Republic of Tunisia Ministry of Higher Education, Scientific Research and

Technology
Virtual University of Tunisia

Business English
Employment

Sebri Chokri

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Specific objectives:

In this unit you are going to look at the factors that are important in getting a job, and
their relative importance. And discuss your attitudes to work and career. By the end of
the unit you will have:
- Learnt verbs used to talk about recruitment and words used to describe
candidates and workers
- Worked on indirect questions and statements.
- Learnt the language of negotiating with people.
Starting up
A- In your opinion, which factors below are important for getting a job? Choose
the seven most important? Is there anything missing from the list?
Age/sex appearance record
contacts and connections experience family background hobbies
handwriting intelligence marital status personality
qualifications references sickness blood group

B- Discuss these statements.

1- At work appearance is more important than performance. NO
2- You should keep your private life totally separate from your work. NO
3- People don’t change much during their working lives. NO
4- It is best to work for as few companies as possible. NO
5- Everybody should retire at 50. NO

Reading

A- Discuss these questions before you read the article.

1 The article talks about people who are high performers. What does this phrase mean?
What sort of people are they?
2 What do you think motivates high performers to stay with the same company?
 Motivating high-calibre staff
By Michael Douglas
An organization’s
capacity to identify, attract
and retain high-quality, high-
performing people who can
develop winning strategies
has become decisive in
ensuring competitive
advantage.
High performers are
easier to define than to find.
They are people with
apparently limitless energy
and enthusiasm, qualities
that shine through even on
their bad days. They are full
of ideas and get things done
quickly and effectively. They
inspire others not just by pep
talks but also through the
sheer force of their example.
Such people can push their
organizations to greater and
greater heights.
The problem is that
people of this quality are
very attractive to rival
companies and are likely to
be headhunted. The financial
impact of such people
leaving is great and includes
the costs of expensive
training and lost productivity
and inspiration.
However, not all high
performers are stolen, some
are lost. High performers
generally leave because
organizations do not know
how to keep them. Too many
employers are blind or
indifferent to the agenda of
would be high performers,
especially those who are
young.
Organizations should
consider how such people
are likely to regard important
motivating factors.
Money remains an important
motivator but organizations
should not imagine that it is
the only one that matters. In
practice, high performers are winning for the
tend to take for granted that organization is lost because
they will get a good financial of the inefficiency of others
package. They seek or by weaknesses in support
motivation from other areas.
sources. Above all, high
Empowerment is particularly performers -especially if they
important motivating force are young -want to feel that
for new talent. A high the organization they work
performer will seek to feel for regards them as special.
that he or she 'owns' a If they find that it is not
project in a creative sense. interested in them as people
Wise employers offer this but only as high- performing
opportunity. commodities, it will hardly be
The challenge of the surprising if their loyalty is
job is another essential minimal. On the other hand,
motivator for high if an organization does invest
performers. Such people in its people, it is much more
easily become demotivated if likely to win loyalty from
they sense that their them and to create a
organization has little or no community of talent and high
real sense of where it is performance that win worry
going. competitors.
A platform for self
development should be From the Financial Times
provided. High performers
are very keen to develop
their skills and their
curriculum vitae. Offering
time for regeneration is
another crucial way for
organizations to retain high
performers. Work needs to
be varied and time should be
available for creative
thinking and mastering new
skills. The provision of a
coach or mentor signals that
the organization has a
commitment to fast-tracking
an individual's development.
Individuals do well in an
environment where they can
depend on good
administrative support,
They will not want to
feel that the success they
 Virtual University of Tunisia Business English
Employmenet

B- Read the article and answer these questions.

1 What qualities of high performers are mentioned in the article?
2 What are the problems of losing high performers?
3 Which motivating factors are mentioned in the article?
C- Use these words or phrases from the article to answer the questions
below.
Pep talk mentor CV fast-tracking head hunting financial package
Which word or phrase:
1 is British English for the American English résumé?
…………………………………
2 refers to stealing employees from companies?
………………………………………..
3 do you often find in job advertisements referring to money and
benefits?.................
4 refers to an older, more experienced person who helps you?
………………………………
5 usually leads to quick promotion? ……………………………..
6 means a short chat to motivate staff? ……………………………
D- What are the advantages and disadvantages of:
1 headhunting?
2 having a mentor system?
3 fast-tracking certain employees?
4 frequent pep talks?

Language review
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Indirect questions and statements

We often use indirect questions and statements to sound more polite, for
example when asking for personal or sensitive information.
CouId you tell me what your salary is?
Would you mind telling me how old you are?
I'm not sure when the interview finishes.
• Indirect questions have the same word order as direct statements
She left the job. ( direct statement)
CouId you tell me why she left the job?
• We can use the following expressions to introduce indirect questions and
statements.
I wonder / I can 't remember / I have no idea / l' d like to know / I am not sure. ..
when the post will be advertised.
• For yes / no questions we use if or whether. We can also use if or whethe
in statements.
Will he apply for the job? ( direct question)
I wonder whether he'll apply for the job.

A- In which of these questions and statements is the word order correct?

Rewrite the incorrect ones.
1 Could you tell me what your strengths are?
2 l'd like to know what would your colleagues say about you.
3 Could you tell me how have you changed in the last five years?
4 Do you happen to know what salary I will start on?
5 I am not sure where want I to be in five years' time.

B- Put the words in the right order to form indirect questions or statements.

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1 do know where you the room interview is?

2 I ask you old are you how could?
3 I wonder you if could me tell what time is it?
4 l'd like why to know we you should hire.
5 do you mind I ask if your weaknesses are what?
6 could I you ask why left you your last job?
C- You are interviewing someone for a job. How would you politely find out
the
following information?
1 Their age 3 Their reasons for leaving their last job
2 Their current salary 4 Their weaknesses

Negotiations: tricky conversations

Introduction

All managers sometimes have to have difficult conversations with people

working under them. What is the best way to give negative feedback?

Think

Imagine you are unhappy with the behaviour of a member of your team. You
have decided to raise the issue with this person and tell him or her that you
would like to see an improvement. What words or phrases might be useful in
this tricky conversation?

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Listen

Now listen to a tricky conversation at work between a manager and an

employee. Michelle has come to Sean complaining that she did not get a job
recently. How does Sean react? As you listen, try to hear the phrases above.

Practise

Now test yourself with our quiz!

Negotiations - Tricky Conversations Quiz

Instructions: Finish the sentence with the correct phrase.

1. You’ve got to ______ out of it.

A sort
B cut
C snap
D lift

2. I _______ you to try a bit harder.

A expect
B like
C request
D hope

3. ______, what you’ve done isn’t good enough.

A Probably
B Maybe

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C Clearly
D Hopefully

4. I really want to see __________.

A your trying
B better
C better effort
D some improvement

Negotiations: resolving difficulties

Introduction

Next, we’re going to hear another difficult conversation between the team leader
and the employee we heard in the first unit. We’ll encounter some more phrases
useful for expressing dissatisfaction.

Think

Imagine that you are giving a second warning to an employee whose work or
attitude is not of a high standard. What words or phrases might be useful in this
conversation?

Listen

It’s been two weeks since the conversation between Sean and Michelle in unit 1.
Sean thinks that Michelle’s attitude still hasn’t improved, and he has decided to
raise this with her. As you listen, try to hear the phrases above.

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Practise

Now test yourself with our quiz!

Instructions: Finish the sentence with the correct phrase.

1. I’ll_________________________________.

A come straight on the point

B come straight beside the point
C come straight up to a point
D come straight to the point

2. ________, I’ve seen very little change in your behaviour in the last few
weeks.

A Surely
B Frankly
C To be frankly
D Stanley

3. I don’t want to _________ to any conclusions.

A jump
B climb
C reach
D jog

4. Well, __________ what you say, I’m not very happy.

A despite
B though
C although
D even though

Negotiations: asking for a pay rise

Introduction

It’s never easy to talk about your salary, but it might sometimes be necessary!
How is it possible to do this without sounding rude or too desperate?

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Think

Imagine that you have been working for your company for three years, but you
haven’t yet received a pay rise or a significant bonus. You have decided to raise
this issue with your manager. What words and phrases might be useful in your
conversation with him or her?

Listen

Now listen to a conversation about pay rises between an employer and an

employee. In the clip, you'll hear Abigail ask her boss for a pay rise. Listen
without reading the text and try to hear the phrases listed above.

Practise

Now test yourself with our quiz!

Instructions: Finish the sentence with the correct phrase.

1. I ________ I have made good progress.

A guess
B really feel
C really know
D suppose

2. I think that 3%________________.

A is the least you could offer

B isn’t enough

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C is too much to ask

D isn’t too much to ask

3. I really feel it’s _____________ considered for promotion.

A about now I am
B about now I was
C about time I am
D about time I was

4. Should I ______________?

A put my request into words

B write the request
C put this request in writing
D write off my request

Negotiations: difficult clients

Introduction
If your company offers a service, you may find that you have to deal with
complaints from customers and clients. In this unit, we look at some phrases that
may be helpful in this situation.

Think
Imagine that you work in a travel agency and a customer comes in to complain
about a recent holiday. The customer tells you that they experienced a bad delay
at the airport which ruined their holiday. How do you respond?

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Listen

Now listen to two audio clips of people making complaints. As you listen, see if
you can hear the phrases above.

Practise

Now test yourself with our quiz!

Instructions: Finish the sentence by choosing the correct words and writing them
into the empty boxes.

1. I know that you were delayed for well over 2 hours and

__________ ______________ _____________ ______ _________ _______

wait / sorry / I’m / very / the / for

2. If you give me all the relevant information about the problems you had
on your holiday,

_____ _________ ______ _________ __________ _____________

can / into / look / for / it / you / I

3. ____ ______ _______ ________ _____ ______ we’re doing everything

we can to ensure that this situation never happens again.

you / assure / can / I

4. There was a technical problem on Saturday and, ____ ______ ______

________ , you weren’t the only one affected.

imagine / can / as / you

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