: In the global economy, many digital services are considered fungible and can be outsourced easily.

Remunerative (adj.)

/rɪˈmjuː.nə.reɪ.t̬ɪv/

paying a lot of money.

Ex: Volunteer work is personally fulfilling, but not financially remunerative.

Assiduous (adj.)

/əˈsɪdʒ.u.əs/

showing great care, attention and effort.

Ex: Through assiduous planning, the team finished the project ahead of schedule.

Contingent workforce (phr.)

/kənˈtɪn.dʒənt ˈwɝːk.fɔːrs/

a group of non-permanent workers who are hired for a specific project or limited time.

Ex: The company uses a contingent workforce to help during busy periods.

Occupational mobility (phr.)

/ˌɑː.kjəˈpeɪ.ʃən.əl moʊˈbɪl.ə.t̬i/

the ability of workers to switch from one occupation or career field to another

Ex: Learning new skills can increase occupational mobility.

Reach a career plateau (phr.)

/ritʃ ə kəˈrɪr plæˈtoʊ/

To reach the point in one's career where further promotion or skill growth stops.

Ex: After 10 years in the same position, she had reached a career plateau.

Precarity (n.)

/prɪˈker.ə.t̬i/

A state of not having a secure job or income, especially over a long period of time.

Ex: Economic precarity is at the heart of the gig economy.

Presenteeism (n.)

/prə.zənˈtiː.ɪzm/

The practice of staying longer at work than meant to.

Ex: Job insecurity is making presenteeism increasingly common.

Conduct a performance appraisal (phr.)

/kənˈdʌkt ə pɚˈfɔːr.məns əˈpreɪ.zəl/

To assess an employee's performance over a period of time.

Ex: The performance appraisal emphasized the employee's punctuality and dedication.

Employee value proposition (col.)

/ɪmˈplɔɪ.iː ˈvæl.juː ˌprɑː.pəˈzɪʃ.ən/

The rewards, benefits, and workplace culture an employer offers to attract and retain talented employees.

Ex: The tech startup revamped its employee value proposition by adding remote work flexibility.

Exercise workplace autonomy (col.)

/ˈek.sɚ.saɪz ˈwɝːk.pleɪs ɔːˈtɑː.nə.mi/

To use one's freedom and independence to complete assigned tasks without management.

Ex: Senior analysts are encouraged to exercise workplace autonomy by choosing their own research methodologies.

Exert discretionary effort (col.)

/ɪɡˈzɝːt dɪˈskreʃ.ə.ner.i ˈef.ɚt/

To do more than the basic duties required by a job contract.

Ex: Highly engaged employees are far more likely to exert discretionary effort.

Derive professional fulfilment from something (col.)

/dɪˈraɪv prəˈfeʃ.ən.əl fʊlˈfɪl.mənt frɑːm/

To gain a sense of satisfaction, purpose, or achievement from one's career or specific tasks.

Ex: She derives immense professional fulfilment from mentoring junior engineers.

Have too many irons in the fire (idm.)

/hæv tuː ˈmen.i ˈaɪ.ɚnz ɪn ðə ˈfaɪ.ɚ/

To be involved in too many activities, commitments, or tasks at the same time.

Learn the ropes (idm.)

/lɝːn ðə roʊps/

To learn how to perform a job or activity properly.

Ex: It usually takes a new hire about two weeks to learn the ropes before taking action independently.

Skills obsolescence (col.)

/skɪlz ˌɑːb.səˈles.əns/

The state in which skills become outdated and no longer useful due to advancements, market trends, or industry shifts.

Ex: To combat skills obsolescence driven by rapid AI integration, the firm introduced mandatory training programs.

Perk (n.)

/pɜːk/

An advantage or extra benefit given to employees in addition to their salary (e.g., free food, company car).

Ex: Free meals and gym memberships are common perks in tech companies.

Supplement (v. n.)

/ˈsʌp.lɪ.ment/ (v.) /ˈsʌp.lɪ.mənt/ (n.)/

To add something to make it larger or complete; an addition that improves/completes something.

Ex: He works as a freelance tutor to supplement his regular income.

In due course (phr.)

/ɪn djuː kɔːs/

At the appropriate time; eventually; in the natural order of things.

Ex: Your application will be reviewed, and you will receive a response in due course.

Predecessor (n.)

/ˈpriː.dɪˌses.ər/

A person who held a job or position before the current holder.

Ex: The new CEO built upon the strategy implemented by her predecessor.

Transcend (v.)

/trænˈsend/

To go beyond the normal limits of; to exceed or surpass.

Ex: Great leadership skills transcend cultural and geographical boundaries.

Apathetic (adj.)

/ˌæp.əˈθet.ɪk/

Showing or feeling no interest, enthusiasm, or concern.

Ex: Employees can become apathetic if they feel their opinions are constantly ignored.

Bring out the best in somebody (phr.)

/brɪŋ aʊt ðə best ɪn ˈsʌm.bə.di/

To make someone show or use their best qualities, talents, or abilities.

Ex: A supportive manager knows how to bring out the best in their team.

Tap into something (phr. v.)

/tæp ˈɪn.tuː ˈsʌm.θɪŋ/

To make use of or extract a supply, energy, or knowledge that exists in something.

Ex: Companies need to tap into new technologies to remain competitive in the market.

Downsize (v.)

/ˈdaʊn.saɪz/

To reduce the number of employees in a company to lower costs and increase efficiency.

Ex: Due to economic pressure, the firm was forced to downsize its workforce by 15%.

Roundtable (n.)

/ˈraʊndˌteɪ.bəl/

A conference or discussion where participants sit around a table and discuss a topic as equals.

Ex: The company organized a roundtable discussion on workforce diversity.

Intrapreneurship (n.)

/ˌɪn.trə.prəˈnɜː.ʃɪp/

The practice of encouraging employees to act like entrepreneurs within a large company.

Ex: Fostering intrapreneurship allows workers to develop innovative ideas backed by company resources.

Perfunctory (adj.)

/pəˈfʌŋk.tər.i/

Done routinely, with little care, thought, or interest.

Ex: He gave a perfunctory nod to his colleagues before leaving the office.

Foster psychological safety

/ˈfɒs.tər ˌsaɪ.kəˈlɒdʒ.ɪ.kəl ˈseɪf.ti/

To create an environment where team members feel safe to take risks, share ideas, and admit mistakes without fear of negative consequences.

Ex: Leaders who foster psychological safety encourage greater innovation and team collaboration.

Be thrown in at the deep end

(idm.)

/bi θrəʊn ɪn ət ðə diːp end/

To be placed in a new, difficult situation or job without preparation or training.

Ex: On her first day, she was thrown in at the deep end and had to handle customer complaints directly.

Pull one's weight (idm.)

/pʊl wʌnz weɪt/

To do one's fair share of work or responsibility in a joint effort.

Ex: If everyone pulls their weight, we will complete the project well ahead of the deadline.

Keep one's nose to the grindstone (idm.)

/kiːp wʌnz nəʊz tə ðə ˈɡraɪnd.stəʊn/

To work hard continuously and focus intently on one's task.

Ex: If you keep your nose to the grindstone, you will likely get that promotion by the end of the year.

Burn the candle at both ends (idm.)

/bɜːn ðə ˈkæn.dəl ət bəʊθ endz/

To work late into the night and wake up early, exhausting oneself by overworking.

Ex: He ended up burnt out after burning the candle at both ends for three straight months.

Move the goalposts (idm.)

/muːv ðə ˈɡəʊl.pəʊsts/

To unfairly change the rules, targets, or conditions of a situation while it is still in progress.

Ex: Every time we meet the sales target, management moves the goalposts.

Carry the can for something (idm.)

/ˈkær.i ðə kæn fɔːr ˈsʌm.θɪŋ/

To take the blame or accept responsibility for a failure or mistake, often caused by someone else.

Ex: The project manager had to carry the can when the product launch failed.

Be a poisoned chalice (idm.)

/bi ə ˈpɔɪ.zənd ˈtʃæl.ɪs/

An assignment or job that seems beneficial or attractive at first, but turns out to be harmful or difficult.

Ex: Taking over the failing department felt like a promotion, but it turned out to be a poisoned chalice.

Be shackled by golden handcuffs (idm.)

/bi ˈʃæk.əld baɪ ˈɡəʊl.dən ˈhænd.kʌfs/

To be tied to a job due to financial perks, high pay, or benefits that make it extremely difficult to leave, even if unhappy.

Ex: Although he dislikes his corporate job, he is shackled by golden handcuffs and cannot afford to resign.