There are few mysteries in life as perplexing as the world of corporate stock photos.
You know the ones I mean - those bizarre, overly staged images that seem to populate every business website, flyer, and PowerPoint presentation across the globe.
Photos so cheesy that you can almost hear the faint strains of elevator music playing in the background.
But why do they exist? What purpose do they serve, other than to fuel our collective bewilderment and provide occasional comic relief?
Let’s delve into this strange phenomenon and explore some of the funniest corporate stock photos that bear absolutely no resemblance to any office you’ve ever worked in.
The Mysterious ‘Pointing at the Screen’ Photos
Ah, the classic shot of a group of overly enthusiastic professionals gathered around a computer screen, pointing in unison at something we can’t see.
What exactly are they pointing at?
Is it the quarterly earnings report, a viral cat video, or perhaps the shocking revelation that the printer has decided to work for once?
The possibilities are endless, but reality suggests it’s more likely to be the dreaded “Your Internet Connection is Unstable” notification.
And why is everyone so ecstatic about whatever they’re looking at?
In my experience, the only thing that brings such joy to the office is free cake in the breakroom.
The Inexplicable ‘Businesspeople Jumping’ Scene
Next, we have the utterly baffling phenomenon of the airborne executive.
You’ve seen it - a group of sharply dressed professionals leaping into the air, often in a joyous display of synchronized acrobatics.
Is there some secret executive training program teaching synchronized jumping that I’m unaware of?
Because in all my years in the workforce, I’ve never once witnessed colleagues spontaneously burst into a coordinated leap of jubilation.
Perhaps this is meant to symbolize success, achievement, or the triumphant feeling of meeting the quarterly KPIs.
Or maybe they’ve just realized that it’s finally Friday, and they're free until Monday. Who can say?
The Classic ‘Conference Room Applause’
Here we have the curious case of the conference room standing ovation.
In this image, a protagonist (often equipped with a laser pointer) stands proudly at the front of the room, as the audience erupts in a thunderous round of applause.
Now, I’ve attended many meetings in my time, but rarely do they end with a standing ovation.
In fact, most end with a groan and a mad dash for the door.
So, unless this presentation included free pizza or the announcement of a new public holiday, I’d say it’s wildly inaccurate to anything most of us have experienced.
The ‘Handshake in a Corporate Alley’ Conundrum
Then there’s the quintessential handshake photo, usually taking place in a well-lit, sterile corporate environment.
But every so often, you stumble across a handshake happening in an alleyway, or worse, floating over a digital cityscape.
I can only assume that in this scenario, two rival companies have agreed to a clandestine merger, and they're shaking hands in an alley to avoid the prying eyes of regulators.
In reality, such meetings are more likely to occur in a conference room, with a lot of legal paperwork and significantly fewer moody alleyway vibes.
The ‘Ridiculously Diverse and Perfectly Styled Team’
And finally, we have the Holy Grail of corporate stock photos - the impeccably diverse group of perfectly styled professionals.
This photo features individuals of various races, genders, and ages, all united by their shared passion for staring meaningfully into the camera.
While the pursuit of diversity in the workplace is a noble and necessary cause, the reality often looks a little less… curated.
And not everyone in the office looks like they just stepped off the pages of a fashion magazine, with hair that remains miraculously unaffected by a long commute or the whims of an office air conditioning system.
Bringing Some Reality to Your Recruitment
If your recruitment materials are starting to resemble a stock photo archive, then maybe it’s time for a little authenticity.
At Coburg Banks, we believe that real people want to work with real people.
We specialize in finding candidates who value transparency, integrity, and above all else—jobs that don’t involve synchronized jumping.
So, if you’re looking to recruit without the surreal stock photo vibe, get in touch.
We promise to keep it real and, most importantly, keep it human.
