It’s all in a name – the weird and wonderful world of job titles in 2016.

How important is your job title? Many people feel somewhat defined by their official job title and see this as a clear recognition of status, showing where they fit within their company hierarchy. 

Others realise what they are called can work wonders for career progression within certain sectors and then there are those that want to show their uniqueness by their title. What category do you fall within?

This is a light hearted look at the trend in giving individuals grandiose or slightly convoluted job titles, which has actually become quite commonplace within organisations across the UK. Its not confined to creative, digital or technology related industries either. In fact it doesn’t seem to matter what industry you’re in, roles right across the board are being elongated and embellished.

Receptionists are being called a Director of First Impressions or Guest Services Agent, while call centre employees can now describe themselves as Communication Executives. And within the creative world of Marketing, a sector known for it's Ninja’s and Jedi’s, we have seen some great examples:

• New Media Guru = Digital Marketing Manager
• Brand Evangelist = Marketing Brand Manager
• Initiative Ninja = Planner

At the other end of the scale, there are of course the very standard job titles such as Account Manager, which can mean a myriad of different things to different sectors. At Park Street we’ve seen it used across sales, marketing, customer service and operations related roles, all covering completely different skill sets and experience required. So embracing very common job titles can be just as confusing for those applying as some of the more exotic ones we’re seeing too.

So what is driving this trend?

In the current candidate driven market and the increasing need to develop an ‘employer brand’ becoming the norm across most sectors, some applicants may be put off by a run of the mill job title in an advert. So organisations, especially those more focused on creating a positive employer brand are being more adventurous with their job titles.

From a recruitment perspective, the hiring process can be lengthy anyway, so this trend can actually add to the overall time to recruit, as candidates are not clear what they’re applying for, so may not apply at all in some cases!

So while it is good to show individuality and creativity in your employer branding, there is also some thought needed to ensure clarity and plain English are part and parcel of your job titles. This will ensure applicants know exactly what they are applying for and will actually apply!