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Phrases used in the workplace such as "think outside the box" and "the helicopter view" are "needless" and fail to impress company employees, according to new research.

A YouGov poll conducted for accreditation body, Investors in People, found that 54 per cent of employees thought that the use of management jargon was a problem within the workplace.

Just as employees were found to be unimpressed by the jargon, the survey also suggests that workers have little time for employers who use such phrases, with over a third (39 per cent) of those questioned stressing that they thought doing so betrayed a lack of confidence on the part of managers.

A further 18 per cent thought fellow employees who spoke in corporate riddles were either "untrustworthy or trying to cover something up".

But while 60 per cent of staff said they would prefer to see the use of jargon banished from the workplace altogether, 39 per cent reported that its use was actually on the rise.

Commenting on the findings, released to mark the 15th anniversary of the creation of Investors in People, the organisation's director, Nicola Clark, warned: "If used inappropriately, jargon can be an obstacle to understanding, which ultimately can impact on an individual's performance and an organisation’s productivity."

"Bosses need to lead by example, ditch needless jargon, and concentrate on communicating clearly with their employees," she added.

The results of the study follow the publication of a new book Shoot the Puppy, which provides an insight into the latest jargon phrases adopted within Britain's workplaces.

Author Tony Thorne, head of the Language Centre at King's College London, says that two-thirds of people find workplace jargon either "annoying or very annoying", according to website, MoneyWeek.