HR Teacher Book

Professional English
Cambridge English for
Human
Resources
TEACHER’S NOTES
Jeremy Day
George Sandford
Human Resources
TEACHER’S NOTES
UNIT 1
l Linking business and HR strategies
HR strategy
l Developing an HR strategy
l Writing up the HR strategy
Go to page 14 for essential background information on the topic and useful

web links.
Don’t forget to use the Additional activity worksheet in the Resources section
of the Cambridge English for Human Resources website.
Technical human resources and other workplace vocabulary can be found in
the Glossary on Student’s Book pages 122–127
Refers to the Audioscript on Student’s Book pages 93–108
Linking business and HR strategies

Before you begin …
Discuss the following questions with the class.
1 What is the purpose of an HR strategy?
2 What form does it take?
3 What is your experience of companies using (or not using) HR strategies?
Suggested answers
1 The purpose of the HR strategy is to define the role of HR, its key priorities
and objectives, and describe how these will be achieved.
2 It typically takes the form of a formal written document, covering several
pages. However, a strategy could also be oral (e.g. a discussion of ‘where are
we going and what do we want to achieve’).
1 a Students discuss the three questions in pairs and then feed back to the class.
Suggested answers
1 The mission statement, business objectives, projects, and plans for completing
the objectives.
2 The direction the organisation is moving in, change issues (how the
organisation might change and what the results of the change will be),
resourcing, and the role of HR in the organisation.
3 Because the HR plan needs to respond to and meet the broader business
objectives.
b Ask students to read the background information about Maracujá to find out
what exactly the company does. You may want to ask students to suggest other
examples of vertically integrated businesses (the best-known are oil companies
such as BP).
2 Cambridge English for Human Resources Cambridge University Press 2011 Photocopiable
www.cambridge.org/elt/englishforhr
UNIT 1 HR strategy
Go through questions 1–4 with the class and ask students if they can suggest
different possibilities for each answer. For question 1 for example, students could
suggest that the review is necessary because the current one is out-of-date, that
the company is changing (downsizing or expanding), etc. Then play Audio 1.1 for
students to answer the questions. Ask students to work in pairs to compare their
answers then feed back to the class. During feedback, ask students to say how
close their predicted answers were to the answers according to the dialogue.
1.1 page 93
Answers
1 Because the business has grown and the current strategy is out of date.
2 The resourcing plan.
3 They are modernising the business.
4 Different strategic models.
Note
Some HR and workplace-related vocabulary items:
●● A three-year plan is a popular planning period because it offers sufficient long-
range planning and continuity but is not so long that it becomes out-of-date.
●● A resourcing plan is the plan that identifies the number and types of employees
needed for the business over the next few years. It also identifies issues such as
labour turnover and from where new employees will be found.
●● If you outsource a business function, you contract it out to another organisation
to deliver.
●● The board refers to the board of directors, to management or to the supervisory
board, depending on the organisational structure.
●● EU subsidies are European Union funds available for the purpose of economic
and social development within member states.
Different approaches to creating strategies (or strategic models as mentioned in
Audio 1.1) are dealt with in Exercise 2b on Student’s Book page 7.
Extension activity
Write the following words and phrases onto the board:
three-year plan resourcing plan outsource

offshore The board strategic models
Students work in pairs to remember what was said about each of these items,
and then listen to Audio 1.1 again to check. After they have discussed their
answers, students feed back to the class.
Answers
The three-year plan is already out-of-date.
A revised resourcing plan is the main priority.
Laura and Chris need to think about whether they want to outsource or offshore
any business activities (that is, to contract the services of another organisation,
either in Portugal or abroad).
The board haven’t yet decided what to do about the old factory – some board
members want to modernise the factory but others think that will be too
expensive and would prefer to relocate.
Laura wants Chris to explore some strategic models (e.g. personnel, outsourced,
business partner).
UNIT 1 HR strategy
2 a Ask students to check their work in pairs and to see if they know all the
highlighted words on the notepad by writing their own definitions. They then
compare their definitions with those in the Student’s Book Glossary (pages 122–
127). Students work in pairs to discuss which issues will be the most important
for the HR strategy and then feed back to the class.
Suggested answers
To effectively match corporate and HR strategies, HR will need to take account
of stakeholder expectations. In terms of areas in which HR has a direct influence,
the possible closure and relocation of the factory is important. Also, developing a
knowledgeable workforce and attracting high quality designers should form part
of the HR strategy.
b Students work alone to complete the matching exercise and then check in pairs.
When you check with the class, ask students about their experiences of the
various approaches.
Answers
2 f 3 h 4 g 5 a 6 c 7 b 8 d
Note
●● self-service, in an HR context, means that employees access and update much
of their own employee data, such as holidays, themselves.
●● devolved power, in an organisational context, involves moving power, control
and decision making away from the central bureaucracy and to managers and
departments. It can be devolved further by managers devolving power to their
staff.
●● transactional HR is based on the idea of transactions, which in this context
involves the specific delivery of a core HR service such as recruitment or payroll
administration.
Extension activity
Students test each other in pairs by reading a definition to their partner
who then tries to guess the correct approach. Alternatively, they could read
an approach then ask for a definition from their partner. You could also ask
them to give examples of each approach.
c You could ask students to close their books. In small groups, students think
of the advantages and disadvantages of one of the eight approaches. Make
sure each group chooses a different approach to discuss. Afterwards, they
present their ideas to the class. Then discuss the question with the whole class.
Encourage students to justify their suggestions.
Suggested answer
Because the company wants to be modern and progressive, the approaches most
likely to meet these needs are business partner and continuous improvement.
3 a Students work alone to complete the headings. When you go through the answers
with the class, discuss any similarities and differences to the students’ own ideas.
Make sure all students have the correct answers before moving on to Exercise 3b.
Answers
a Personnel c Performance management
b Business partner d Continuous improvement
UNIT 1 HR strategy
Note
●● change management (second advantage under heading b) is the process of
planning and implementing major changes in business strategy, structuring and
resourcing.
●● added value (second disadvantage under b) refers to somebody’s involvement
or action contributing to an improvement or increased worth of something, e.g.
a florist adds value by arranging flowers in a bouquet.
●● ownership (first advantage under c) in this context refers to managers or
employees ‘owning’ a problem or activity. They take responsibility and feel
personally and emotionally involved.
●● total quality management (TQM) (first disadvantage under d) is an
organisational approach which considers quality very important and applies
quality measurement and improvement to every aspect of the business.
b Students first decide whether the eight statements are advantages or

disadvantages. When they have identified four of each, they match them to the
HR approaches. Point out that there could be room for discussion on some of the
statements. When you go through the answers with the class, discuss whether
students agree with all the statements about each approach, and whether the
advantages outweigh the disadvantages.
Answers
1 h 2 b 3 e 4 d 5 g 6 a 7 c 8 f
Note
inter-departmental quality circles were developed in Japan and through Kaizen
production efficiency improvement methods: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaizen.
This involves getting groups of workers together from different departments to
work on a specific aspect of improvement.
c Ask students to read through the five statements first. Then play Audio 1.2 for
students to complete the exercise. They compare their answers in pairs before
feeding back to the class.
1.2 page 93
Answers
1 F – Laura thanks Chris.
2 T
3 F – HR does have a strategic role, but it is limited.
4 T
5 F – Mai does not agree.
Note
●● An enabler is someone who makes things easier or possible. In this sense,
rather than directly doing things themselves, HR make things possible by
providing the opportunity and tools for people within the organisation to
achieve things by themselves.
●● An authoritarian role is one in which power is held and exerted over others. An
authoritarian HR department is likely to create rules and ensure that they are
followed by exerting power and status.
●● coaching sees HR in a supportive role, providing expertise but guiding others to
develop their own skills (see also Unit 5).
●● A policing role involves a strong emphasis on checking up on people and looking
for examples of non-compliance with rules.
UNIT 1 HR strategy
Extension activity
Chris in Audio 1.2 uses two interesting metaphors in the conversation, which
you could discuss with the class. Write the metaphors (below) on the board.
Ask students to say what the literal meaning of each metaphor is and then
how it is applied to HR strategy in this context.
a I’ve thinned it down to …
b By sharpening up the employee review scheme …
Suggested answers
a Literally: to make something less thick/dense, e.g. hair, paint, to make it
look/work better.
Metaphorically: reduce the number of options to make the decision-making
process more efficient.
b Literally: to make something (e.g. a pencil or knife) sharper.
Metaphorically: to make the scheme more effective by removing unnecessary
elements.
d Students work alone to match the extracts with their functions and then share
their answers with the class.
Answers
1 f 2 c, d, g 3 a, b 4 e, h
Extension activities
1 Students listen to Audio 1.2 a second time to find out who said each
extract from Exercise 3d and what they were doing or referring to.
2 For each function, ask the class to give you another one or two phrases to
add to the board.
3 Students test each other in pairs by reading the beginning of one of the
longer phrases in bold (e.g. I’m inclined to …) and asking their partner to
say how it continues (e.g. … agree with you).
Suggested answers
1
a Chris is introducing the topic.
b Chris is introducing the details.
c Chris is agreeing that the standard personnel model is just traditional HR.
d Chris is talking about traditional HR.
e Mai is asking about the difference between a service and a strategy.
f Chris is agreeing that simply providing a professional service would have
limited strategic influence.
g Sevrinho is showing enthusiasm for a performance management approach.
h Mai is not sure about the value of tools for improving and measuring
performance.
2
1 express mild agreement: You could be right; Yes, that’s a fair point.
2 express strong agreement: You’re absolutely right; Yes, that’s a really good
point.
3 signal that a speaker is moving on to a new topic: OK, so to move on, I’d like to
…; Anyway, …
4 soften a disagreement: I can see what you’re saying, but …; OK, I agree with
you in principle, but in this situation, I think …
UNIT 1 HR strategy
4 Before they begin, students should have a specific organisation in mind. Ask
students to try and use as many of the phrases from Exercise 3d as they can
during their discussions. After a few minutes, open up the discussions to include
the whole class.
Developing an HR strategy
Students work in pairs. Give each pair a set of five pieces of paper or sticky notes
(i.e. Post-it® notes). Students write the headings of five sections that they would
expect to find in a strategy document, one on each note.
Tell each pair of students to stick their set of papers or notes on the board (or
on a large table). Once every pair has added their set, ask students to work as a
class to sort the notes into groups of equivalent or similar headings (e.g. Aims,
Objectives and Purpose might make a single group).
Then ask students to open their Student's Books at page 9 to compare their
answers with the headings featured in the word box in Exercise 5a. If there are
differences, discuss whether this is about language choice or subject.
5 a Students work alone to complete the exercise and then check their answers in
pairs. When you feed back with the class, ask students to say what might be
included in each section.
Answers
1 Introduction
2 Context
3 HR vision and mission
4 Purpose
5 Key deliverables
6 Implementation and monitoring
Note
●● vision describes an imagined picture of the future, while mission describes an
organisation’s main purpose for existing.
●● key deliverables are the most important things that must result from action.
●● measurable outcomes are results that can be quantified. Therefore, ‘improve
recruitment practices’ is not a measurable outcome, while ‘hire 100 people’ is.
b Discuss the question with the class. You may want to ask students to suggest
some examples of more formal and impersonal language. Discuss with the class
whether they would use the same style of language in their own documents.
Suggested answers
The language is more formal and impersonal. Many of the sentences begin with a
noun not a person, and the meaning of many of the verbs is specific not general.
For example, compare The aim of the HR strategy is to support and enhance the
corporate strategy … with the more informal We want to be better at doing what
the company wants.
c Students complete the task alone and then feed back to the class. Point out that
word-building tasks are a very effective way of increasing a learner’s vocabulary,
and they should train themselves to notice and remember nouns derived from
verbs, etc.
UNIT 1 HR strategy
Answers
Nouns from verbs: actions, aim (no change), outcomes, deliverables, expansion,
introduction
Nouns from adjectives: effectiveness, excellence
6 a Students work in pairs to discuss which questions the strategy should answer and
then read Laura’s introduction to check. When you go through the answers with
the class, ask students to give you the actual answers to the questions, not just
which questions were answered.
Suggested answers
The introduction should answer questions 1, 2, 4 and 5. Answering questions
1 and 5 is important as this will show the ways in which the HR strategy is
linked to the business strategy of the organisation. Question 2 should always be
answered. The reader may want or need to ask questions to the author(s) about
the document. It is especially important to mention who has helped to write the
report if the writing process included consultation with and input from a wide
range of stakeholders. Question 4 needs to be answered much more fully in the
main part of the strategy document, but there also needs to be a brief summary
of the most important factors in the introduction. It is not usually necessary
to answer question 3. However, question 3 might be answered briefly in the
introduction, but only to explain how detailed the consultation process was.
Question 6 cannot be answered by the authors of the strategy document. The
management board’s opinion of the strategy will be given only after they have
read the document as part of the approval process.
Extension activity
Students underline any phrases in Laura’s introduction that they could use
in their own strategy documents. Then ask them to discuss the advantages
and disadvantages of using technical HR vocabulary (or jargon) in such
documents.
Suggested answers
(useful phrases underlined):
The aim of the HR strategy is to support and enhance the corporate strategy by
realising key deliverables through HR services and actions. The strategy has been
developed in consultation with senior management and staff and takes account
of lessons learnt from strategic planning in the past. As a global company, it is
important that we connect all aspects of the business whilst retaining the ability
to respond quickly to market changes.
HR jargon
Advantages: It enables very precise meanings to be communicated; it helps
create the impression that HR is a professional department.
Disadvantages: It may alienate some readers, who may feel HR is about
important-sounding statements which don’t have any meaning or relevance to the
employees.
b Students read the two versions to identify the changes. They discuss their
answers in pairs and then feed back to the class. You may need to focus on
the form and functions of the passive when you go through the answers (see
Language note on page 9 for advice).
Answers
Verbs in the second sentence have changed from active (have driven, created) to
passive (has been driven, was created). The passive is more common in formal
and impersonal documents. The passive can be used to move longer or more
important information away from the beginning of the sentence.
UNIT 1 HR strategy
Language note
The passive has two important but contrasting functions:
1 It allows the writer not to mention the agent (= the person who performs the
activity), typically because the agent is unknown, unimportant or irrelevant to
the message (e.g. This strategy has been developed in order to enhance …).
2 It allows the writer to move the agent away from the beginning of the
sentence, typically in order to focus special attention on it (e.g. The initiative
was created by the management board) or because the agent is a long phrase
which would sound odd at the beginning of a sentence (e.g. compare Global
economic growth within the clothing sector has driven change … in the first
draft with Change has been driven by global economic growth within the
clothing sector and … in the second draft). These two factors, sometimes
known as end-focus and end-weight, often go together: longer phrases also
tend to be the ones that need more focus within a sentence.
Note: The passive is not only used for tensed verbs. It may also be used in
infinitives (e.g. In order to be approved, the plan must …) and participle clauses
(e.g. This will result in the factory being closed).
c Students work in pairs to rewrite the sentences. Discuss the answers with the
class before referring students to the version in the Answer key on Student’s
Book page 109.
Suggested answers
(passive verbs are in bold)
Whilst some potential constraints are anticipated, it is expected that the
company’s change programme will be achieved. This will result in the Braga
factory being closed and the manufacturing operation being relocated to Evora.
d Students work in pairs to ask questions to make sure their partners know all
the words in the box (e.g. ‘Can you explain to me what a business partner is,
in the context of HR strategy?’) before checking their ideas in the Glossary or
a dictionary. Afterwards, ask students to close their books and then call for
volunteers to explain the words to you. Students then work alone to put the
words and phrases into the gaps and then check in pairs. Finally, go through the
answers with the class.
Answers
1 internal customers 5 transition
2 human resource profile 6 flexible working
3 human capital management 7 business partner
4 succession planning 8 consultancy
Note
●● The term business partner reflects the idea that many HR people are keen to be
perceived as having an influential and strategic role in the business as a whole,
rather than just performing an administrative personnel function.
●● The word transition is now often preferred over change by companies as
it is viewed as being more developmental, progressive and therefore less
threatening.
7 Students work in pairs or small groups to plan their outlines. They should do this
in character (i.e. in the role of a group of colleagues working together to develop
a strategy). Therefore they will need to have a specific company in mind before
they start, even if they are students in full-time education. They can then write up
all or part of the strategy document, either in their groups (with one person as
secretary) or as a homework task. They should focus on the sections covered so
far in this unit – other parts of the strategy document will be covered later.
UNIT 1 HR strategy
Writing up the HR strategy

Divide the board into two columns and write the headings ‘Outcomes’ at the
top of the left column and ‘Outputs’ at the top of the right one. Ask the class
to suggest what the difference might be between the two terms. Then read the
following statements aloud, pausing after each statement to discuss whether it
applies to outcomes or outputs or both. When you give the answers, make brief
notes on the board in the two columns.
●● It is a state. (outcome)
●● It is a specific event or action. (output)
●● It is quantified. (output)
●● It is general. (outcome)
●● It has target dates. (output)
●● It is aspirational, that is, something to aim for. (outcome)
●● It is detailed. (output)
●● It identifies who will be responsible. (output)
8 a Students discuss the three questions in pairs. After a few minutes, open up the
discussion to include the whole class.
Suggested answers
1 Because without some form of measurement there would be no way of judging
its effectiveness.
2 Specified outcomes relating to HR, such as resourcing, development and
strategy.
3 Financial results, costs, production of reports, surveys.
b Students work alone to find the words to match the definitions and then check in
pairs.
Answers
1 in conjunction with 5 offshoring
2 feasibility study 6 optimise
3 skills audit 7 conducted
4 output 8 utilisation
Note
utilisation is a term widely used in many aspects of business. A typical example is
machine utilisation in a factory. If a machine is running for 12 hours in every 24,
then it has 50% utilisation. Many people working in consultancies have utilisation
targets where they must spend an agreed percentage of their time on direct fee
earning.
9 a Ask the class to suggest why the strategy might need to include an
implementation and monitoring plan. You could then ask students to read the
first paragraph under the heading ‘Implementation and monitoring’ on page 13,
to compare it with their ideas. After this, ask students to discuss the factors and
people in pairs. When you discuss the answers with the class, make sure students
justify their inclusion (or exclusion) of each factor or person.
UNIT 1 HR strategy
Note
●● The term accountabilities refers to the allocation of responsibilities to identified
people, specifying who will be accountable for whether something happens.
●● key indicators (also known as KPIs or Key Performance Indicators). This is a
very widely used piece of business jargon which describes specific, measurable
targets which need to be met. These may relate to a department or an
individual.
●● An employee development group is a group of employees formed to discuss and
influence employee development matters.
●● line manager refers to someone who has responsibility for directly supervising
the work and progress of one or more employees. Each line manager may be
line managed by another (usually more senior) person in the organisation.
b Students listen to Audio 1.3 and tick the factors and people that are mentioned.
When you check with the class, ask students if they can recall what was said
about each factor/person.
1.3 page 93
Answers
Factors: desired outcomes, key indicators, accountabilities and deadlines.
People: HR, line managers, employee development group and management
board.
Note
●● If a plan is robust it is well thought-out and is still functional when challenged by
argument or even by changing conditions.
●● A matrix is a grid which cross-references two sets of factors.
c Ask students to work in pairs and to try to remember whether the statements
are true or false. You may want to assure students that you do not necessarily
expect them to remember perfectly, but that the aim of this task is to help them
focus their attention when they hear Audio 1.3 again. Then play Audio 1.3 a
second time for students to check their predictions. When you go through the
answers with the class, check comprehension by asking students to explain why
the false statements are untrue.
1.3 page 93
Answers
1 F – The purpose of the meeting is to share ideas.
2 F – The board will read the plan (we know this because they may disagree
with it).
3 F – Laura suggests using both key indicators and outputs.
4 T
5 F – The board must be informed throughout.
d Students work alone to match the sentence halves.
Answers
2 f 3 e 4 b 5 a 6 c
UNIT 1 HR strategy
Extension activity
After completing Exercise 9d, students can test each other in pairs by
reading the beginning of a phrase to see if their partners can produce a
suitable continuation.
e Discuss the question with the class.
Answers
Proposal: 2, 3, 5
Counterproposal or qualified agreement: 1, 4, 6
10 a Students work alone to read the extract and to complete the task. Afterwards,
they discuss their answers in pairs and then feed back to the class. For question
2, you could ask students to describe exactly how each objective will be
measured.
Answers
1 F – The management board and cross-function employee development team
will also be responsible.
2 T
3 T
4 F – It is ongoing.
5 F – The business supports family friendly policies.
Note
Some HR and workplace-related vocabulary:
●● It is common practice in business to divide the financial year into quarters.
These are: Q1 (May–July), Q2 (August–October), Q3 (November–January) and
Q4 (February–April)
●● equality is the overall philosophy and process of treating everyone fairly and
equally regardless of differences in race, religion, gender, etc.
●● equality of opportunity refers to the situation where everyone has equal access
to opportunities such as training and promotion.
b Students work alone to put the words in the spaces and then listen to check their
answers.
1.4 page 94
Answers
1 open 5 attitude
2 8% 6 80%
3 framework 7 profile
4 100% 8 ongoing
Note
employee buy-in happens when employees agree with an idea and demonstrate
their support through willing participation.
UNIT 1 HR strategy
11 Students work in small groups to brainstorm ideas for an implementation and

monitoring plan for their organisation or an organisation they know well. Make
sure students have a clear idea of which organisation they are discussing before
they start. If you are teaching university students with little or no personal
experience of the workplace, you could ask them to think about the University
(or Faculty) as the organisation requiring the implementation and monitoring
of a new HR strategy. You could write the following questions on the board to
organise the discussion.
1 What should an HR strategy implementation and monitoring plan include?
2 How can you measure success?
3 How can HR gain employee buy-in to the plan?
Encourage students to use the phrases from Exercise 9d. Allow plenty of time for
the role plays. Afterwards, give and ask for feedback on both the success of the
meetings and the quality of the language used during the role plays.
Students could do the planning in class in small groups followed by the writing
itself as a homework task, or the whole task could be done in groups, with one
student acting as secretary. When the reports are ready, ask volunteers to
present their plans to the class. Give and ask for feedback on the strength of
the plans and students’ presentation techniques as well as the quality of the
language used.
Additional activity Unit 1: Vocabulary revision

If students need more help revising some of the technical human resources
and workplace vocabulary covered in this unit, you can use the Additional
activity worksheet for Unit 1 in the Resources section of the course website.
UNIT 1 HR strategy
Background information and useful web links

Strategic Human Resources
Strategic HR represents an important change in the role and perceived role of
Human Resources. Many HR people are keen to be seen as playing an important
part in influencing the direction and development of their organisation. This has
involved moving away from the traditional, administrative personnel functions,
sometimes described as ‘hire-and-fire’, towards activities which are longer term and
affect the whole business. Typically, this involves long-range resource planning (e.g.
how many people are needed over the next five years) and approaches to human
capital management (i.e. how the talent pool in the organisation will be managed
and increased). The greatest challenge for HR remains being accepted as an equal
strategic partner in comparison with other influential departments such as legal,
finance, marketing and production.
Useful links
The CIPD’s guide to HR Strategy: http://www.cipd.co.uk/NR/rdonlyres/3AED2D2D-
763C-48A0-9282-AF0BA4D89365/0/9781843982128_SC.pdf
The difference between mission and vision: http://www.differencebetween.net/
language/difference-between-mission-and-vision/
Sample mission statements: http://www.skills2lead.com/sample-mission-statements.
html
Sample vision statements: http://www.skills2lead.com/sample-vision-statements.html
Factsheet on strategic HR management: http://www.cipd.co.uk/subjects/corpstrtgy/
general/strathrm.htm
How to create an HR strategy map: http://www.askthehrguy.com/2011/01/how-to-
create-hr-strategy-map.html
Outsourcing and offshoring

Outsourcing involves having an activity of the company delivered by an outside
organisation. In the UK, for example, this process first became common in the 1980s
with the aim of getting local councils to deliver services more efficiently and cheaply.
Initially, this applied mostly to manual activities such as cleaning and security but also
extended to other functions such as IT, payroll, accounts and even HR. Some problems
with the quality of outsourced services led people to reconsider the idea and there
has even been a reverse trend towards insourcing (i.e. returning services back into
the organisation). However, outsourcing remains one of the options to be explored in
strategic planning.
Offshoring retains a service within the company but transfers it to another country.
Increasing globalisation and advances in technology have made this more and more
attractive and realistic for many companies. The main reason for offshoring is cost
savings through the lower labour costs in some parts of the world. This trend has
developed from near-shoring, where companies transfer activities to a nearby country
(e.g. from Sweden to Poland), towards far-shoring, where activities are shifted to
countries much further away (e.g. from Sweden to India). The main activities targeted
for offshoring are manufacturing, IT and customer services. The decision to use
offshoring forms part of a company’s global strategy.
Useful links
Outsourcing: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Outsourcing
Offshoring: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Off_Shoring
Human Resources
TEACHER’S NOTES
Unit 2
l Researching a resourcing plan
Employee
resourcing and talent management
l Producing a resourcing plan
l Solving resourcing problems

web links.
Researching a resourcing plan

Discuss with the class how they each got their current jobs (if they are currently
working) and any previous jobs they have had, including casual work (e.g. holiday
jobs as students). Encourage them to remember how they first became aware
of the employer (e.g. recommendation from a friend, noticing a job advert by
chance, a painstaking and determined effort to get this specific type of job) and
the position they now hold if they are currently employed (if this is not their first
position in the organisation).
You could also discuss what companies do to manage their employees to make
sure that (a) they continue working for the same company and (b) they are given
the chance to use their talents effectively.
If your students have not worked before, you could ask them about people they
know (friends, family members) and how they got their jobs.
Note: Be aware that some cultures may be more reticent about discussing these
questions in class than others. If you are teaching students from a culture (or
cultures) that you are unfamiliar with, try to ask a colleague whether this kind of
question is acceptable or not.
1 a Students work alone to complete the matching activity. When you go through the
answers with the class, try to develop a short discussion about each method (e.g.
‘What are the advantages and disadvantages of this method?’, ‘What types of job
would it be most suitable for?’), but try to avoid pre-empting the discussions in
Exercises 1b and 1c.
Answers
2 e 3 f 4 h 5 g 6 b 7 a 8 d
b Students discuss the questions in pairs and then feed back to the class.
UNIT 2 Employee resourcing and talent management
Answers
1 a 2, 5, 6, 7, 8 b 2, 3, 6 c 1, 4, 7
2 Suggested answers
company director: succession planning, headhunting, internal promotion
delivery driver: recruitment agency, outsourcing, local print media, job search
sites
market researcher: job search sites, graduate fair
nurse: recruitment agency, outsourcing, local print media, job search sites
c Ask students to discuss the questions in pairs. When you discuss the answers
with the class, ask if any of the students have their own experiences of
outsourcing to share.
Suggested answers
1 Most suited: specialist skills that are not needed all the time, and activities
that can easily be provided externally such as security and cleaning.
Least suited: core strategic and management roles.
2 Benefits: saving money on wages and overheads.
Risks: loss of control, harder to manage quality, and possible lack of
commitment.
Extension activity
You could also extend the discussion to cover the advantages and
disadvantages of outsourcing for:
a employees
b national economies
c HR managers.
With a higher-level class, you could also try to explore question 1 further by
asking students to do the following:
Imagine a typical medium-sized company, such as a manufacturer. What
departments does it have? How many employees does it have in each
department? How much of this company’s work can/should be outsourced?
If students have a concrete example in mind, this could provoke some good
discussion.
Suggested answers
a For employees directly affected by outsourcing, the obvious disadvantage
is that they could lose their jobs. Even those that remain could see a fall in
wages, as they are now competing with cheaper or more efficient workers
in other companies. For some employees (e.g. line managers, HR, finance),
outsourcing could make their life easier (e.g. if they no longer had to deal with
in-house problems and could concentrate on achieving the company’s aims).
b For national economies, the benefits include more efficiency, which in theory
allows workers to be employed in more productive work. In practice, however,
this may lead to increases in unemployment in some areas.
A typical manufacturing company might have 70 factory workers (50 in
production, 10 in warehousing and 10 in engineering), 50 office staff (10 in
accounts / finance, 20 in sales, 5 in production planning and purchasing, 5 in
marketing, 2 in HR, 8 in quality control / research and development) and 10
in senior management (directors and senior managers plus their PAs). The
whole factory could be outsourced, along with most of the office staff.
c There will be fewer people to directly manage, so less work to do. On the other
hand, it may involve work in liaising with outsourcing providers. Furthermore,
fewer people on the payroll is likely to lead to pressure to reduce the size of
the HR department, resulting in a loss of status, personnel and possibly wages.
2 a Ask students to read the background to Hoffmann-Strenge to find out what it

does and why it is reconsidering its resourcing strategy. Students then discuss
the two questions in pairs and share their answers with the class.
Answers
1 falling orders, mergers, to increase efficiency or to reduce costs
2 poor location, uncompetitive salary, poor career development
b Students read the six statements and then listen to Audio 2.1 and complete the
task. After they have listened, ask students to discuss their answers in pairs.
They should decide why the false statements are untrue and then feed back to
the class. You could also discuss the problem with redundancy payments (i.e. that
they could end up costing more than they save).
2.1 page 94
Answers
1 F – Wages have been frozen (not increased).
2 F – Colin says redundancies are the last resort (the worst possible option).
3 T
4 F – Colin does support innovation (I’m all for …).
5 T
6 F – Colin says it has to be (doable), meaning that he will do it in two weeks.
Note
●● A quarterly report is a brief, written progress report that is produced every
three months.
●● A labour-costs-to-sales ratio is a figure calculated by dividing the total sales
value by the total labour costs. Profits are reduced if the labour costs are higher
than the return of sales.
●● staffing levels refers to the number of people employed in various positions.
●● A downturn is a period of worsening economic conditions, e.g. higher
unemployment, business closures, reduced consumer spending. (The opposite is
an upturn.)
c Tell students to close their books. Ask the class to say what a current employee
profile might be and what sort of information it might contain. Then ask students
to turn to Exercise 2c on Student’s Book page 15 to compare ideas. Students
then work alone to match the headings and feed back to the class.
Answers
A Demographics
B Employment relationship
C Employee data
D Contextual resourcing factors
Note
●● A position in a company is not the same as a job title. For example, you could
be a senior or middle manager, which denotes your relative position in the
organisational hierarchy, whereas systems analyst and accountant are job titles,
which do not tell us the level of the job holders.
●● A key position holder is someone on whom the business is absolutely
dependent. For example, an airline pilot or a project manager for a large
development such as a national sports stadium.
●● market conditions include things like consumer demand, inflation, competition
and economic growth.
d Students work alone to add the words and phrases to the profile and then feed
back to the class.
Answers
1 age
2 part-time
3 temporary contract worker
4 length of service
5 total benefits package
6 development investment in employee
7 labour supply and demand
8 labour turnover
Note
●● development investment is another term for the money spent on the training
and development of employees.
●● labour supply and demand refers to the balance between workers seeking jobs
and employers seeking workers.
●● The total benefits package covers pay and financial benefits but also factors
such as development opportunities and working environment.
e Discuss the question with the class. You may need to check that the students
understand the meaning of asset first, by referring to the Glossary on Student’s
Book pages 122–127.
Answers
an asset: length of service, key position holder, development investment in
employee
a business cost: salary, total benefits package
3 a Discuss with the class what Colin might want to talk about with the Remuneration
Manager (see Note on page 19 for a definition). Go through the four questions
with the class and then play Audio 2.2 for students to answer them. Students
discuss their answers in pairs before feeding back to the class.
2.2 pages 94–95
Answers
1 Yes, and she thinks job cuts would be a bit dramatic, too.
2 All the resourcing mix (full-time, part-time, temps and fixed-term contract
employees).
3 Present employees as assets not (just) costs.
4 Market conditions.
Note
●● A Remuneration Manager is someone responsible for pay and rewards in the
company.
●● payroll data will include information such as name of employee, number of
employees, wage levels and tax codes.
●● natural wastage is the process of reducing the workforce by not replacing
people as they leave.
b Students work in pairs to decide what word should go in each gap. Then students
listen again to Audio 2.2 to check their answers. They compare answers in the
same pairs before feeding back to the class.
Answers
1 temps 6 redeployment
2 length 7 errors
3 service 8 complaints
4 turnover 9 talent
5 wastage 10 retention
4 a Students discuss the three questions in small groups. After a few minutes,
open up the discussion to include the whole class. Ask students if they have
experienced or heard of any examples of the problems in questions 1 and 2.
Answers
1 Inability to meet orders, loss of market share, effects on morale and stress
levels.
2 High costs, financial problems.
3 They show the likely future demand for work.
b Go through the questions with the class, asking students to suggest possible
answers, and writing their ideas on the board. Then students listen to Audio 2.3
to answer the questions. They discuss their answers in pairs before feeding back
to the class. Finally, compare the answers from Audio 2.3 with students’ ideas
from the board.
2.3 page 95
Answers
1 Because of falling sales.
2 Because of the way the luxury car market operates (output demand doesn’t
match market conditions).
3 Warehousing, stockpiling, cash flow, not enough space.
4 The company would be unable to meet demand and would lose market share.
Note
●● output demand is the level of demand for the company’s products.
●● The order book is the number of advance orders received which are to be
delivered during future months.
●● If you maximise current utility, you use something (people or machinery) to the
limit of its capacity.
c Students work alone to complete the matching task. When you go through the
answers with the class, ask students if they can remember which speaker from
Audio 2.3 (Colin or Manuela) used each phrase and in what context. However,
avoid confirming or rejecting students’ suggestions until after Exercise 4d.
Answers
2 g 3 b 4 h 5 a 6 d/f 7 c 8 d/f
Extension activity
Ask students to suggest at least one other phrase for each of the eight
functions.
Suggested answers
a As a result of …; In the light of …
b let’s say
c How much?; Wow!
d Correct me if I’m wrong, but …
e That’s anybody’s guess; I’d need some time to come up with a figure for that.
f So if I’ve understood you correctly, …; Are you saying …?
g Alternatively, …; To approach this from a slightly different angle, …
h Basically, …; In a nutshell, …
d Students work alone to put the phrases into the extracts. They then listen to
Audio 2.3 to check their answers.
2.3 page 95
Answers
a In view of
b You mean; say
c is it fair to say
d I wouldn’t like to say
e Really?
f To put it simply
g to look at it another way
Extension activity
Students test each other in pairs by reading the beginning of a sentence from
Exercise 4d to their partner and then asking them for a sensible continuation,
which may or may not be the same as the one in the Student’s Book.
5 Make sure students have a specific organisation in mind before they start.
Encourage them to treat the planning/discussion stage as a role play, i.e. using
the phrases they looked at in Exercise 4c. They can then write up their current
employee profiles as a homework task.
Producing a resourcing plan

Print out the following case study of a resourcing plan, produced by the company
British Gas (http://www.thetimes100.co.uk/case-study--workforce-planning-at-british-
gas--137-408-1.php). The document is four pages in total.
Divide the class into five groups and assign one of the following sections from the
document to each group.
The role of human resource management
Training
Workforce planning
Recruitment
Selection
Ask students to read their section for homework, checking any vocabulary and
researching any concepts that might be unfamiliar to them. Let students know
that the document is authentic so is likely to include language they are unfamiliar
with. Encourage them to work on understanding the key information in their
section, rather than having to understand every word in the document.
At the beginning of the next class, ask students to get back into their groups and
work together to produce a summary of the main information in their section.
Then ask students to form new groups consisting of five students, each of whom
read a different section of the document. Groups then share their summaries
(orally) with each other.
Finally, you may want to ask for feedback from the whole class.
6 a Students look at the flowchart and discuss the questions in pairs before feeding
back to the class. Discuss with the class what might be involved at each stage
of the flowchart. Focus especially on the side branches (e.g. ‘Why might an
organisation decide to revise its strategy after scanning the environment?’).
Answers
1 The flowchart shows the overall process and sequence of stages in creating a
resourcing plan.
2 It is most likely to be used by HR as a planning tool.
b Ask students to work alone to complete the questions. Then ask them to check
their answers in pairs before feeding back to the class.
Answers
1 objectives 5 a coming years
2 a external factors 5 b a shortage of
2 b objectives 6 when
3 workforce 7 plan into practice
4 a need 8 effectiveness
4 b shortage problems 9 improve
4 c enough of
Extension activity
Ask students to look only at the flowchart and to try to remember the
question for each box. The questions do not have to be exactly the same as
the questions from Exercise 6b, but they should address the same issue and
aim to be grammatically correct.
7 a For this activity and the two following (Exercises 7b and 8), the focus moves away
from the case study on Hoffman-Strenge to the supermarket chain Szopalot
(/ˈʃɒpəlɒt/). Make this clear to students if necessary. Students read the plan
carefully to answer the questions. Allow several minutes for students to read the
plan and then ask them to discuss their answers in pairs before feeding back with
the class.
Answers
1 Because people buy cheaper products when the economy is weak.
2 Because higher wages would reduce profit margins.
3 Yes
4 Temporary vacancies
5 Exit interviews, staff surveys and store visits
6 Because the work is unskilled and there is an adequate labour supply
7 Quarterly (every three months).
Note
●● The term hygiene factors was created by Fred Herzberg and refers to financial
rewards and physical working conditions but does not include emotional factors
such as association with colleagues, belonging, praise and recognition.
●● resolving issues is often preferred to 'solving problems' as it is considered more
positive. Also, an issue can be neutral or positive, while a problem is always
negative in this context.
●● A shift pattern is a way of organising the workforce to work at different periods
of time, or shifts. This enables a company to provide services or maintain
production 24 hours per day. For example, a three-shift pattern is usually
divided into morning (06.00–14.00), afternoon (14.00–22.00) and night
(22.00–6.00) shifts. There are other shift arrangements such as split shifts and
continental shifts. In a split shift, employees may work four hours in the morning
(10.00–14.00) and then four hours in the evening (17.00–21.00). This shift
pattern is common in the hotel and catering industries. In a continental shift,
employees work an afternoon, followed by a morning, and then have a day off.
Some workers work a single shift such as only nights, while others may work a
different shift each week.
●● A recruitment bus is not metaphorical but an actual bus which has been
specifically designed (or hired) to travel around towns or parts of cities to
promote the company and attract potential candidates.
Extension activity
Students work in pairs to ask and answer the questions from Exercise 6b
based on Szopalot’s Resourcing Plan.
Suggested answers
1 To be the market leader in the low-cost food shopping sector in the Czech
Republic, Slovakia and Poland. To provide a limited range of good value, high
quality products. To achieve this through aggressive pricing campaigns and
imaginative marketing and promotion.
2a Economic conditions (national wage inflation, unemployment rate)
2b No, the current economic circumstances do not require the strategy to be
adjusted.
3 and 4a Although there are no current labour surpluses or shortages, labour
turnover is high, which causes temporary gaps in demand.
4b Consideration could be given to raising wages above competitor rates. The
standard of store management and hygiene factors (issues relating to working
conditions) should be investigated.
4c Consideration could be given to raising wages above competitor rates. The
standard of store management and hygiene factors (issues relating to working
conditions) should be investigated.
5a The workforce will increase by 31% in the next three years.
5b No, the existing labour pool within the countries of operation will be sufficient
to meet labour demands, although managerial positions could be harder to
fill.
6 See Action Plan.
7 See Implementation Plan.
8 The plan will be reviewed quarterly to measure effectiveness and make any
necessary adjustments.
9 Possibly. If so, management will be informed of any circumstances which may
have a strategic impact.
b Students work in pairs to find the phrases before feeding back to the class.
Answers
1 the current 10% unemployment rate produces a sufficient labour supply
2 The current economic circumstances do not require the strategy to be
adjusted.
3 Consideration could be given to
4 should also be investigated
5 It is anticipated that
6 Management will be informed of any circumstances which may have a
strategic impact.
8 Students write their plans as homework or in class. Note that they could write
their plan for Hoffmann-Strenge if they prefer, especially if they are university
students with little or no personal experience of the workplace.
Solving resourcing problems

9 a Ask students to close their books. Get students to brainstorm a list of factors
which may influence talent management and the resourcing plan and write these
onto the board. The list should include both internal factors (i.e. things that
happen within the organisation) and external factors (i.e. things that happen
outside the organisation). Students then turn to Student’s Book page 20 to
compare their ideas with the list of factors in 1–8.
Students then work alone to match the factors with the definitions. Afterwards,
discuss the factors with the class, asking students if they have any experiences of
their own with any of these situations.
Answers
2 f 3 h 4 g 5 b 6 c 7 a 8 e
Extension activity
Students test each other in pairs by reading a definition from Exercise 9a to
their partner, who then tries to guess the correct factor. Alternatively, they
could read a factor then ask for a definition from their partner.
b Students work in pairs to complete the sentences.
Answers
1 redeployment
2 shortage of promotion opportunities
3 high labour turnover
4 skills shortage
5 annual adjustment
6 voluntary redundancies
7 high trainee turnover
8 offshoring
Extension activity
Ask students to use the phrases in bold from Exercise 9b to continue the
chain of cause and effect by making sentences starting with one of the terms
from Exercise 9a. (For example, A skills shortage (item 1 in Exercise 9a)
would require (item 5 in Exercise 9b) an investment in training (the student’s
own completion of the sentence). Show this example with the class. Students
then work in pairs to produce sentences before feeding back to the class.
Suggested answers
●● A skills shortage would require an investment in training.
●● High trainee turnover could lead to stricter rules for trainees attending
courses.
●● High labour turnover could result in more mistakes made by inexperienced
staff.
●● Voluntary redundancies would require careful planning.
●● An annual adjustment may lead the company to change its strategy.
●● A shortage of promotion opportunities could lead talented employees to apply
for jobs elsewhere.
●● Offshoring could result in problems with morale.
●● Redeployment would require additional training.
10 a Go through the questions with the class. Then play Audio 2.4 for students to
answer the questions. They then discuss their answers in pairs before feeding
back to the class.
2.4 page 95
Answers
1 Because 25% of the current workforce will retire within five years.
2 Wages have remained in line with inflation.
3 His evidence is advance orders, and economic and market data.
Note
●● In Audio 2.4, Colin says that to be more accurate he uses four methods but one
approach. The distinction he is drawing here is that approach describes the
overall assumptions which inform his analysis, whereas method refers to specific
actions or ways of doing things within that approach.
●● advance orders are customer orders for products or services to be delivered in
the near future.
●● ‘what if’ scenario building involves imagining a set of circumstances and creating
a plan that would deal with that situation.
Additional activity Unit 2: Describing graphs in presentations

If students need more help with giving presentations, you can use the
Additional activity worksheet for Unit 2 in the Resources section of the course
website.
b Discuss the question with the class, including the advantages and disadvantages
of each scenario.
Answers
A worst
B best
C medium
c Go through the statements to make sure students understand all the words. Then
play Audio 2.5 for them to complete the task. They discuss the answers in pairs,
including as much as they can remember of what the speakers said about each
scenario, and then share their ideas with the class.
2.5 pages 95–96
Answers
1 unlikely, but could happen
2 optimistic
3 will improve
4 agrees
Note
●● If you are 20% over capacity, you have 20% more workers than you need.
●● short-time working involves a temporary reduction in workers’ hours.
●● If sales peak, they reach their highest level.
●● If something is cross functional, it involves employees from different
departments
●● A quality circle is a group of employees formed into a team to focus on an
aspect of product or process quality.
●● A product mentor is someone within the company who has a high level of
knowledge about a particular product and helps to advise and support other
employees to learn about it.
d Students work alone to complete the collocations. You could play Audio 2.5
a second time for students to check the answers and to find out how each
collocation was used. Afterwards, go through the answers with the class, making
sure students fully understand all the collocations.
2.5 pages 95–96
Answers
1 flow 5 indicators
2 plan 6 circles
3 improvement 7 programme
4 functional 8 redundancy
11 a Students work alone to complete the matching exercise and then feed back to the
class.
Answers
2 h 3 g 4 a 5 f 6 d 7 e
8 b
Extension activity
Tell the students that they are going to practise paraphrasing through a
series of mini-dialogues with other members of the class. First, tell students
to close books and then ask them to tell you the eight different phrases
for introducing a paraphrase (these are the words in bold in Exercise 11a).
Don’t be surprised if students don’t recall all of these and be prepared to do
some prompting, especially in some of the longer phrases such as or to put it
another way. A simple way of prompting would be to write the phrases on the
board, with blanks indicating the number of missing words (e.g. __ __ put __
_____ way), to help them remember.
Write the following short dialogue on the board:
A: What do you mean, over-resourced?
B: Over-resourced? What I mean is, having more employees than we actually
need.
Cross out over-resourced in A’s turn and ask students to suggest an
alternative from exercise 11a (e.g. product mentors). Then ask students to
suggest a new paraphrase for the B turn. Make it clear that students do not
have to say exactly the same phrase that was in the book, but it should be an
accurate paraphrase of the term.
Finally, ask the students to stand up. Explain that they should try to have
two short dialogues (one in the A role and one in the B role), with as many
different students in the class as they can within three minutes.
While students are doing the activity, go around the room monitoring and
helping.
b Go through the instructions with the class. Point out that Colin paraphrases four
of the HR terms (1–8) and introduces them using four of the phrases in bold
(a–h) from Exercise 11a, but that he uses different structures to paraphrase the
HR terms. Students should tick only the HR terms he paraphrases and the terms
he uses.
Answers
1 over-resourced, short-time working, pay off, product mentors
2 simply put, for example, in other words, you know
12 Students work in small groups to prepare their presentations. Alternatively,

they could prepare them as a homework task. When the presentations are
ready, make sure the non-presenters know they should ask difficult questions.
After each presentation, give and elicit feedback not only on the quality of the
language but also on the success of the presentation and the strengths and
weaknesses of the resourcing plans.

Employee resourcing
Employee resourcing can refer to all of the activities of an organisation to attract
and maintain a workforce to meet its business objectives. This involves the attraction
of candidates, recruitment and selection, and development. In times of changing
needs, it may involve increasing or reducing the workforce or reallocating employees
to different jobs. Increasingly, in a global context, the question of which country to
locate parts of the operation in needs to be included in the equation. Companies also
consider how much of the work will be done by full- and part-time and permanent and
temporary workers, as well as by external providers.
All of this has to be managed in the context of the economic and commercial
climate which may be unpredictable. A resourcing plan therefore needs to match the
anticipated business needs as closely as possible whilst providing sufficient flexibility
to respond to changes in circumstances.
Useful links
Authentic HR Action Plan: http://www.adb.org/Documents/Others/in58-09.pdf
Talent management
Talent management is becoming a popular term to describe maximising the abilities of
the workforce. This starts with induction or onboarding and continues throughout the
employee’s time with the employer. It is concerned with developing all employees to
the maximum of their potential, but also in attracting, identifying and developing high
quality individuals.
Total rewards
A total rewards approach is increasingly being used by more and more employers.
It is materially and philosophically different to the historic, traditional approach to
employee rewards. In the traditional approach, rewards were limited to pay and
financial benefits; in total rewards, every aspect of an employee’s interaction with the
company is considered as part of the overall reward package. This includes factors
such as training and development, promotion opportunities, working environment and
flexible working (see also Unit 9 for more on total rewards).
Producing a resourcing plan

Although resourcing plans contain roughly the same information, there is no single,
standard format and plans come in many shapes and sizes.
Solving resourcing problems

Scenario building involves artificially constructing a set of circumstances and
developing a range of outcomes and actions based on that reality. It is sometimes
called ‘what if?’ Typically, a number of scenarios are imagined with different levels of
probability and impact. This can be used as part of a goal setting exercise by building
an ‘ideal scenario’ and then taking sequential steps to work towards it. At the same
time, it could be used as part of a contingency planning process.
In the case of resourcing, there are many external variables such as economic
conditions, labour supply and demand, consumer behaviour and competition that
are difficult to predict with certainty. Developing and maintaining the right number of
employees can be difficult to judge, particularly for businesses requiring heavy capital
investment, where plans need to cover many years ahead. Therefore resource planners
need to anticipate a range of possibilities whilst making a specific plan based on the
most likely scenario.
Human Resources
TEACHER’S NOTES
Unit 3
l Defining job requirements
Recruitment and selection
l Identifying suitable candidates
l Conducting interviews
l Choosing the right candidate

web links.
Defining job requirements

Find some HR job adverts on the Internet (e.g. http://jobs.guardian.co.uk/jobs/
hr-and-training/), print them out and distribute them to students in small groups.
Each group should look at a different advert to identify what it says about the
job, the company and the ideal candidate. They should also think carefully about
what information is not always given (e.g. salary? detailed job description?) and
why it might be missing. Afterwards, they report back to the class.
1 Students discuss the questions in small groups. For question 2, make sure they
think about the practical arrangements to be made for an employee coming from
another country. After a few minutes, open up the discussion to include the whole
class.
Suggested answers
1 professional magazines, online, headhunting agencies
2 Advantages: can attract a type or calibre of candidate not available locally.
Disadvantages: relocation expenses and possible complications with visas,
work permits, accommodation, schooling, language training, and cultural
adaptation.
2 a Go through the three questions briefly with the class and ask them to predict
what the answers might be. Then play Audio 3.1 for students to answer the
questions. Allow them to discuss their answers in pairs before feeding back to
the class.
3.1 page 96
Answers
1 It would save time – Kate wants to find a project manager as soon as possible
(ASAP).
2 She means that although Moscow is large, people in the telecoms industry
there (including Moscotel’s competitors) all know each other – so it can be
difficult to keep a secret.
3 visas, work permits, accommodation and schooling
UNIT 3 Recruitment and selection
Note
●● tell me about it is often used ironically, meaning ‘you don’t need to tell me about
it – I know the situation well’.
●● shoot is sometimes used in informal language to mean ‘go ahead’ or ‘I’m
listening’.
b First, ask students to see if they can remember which words are missing first,
then listen to Audio 3.1 again for them to check and complete the remaining
sentences. When you go through the answers with the class, use the seven
sentences to generate mini-discussions on what the terms mean, what they might
mean in the specific context of this case study (e.g. What type of person would
be considered high calibre in this situation?), and how students’ own experiences
may relate to the terms.
3.1 page 96
Answers
1 high calibre 5 relocation
2 appoint 6 brief; agency
3 appointment 7 job profile
4 headhunting agency; discreet
3 a Go through the statements with the class first, to make sure students understand
them. Note that the Regional Director in statement 2 refers to Kate Palmer.
Students listen to Audio 3.2 to complete the task. Afterwards, they discuss their
answers in pairs, including any additional information they remember about the
conversation, and then feed back to the class.
3.2 page 96
Answers
1 15 4 not as important as
2 Regional 5 leadership
3 market share
Note
●● performance indicators are specific outcomes that define and measure success.
●● A penetration pricing policy is one where goods are priced much lower than
competitors’ in order to gain customers and enter the market.
●● vision here refers to the ability to imagine future development, while drive refers
to the energy and determination to turn the vision into a reality.
Extension activity
Write the following phrases onto the board:
liaise closely challenging targets a penetration pricing policy

cable systems installers vision and drive
Ask students to discuss in pairs what each phrase means and what it referred
to in Audio 3.2. Then play the recording again for them to check their
answers. Afterwards, they compare their ideas in pairs before feeding back to
the class.
Answers
●● The Project Manager needs to liaise closely with the Marketing Director …
●● There’ll be some really challenging targets regarding market share ...
●● … in the first year we’ll be operating a penetration pricing policy.
●● … but negotiating with cable systems installers is the key.
●● We’re looking for someone with vision and drive ...
b Make sure students realise they need to insert each complete line from the
notebook into the spaces in the Job Profile. You may need to check the difference
between responsible to (= who does the person report to, i.e. who is the person’s
boss) and responsible for (= what are the person’s responsibilities).
Answers
Responsible to: Regional Director
Responsible for: All staff in new cable division
Purpose: To introduce and develop Moscotel’s cable TV provision
Key duties: Create brand identity
Create business and implementation plans
Negotiate client contracts
Results criteria: 20% market share first year
Resources: Autonomous marketing budget – to be arranged
Conditions: Occasional business travel to New York office
Note
●● job profiles describe the requirements for a person performing a particular job.
●● full administrative support usually means an office and support staff with all
the necessary equipment and facilities to support the manager in terms of
administrative functions.
c Students discuss the task in pairs and then feed back to the class.
Suggested answers
1 Key duties – Building inspector
2 Location
3 Job purpose – Accounts Manager, Director
4 Conditions – Manager
5 Key duties – Salesperson
6 Results criteria – Distribution/Warehouse Manager
7 Relationships – Purchasing/Distribution/Sales Manager
4 a Students work alone to complete the task and then compare their ideas with
a partner. Students then listen to Audio 3.3 to check their answers. When
you go through the answers with the class, discuss whether students agree
with the various requirements: are Kate and Dmitri being reasonable in their
expectations?
3.3 page 96
Answers
1 qualifications 6 PR
2 marketing 7 presentation
3 new product development 8 psychometric
4 phone networks 9 English
5 negotiation 10 Russian
Note
●● competences are sets of behaviours that define the minimum standards to
which is necessary to perform a task. Competences are likely to be made up of
individual skills and knowledge areas. Competences are covered in more detail
in Unit 6.
●● For information on psychometric characteristics and the traits mentioned in
Audio 3.3 (introversion, extroversion, sensing and thinking, caution and risk-
taking) see Background information and useful web links on page 45.
●● A derailer refers to an individual whose personal weaknesses or issues may
interfere with their ability to do the job.
Extension activity
Ask students to compare some authentic examples of Person Specifications
(see below for examples of links to sources). Make copies of the Person
Specifications and then ask students to work in pairs to make a note of any
similarities and differences between the example(s) from the Internet and the
template in Exercise 4a. Students should aim to look at:
●● language (e.g. criteria or factor or requirement; how assessed or measured
by or capability assessment)
●● format and layout (a table or a list).
Person specifications:
http://www.volresource.org.uk/samples/pers_spec.htm
http://www.hantsfire.gov.uk/retainedspec
b Students work in pairs to complete the sentences and then listen to Audio 3.3
again to check. Go through the answers with the class.
3.3 page 96
Answers
1 We really expect to see; would be a bonus
2 Ideally
3 useful but not critical
4 They should have; I’d settle for
5 They must have
6 That would certainly be useful; takes priority
5 a Students work in pairs to discuss examples of personality traits and answer the
questions on page 86. They then share their ideas with the class.
Answers
1 Examples from the discussion: introversion, extroversion, sensing, thinking.
Other examples: practicality, creativity, being relaxed, tense, reserved,
outgoing, open or resistant to change, following or disregarding rules.
a introversion: looking inwardly, preferring solitude to social contact.
b extroversion: being socially uninhibited, enjoying and needing social contact.
c sensing: using intuition and being receptive to feelings.
d thinking: preferring and using rationalism and logic.
2 Advantages: provides additional information regarding a candidate’s
suitability of personality for a position, which may be particularly important in
positions of high stress and responsibility, such as airline pilot.
Disadvantages: should only form part of a recruitment process and may be
misused or misinterpreted by some people.
3 1 anxiety 4 introverted/inhibited
2 agreeable 5 accommodating
3 intuitive 6 impulsive
Extension activity 1
If you are teaching on a longer course, you may want to exploit the
vocabulary in the 16PF5 table on Student’s Book page 86 for further
language work.
Write the word ‘introverted’ on the board and ask students what part of
speech this is (an adjective – some students may logically assume that this
is a past participle, but you can explain that there is no verb to introvert in
standard English usage).
Then ask students to say what the nouns are (introversion, introvert) and
what the difference is between them (noun for the trait, noun for the person).
Draw the following table on the board and ask students to work in pairs to
complete the table in their notebooks as best they can, using the words from
the 16PF5.
Noun Verb Adjective
Suggested answers
Noun Verb Adjective
extroversion (trait), extroverted
an extrovert (person)
introversion (trait), introverted
an introvert (person)
inhibition (concept) to inhibit sth inhibited, inhibiting
a participant (person), to participate (in sth) participatory
participation (concept)
anxiety (concept), anxious
anxiousness (trait)
relaxation (concept) to relax relaxed, relaxing
tension (concept), to tense tense
tenseness (trait)
tough-mindedness tough-minded
willpower to will (sth to happen) (strong-willed)
open-mindedness open-minded
intuition (concept), to intuit sth intuitive
intuitiveness (trait)
determination (concept/ (to determine – but determined
trait), not closely related in
determinedness (trait) meaning)
independence independent
accommodation (concept, to accommodate sb accommodating
can be related to the trait)
agreement (concept), to agree (with sb) agreeable
agreeableness (trait)
persuasion (concept), to persuade sb (to do persuasive
persuasiveness (trait) sth)
self-control to control oneself self-controlled
an impulse (sensation), to impel sb to do sth impulsive
impulsion (concept),
impulsiveness (trait)
uncontrolled
You could find some free online personality tests to give to your students.
There is an excellent range of links to tests at http://www.businessballs.com/
tests.htm They could complete the tests in pairs or alone. Once they have
done the tests, you could discuss their usefulness with the class.
b Ask students to work in pairs to create the two documents. If you prefer, they
could plan the documents in class and write them as homework. Make sure they
have a specific job in mind before they begin. Afterwards, students explain to the
class what they have written.
Identifying suitable candidates

If your students are employed (or have work experience), ask them if they
have ever had any experience of working with headhunters and/or recruitment
agencies. Ask students to give you an explanation of the difference between the
two. Ask them to think about:
●● the way each organisation works
●● the types of jobs they typically deal with.
Suggested answers
The major differences between headhunters and a recruitment agency are in job
level and methodology.
Typically, headhunters deal with senior executive appointments including
extremely important positions such as a Chief Executive position for a whole
region (e.g. USA, Europe, China, etc.). Because of the level of appointments,
headhunters use a lot of networking and actively search for suitable candidates.
This will lead them to approach people directly and discreetly to ask them if they
would be interested in an opportunity with another company
The work of recruitment agencies on the other hand will include some managerial
positions but quite often focuses on manual and office work. Recruitment
agencies tend to collect CVs that have been sent by people looking for jobs
and match them up with information about vacancies they have received from
companies.
6 a Go through the instructions carefully with the class. You could point out that this
type of task, in which students are asked to pick out the key words and phrases
which best summarise the main information, is a useful real-life skill for the
workplace. Make sure students understand that they can underline short phrases
as well as single words. Students work alone to complete the task and then
compare their answers in pairs. Finally, compare students’ answers with those
from the Answer key. Some examples of candidate summaries can be found in
Exercise 7a.
Suggested answers
creative, experience of working in international sales, ambitious, extensive
knowledge of the telecoms industry, persuasive communicator, dynamic leader,
motivating and creating a winning team, high-level achiever, proven track record,
delivering results in new markets
Write the following questions on the board:
1 Which phrases suggest action in progress?
2 Which phrase uses a conditional form to make an urgent request more
polite?
3 Which phrase uses a conditional form to offer information?
Alternatively, you could dictate the questions. If you do choose to dictate,
explain to students that you will repeat the question as many times as they
want but you will always repeat the full question, not a part of it. You should
also try to dictate the question as it would be spoken naturally (i.e. not slowly
and word by word).
Students read the email again to answer the questions in pairs and then feed
back to the class.
Answers
1 We are looking …; I am inviting …; we are seeking …
2 I would appreciate it if you could …
3 If you have any questions, please feel free to …
Discuss with the class which phrases or complete sentences from the email
students could use when writing an email to a headhunter. Explain that whole
sentences are also useful, as these can be stored in word processing files for
automatic insertion. This is especially true of the last paragraph, all of which
could be used (see Suggested answers below).
Suggested answers
●● We are looking to make a new, high-level appointment and I am inviting you to
source candidates on our behalf.
●● We are happy to consider people from …
●● Specifically, we are seeking: …
●● I know that you maintain a large database of highly qualified professionals and
contacts and I would appreciate it if you could get back to me at your earliest
convenience with candidate summaries of anyone whom you might think
suitable. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.
●● Thanking you in advance.
●● Kind regards,
b Go through the pattern with the class. Ask students to suggest more phrases for
each column, either from the email or from students’ own ideas.
Suggested answers
a proven track record of delivering results.
qualifications from a professional body.
with
a background in marketing.
the energy and drive to lead our company in new markets.
c Students work in small groups to make phrases. If they struggle to come up with
five phrases, encourage them to think of at least three. Afterwards, elicit the best
phrases from the class.
Suggested answers
with experience of working in an international restaurant
with the ability to lead a team of kitchen staff
with extensive knowledge of designing exclusive menus
with skills in creating original recipes
with experience of preparing meals for VIP and celebrity clientele
Extension activity
Students write an email to a headhunting agency, either for the master chef
job or for the job they wrote about in Exercise 5.
7 a Divide the class into groups of three and assign each student in each group a
letter (i.e. Student A, Student B and Student C) so they know which candidate to
look at on pages 87–89. Point out that they will need to analyse their candidates
carefully, using the criteria in Exercise 4a and the four questions in Exercise 7a.
Allow around four minutes for students to analyse their candidates. If you don’t
have a multiple of three students, you will need to have one or two pairs, where
both Students A and B look at Student C’s candidate after they have analysed
their own.
Suggested answers
Candidate A
1 MBA, over 10 years in telecoms sector (phone networks), project
management, leadership, fluent English
2 New product development, negotiation, PR, creativity/imagination, fluent
Russian, marketing qualification
3 Possibly
4 Yes
Candidate B
1 Over 16 years in telecoms sector, project management, new product
development, leadership, fluent Russian
2 MBA, negotiation, PR, creativity/imagination, fluent English,
marketing qualification
3 No, unlikely
4 A lot of telecoms but mostly in research roles
Candidate C
1 MBA, project management, leadership, new product development, experience
in telecoms sector, fluent English, fluent Russian
2 How many years’ experience in telecoms? negotiation, PR, creativity/
imagination, marketing qualification
3 Possibly
4 Probably – limited telecoms but good commercial background
Note
●● A shift leader is a team leader for a particular shift (e.g. the night shift).
●● The major player in a market is the market leader and the company which has
the majority of business.
b Students work in their groups of three to present their candidate’s strengths

and weaknesses and then discuss in their groups which candidates to select for
interview (if any).
Extension activity
Ask students to read all three candidate profiles to find useful collocations
with the verbs take and gain. You can help students by giving the following
examples from Candidate A:
gain an MBA = verb + article + noun
take a job = verb + article + noun
Suggested answers
gain a position (Candidate A)
gain the confidence of others (Candidate A)
gain experience (Candidate B)
gain market share (Candidate C)
take responsibility for sth (Candidate A)
take a (similar) position (Candidate C)
take on a (significant) challenge (Candidate C)
Conducting interviews
Ask the class about any experiences they may have had of job interviews, either
as an interviewer or as an interviewee. Ask students to discuss what makes
interviews so stressful and, sometimes, even unpleasant.
If you have access to the Internet, you could search YouTube.com for ‘job
interview’ for videos such as this example from the US of an interview for a sales
position: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XibFbxbPfu4
Students could be asked to discuss different aspects of the video:

●● the number of interviewers
●● the interview room
●● the seating and lighting of the room (though students should note that some of this
may be artificial for the purposes of filming , e.g. the interviewer and interviewee
may be sat more closely together than they would normally)
●● the manner of the interviewer (casual or serious, relaxed or intimidating, etc.)
8 a Students discuss the methods in small groups. Try to find at least one advantage
and disadvantage for each method. After a few minutes, open up the discussion
to include the whole class.
Suggested answers
Advantages:
A Saves time – a number of people can observe candidate simultaneously.
B Each manager can form an independent opinion.
C The person who will work closest to the employee makes the decision.
D Can ensure professional interview.
E Provides a balance of functional and corporate needs.
Disadvantages:
A Can be intimidating and impersonal.
B Tiring for candidate; may lead to mixed impressions from interviewers.
C Risk of interviewer making a personal and subjective decision based on
personality (therefore may ignore objective business needs or labour law
issues such as equality and diversity).
D The manager may be unhappy with the decision.
E Candidate is outnumbered two to one (may be intimidating).
Extension activity
When you go through the answers to Exercise 8a, write the answers onto the
board in the form of a table. Make sure you include the following answers as
well as students’ own ideas.
For each advantage, discuss why it is important. For each disadvantage,
discuss why it could be problematic.
You could then develop the discussion by focusing on the types of jobs which
are most likely to be filled using each approach.
Advantages Disadvantages
A Panel interview Saves time – a number Can be intimidating
of people can observe and impersonal
candidate simultaneously
B S
equential Each manager can form Tiring – may lead to
interviews with a an independent opinion mixed impressions
number of managers
C Interview just with The person who will work Risk of biased or
direct manager closest to the employee unqualified opinion
makes the decision
D Interview just with Can ensure professional May lead to
HR representative interview appointment which the
manager is unhappy
with
E Interview with Provides a balance of Candidate is
manager and HR functional and corporate outnumbered two to
representative needs one
Suggested answers
Advantages:
A Recruitment can be a very costly process, not just in terms of practical costs
(hotel bills, transport for candidates travelling long distances) but also in the
time that managers have to spend on it, which they cannot spend on other
matters. A panel interview can therefore save company time.
B This avoids the problem of groupthink, where a group of people reach a
decision that perhaps none of them would have reached if they had been
working alone.
C The rapport between the employee and his/her manager can be crucial. The
manager also possesses deeper technical knowledge than someone from
outside the department.
D A professional interview is important for a number of reasons, including the
fact that even unsuccessful candidates have to be managed well. A trained
HR professional can deliver this kind of professionalism in the interview. An
unsuccessful candidate who gets the impression that the organisation is
unprofessional could be a potential customer, or could apply later for a more
suitable job. S/he could also influence other potential customers or employees
(e.g. through social networking). A successful candidate may decide not to
accept a job offer from an organisation s/he perceives as unprofessional.
E The department manager may focus on the short-term task of finding the
right person for this particular post. The HR manager also needs to focus on
the longer-term suitability of the candidate (e.g. for a management position
in a few years) and the ‘bigger picture’ e.g. how unsuccessful candidates are
managed.
Disadvantages
A This can add to the stress of the interview, which may not be the best way to
find out what s/he would be like in the job.
B In addition to the increased stress, this may make candidates (successful and
unsuccessful) feel more negative about the organisation.
C This may be illegal or unethical (e.g. if the manager is prejudiced against
a particular social group) and often means that the best candidate is not
selected and that the chosen candidate may not be suitable.
D It is vital that the employee and his/her manager can work together well.
E Same as point B above.
Types of jobs each method is most suitable for:
A senior appointment where board members interview
B in a multi-site operation where liaison with a number of managers is
important – e.g. car sales dealership, logistics, retail
C manual or technical work, construction
D not often used, although possible for internships and newly graduated people
who will work in a number of departments initially
E preferred option in most cases
Note
functional needs refer to the needs of the job (or function), while corporate needs
refer to the wider needs of the company as a whole.
b Students discuss the types of interview in pairs, including any experience they
have of the two types. After a few minutes, open up the discussion to include the
class.
Suggested answers
1 Stress interview: to test someone’s reaction to stress if managing stressful
situations is an important aspect of the job.
Mechanical interview: to remove any possibility of bias or prejudice.
2 Stress interview: may create an unrealistic situation, gives candidate a
negative impression of the organisation.
Mechanical interview: little additional information gained by interviewing, no
chance to explore potentially useful subject areas.
9 a Students work alone to match the questions with their functions. When you check
the answers with the class, discuss the advantages and disadvantages of asking
these particular questions in an interview.
Answers
2 a 3 f 4 d 5 e 6 b
b Do this quickly with the class. Then ask students to suggest more examples of
each type of question.
Answers
1 d 2 c 3 b 4 f 5 a 6 e
c Discuss the question with the class.
Suggested answers
Hypothetical: unclear assumptions, better to ask for specific examples.
Leading: no information gathered by prompting a specific response.
Multiple: question may be confusing, unclear and only partially answered.
(Closed and alternative questions can be useful to clarify and confirm.)
Extension activity
Find a bank of interview questions (e.g. http://www.collegegrad.com/jobsearch/
Mastering-the-Interview/Fifty-Standard-Interview-Questions/).
Ask students to work in small groups to think of a specific job that they might
recruit for. Alternatively, they could choose the Project Manager position for
Moscotel. Then ask them to look at the list of interview questions and decide
which questions would be most suitable in an interview for the particular job
they have chosen. They could also adapt some of the less suitable questions
to make them more suitable.
10 a Go through the statements with the class. Then play Audio 3.4 for students to
complete the task. They compare their answers in pairs, including any other
information they remember from the conversation, and then feed back to the
class.
3.4 pages 96–97
Answers
1 F – She does not want to ‘go through the résumé step by step’.
2 T
3 F – Dmitri says hypothetical questions are problematic.
4 T
5 T
Note
●● résumé tends to be more common in American English and curriculum vitae
(CV) in British English. Internationally, either word is common.
●● A pitch is a (short) sales presentation, whether planned or spontaneous. In a job
interview, candidates are selling themselves, so their answers may be described
as pitches.
●● An operator in this context simply refers to a person and the way they operate
(= function, work).
b Ask students to match the questions and factors in pairs and then listen again to
Audio 3.4 to check their answers.
3.4 pages 96–97
Answers
1 d 2 a 3 b 4 c
11 a Before listening, ask students to ask and answer the five questions briefly in
pairs. Note that they will have a chance to role play a full interview using these
questions in Exercise 12, so the main aim of this activity is to prepare students
for the listening task. Afterwards, discuss with the class what would be a good
answer to each question and what the interviewers should be listening for.
Ask students to make notes in their notebooks. Then play Audio 3.5 for students
to take notes on Raúl.
3.5 page 97
Answers
1 Wants to work for progressive, expanding company.
2 Strong desire and winning mentality.
3 By being a positive role model and making commitment and success a way
of life.
4 30-minute team meeting.
5 Go to internal meetings.
b Students listen to Audio 3.6 and take notes on Ritva.

3.6 page 97
Answers
1 Fantastic opportunity matched to personal skills.
2 Product launch process skills.
3 Clear communication and goal setting, and stressing the importance of the
team.
4 Check for problems with night shift team leader.
5 Focused work; briefing with PA and deputy; breakfast meeting with clients.
Note
A prospect is someone who has been identified as a potential customer.
c Students work in pairs or small groups to discuss their notes and to compare
the two candidates. You could play both Audio 3.4 and 3.5 again for them to
check their notes and refine their opinions. Afterwards, open up the discussion to
include the whole class.
Extension activity
Tell students they are going to focus on the grammar of questions. Elicit
different ways of forming questions in English. Then draw the following table
on the board:
Question Auxiliary Subject Main verb rest of
word verb question
Ask students to suggest two different kinds of question that might be heard
in an interview (e.g. Have you applied for this position before? or How long did
you work at Google for?). Complete the first two rows of the table with the
suggested questions.
Then ask students to look at Audioscripts 3.5 and 3.6 (on Student’s Book
page 97) and to underline all the questions asked by Dmitri and Kate in the
interviews. Ask students to identify any questions in the interviews which can
be used to complete the table above. Warn them that some questions may
not fit neatly into the table. Ask them to discuss how these exceptions are
different from the grammar of ‘normal’ questions.
Questions from the interviews include:

●● Have you had a chance to look around?
●● Ms Palmer and I would like to … discuss how you could contribute to
Moscotel’s success.
●● I’d like to start by asking you, ‘What attracts you to Moscotel?’
●● … what I’d really like to know is how you think your skills can add value to
Moscotel.
●● … maybe you can tell me how you actually go about motivating your team
so that they share your enthusiasm.
●● … but on a more operational level, how do you spend your time? Take me
through a typical day.
●● And in the afternoon?
●● … what prompted you to apply for this position?
●● Can you expand on how your skills can add value to this job?
●● And how about the role of your team in a new product launch?
●● How do you go about motivating and managing your team?
●● Can you tell me, on a regular, day-to-day basis, how you spend your time?
Suggested answers
●● Two of the questions from the interview, however, are subject questions,
where the question is about the subject. The word order is the same as for
statements:
What attracts you to Moscotel? (Compare: The money [subject] attracts me to
Moscotel.)
What prompted you to apply for this position? (Compare: The advert [subject]
prompted me to apply …)
●● Five of the questions are indirect questions, where the question is embedded
in a larger statement or question. Again, the word order is the same as for
statements.
I would like to discuss [how you could contribute to Moscotel’s success].
(Compare: How could you …?)
What I’d really like to know is [how you think your skills can add value to
Moscotel]. (Compare: How do you think …?)
Maybe you can tell me [how you actually go about motivating your team …]
(Compare: How do you actually go about …?)
Can you expand on [how your skills can add value to this job]? (Compare: How
can your skills …?)
Can you tell me, on a regular, day-to-day basis, [how you spend your time]?
(Compare: How do you spend …?)
●● Finally, there are two question fragments with no verb.
And in the afternoon?
And how about the role of your team in a new product launch?
Additional activity Unit 3: Indirect questions

If students need more help with indirect questions, you can use the Additional
d Students work alone to complete the matching exercise and then feed back to the
class.
Answers
2 a 3 c 4 b 5 d 6 e
Extension activity
Ask students to suggest some more phrases for each function.
Suggested answers
a OK, so now we’d like to ask you some questions about yourself.
b Right, thank you. Can we turn, now, to the question of …?
c And how long does that normally take?
d I’m glad to hear it. / Hmm, that sounds very impressive.
e What exactly does that involve? / Go on.
f Did you have any problems finding our office? / How was your journey?
e Students work alone to complete the questions.
Answers
1 how many; the level of
2 how; measured
3 an example of how; demonstrated
f Students work in pairs to write follow-up questions and then share their ideas
with the class.
Suggested answers
1 What did the training involve?
2 How do you demonstrate your approachability?
3 Specifically, which activities were you responsible for?
Extension activity
Students test each other in pairs by making one of the ‘A’ statements from
Exercise 11e and 11f to elicit a suitable follow-up question from their partner,
who has his/her book closed. They then swap roles.
12 Go through the instructions with the class. Allow around five minutes for each
interview and then tell students to swap roles. Point out that the focus in the
role plays is on the interviewer’s skills at managing an interview rather than
the interviewee’s skills at answering questions, so the interviewee could be
deliberately rather difficult/evasive in their answers. Afterwards, discuss the
interviewer’s techniques with the class, together with any comments on how
useful the five questions are for the interviewer and how difficult they are for the
candidate.
Choosing the right candidate

Elicit what students know/think about graphology. If you have access to the
Internet in the classroom, you could show the follwoing clip to generate some
discussion on the arguments for and against graphology in recruitment: http://
www.youtube.com/watch?v=KGFFq9CsaXM.
Finally, discuss with the class whether they agree with what the video is saying
and what the dangers of using graphology for recruitment might be.
Suggested answers
Possible dangers include: the technique may lead to bad recruitment decisions;
it is unfair on candidates; candidates may refuse to take the tests or may feel
hostile towards an organisation which forces them to participate in graphology
tests.
13 a Students work alone to complete the matching exercise. Afterwards, discuss with
the class exactly what each method involves.
Answers
2 e 3 a 4 c
5 f 6 b
b Students discuss the questions in groups. After a few minutes, open up the
Suggested answers
1 By providing additional information that may be impossible or difficult to get
or assess in interview.
2 Depending on the job, all could be useful except graphology. Although it has
some supporters, it is not accepted by the British Psychological Society.
c Students read the profile summaries to answer the questions. When they have
discussed their answers in pairs, go through them with the class, focusing on
which words or phrases led students to the correct answers.
Answers
1 Raúl 3 Raúl
2 Ritva 4 Ritva
Note
●● performance anxiety is nervousness caused by self-consciousness in an
important situation that has a negative effect on performance in that situation.
●● If someone has high social needs, being involved with and working with others
is important to them.
●● If someone is consultative, they share ideas and involve others in decision
making.
●● soft selling involves selling in a way which is indirect and gentle, and works on
gaining trust rather than strongly promoting product benefits.
d Students work alone to make collocations and then check their answers in the
text.
Answers
2 c 3 g 4 f 5 j 6 i 7 h 8 d 9 e 10 a
Extension activity
Students work in pairs to make similar sentences to the ones in Exercise 13c
which apply to them. Allow them to change the sentences slightly (e.g. I have
a natural disposition towards high anxiety and I often experience performance
anxiety.) They could do this first with their books open and then with books
closed, to see how much they can remember about the phrasing.
14 a Students play the roles of Kate, Dmitri and their colleagues at Moscotel. Allow
plenty of time for the discussions, but make sure they reach a decision before
b Students listen to answer the question. Discuss the answer with the class.
3.7 pages 97–98
Answer
Ritva
c Students discuss the answers in pairs and then listen again to Audio 3.7 to check
their answers. Finally, discuss the answers with the class. You could also highlight
the words from the Note on page 43 by pausing the recording to discuss what
the speakers mean by each phrase.
3.7 pages 97–98
Answers
1 He would take too long to become fully operational.
2 She would settle in very quickly.

Person specification
A person specification is a document that describes the characteristics required of the
ideal candidate. Typically, this includes experience, education and qualifications, skills,
knowledge and personality characteristics. Elements of these are then defined as being
essential or desirable. It is often the case that none of the candidates possess all of the
features identified but may have a strong overall profile. The person specification is
therefore an important guide in screening applicants rationally and fairly, but needs to
be used with some judgement regarding the relative importance of desirable features.
Psychometric testing
The use of psychometric testing has increased dramatically over the past 20 years.
Not only is it used for recruitment purposes, but also to inform decisions regarding
placing and developing existing employees. Historically, tests were based on intellect
and focused on verbal, numerical and mechanical reasoning. Latterly, there has been
much more interest in personality and identifying character traits. These are often
placed on a bi-polar scale of opposites e.g. introversion and extraversion. This is one
of the factors within the widely used 16PF which is the basis of many ‘own brand’
psychometric tests. Another popular model is the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator®
(MBTI®).
Whist some people may attempt to give what they believe to be desired survey
responses, these are usually picked up through ‘control questions’ which seek to
identify cheating and inconsistency. There are, in fact, no correct model answers and
it is in the interest of the candidate to give an honest account. Usually, testers are
trained and licensed not only to administer tests but to give detailed, informative and
constructive feedback.
Useful links
Myers-Briggs: http://www.myersbriggs.org/my-mbti-personality-type/
Psychometric testing: http://www.psychometric-success.com/
The 16PF
The 16PF (Personality Factors) test was created in the 1940s by Paul Cattell. After
analysing hundreds of traits, these were reduced into sixteen fundamental traits of
personality. These are presented on a bi-polar scale where pairs of opposite features are
assessed. By completing a questionnaire, respondents acquire a profile mapped onto a
grid. Although the test is now quite old, it has a high level of credibility and is still used in
its original form as well as in many variations created by psychological testing companies.
Useful links
Information about the 16PF: http://www.discoveryourpersonality.com/16pf.html
Conducting interviews and choosing the right candidate

Over the years, the process of candidate selection has become more scientific,
structured and sophisticated, with the aim of removing subjectivity and interviewer
bias. Selectors are led towards a choice firstly by detailing the requirements of the job
and ideal candidate and matching applications against these criteria. The shortlisted
candidates for many jobs now undergo psychometric testing, task completion,
observation and presentations to provide the company with a broad and deep
understanding of the candidates’ strengths and weaknesses. However, interviewing
remains the most important selection method. Approaches to interviews vary between
organisations with some favouring very rigid and unvarying questions, whilst others
favour a more spontaneous approach. The majority will have a set of questions with
some kind of rating or scoring mechanism, but also with some flexibility in questioning
– for example, asking different supplementary questions depending on the initial
response. The purpose of questioning is not to ‘catch out’ the candidate but to truly
identify the person who will fit best into the organisation and meet the requirements
of the job. However well prepared and organised an interview, there is always the
possibility that someone who interviews very well does not perform so well in the job;
but by adopting a professional approach, this possibility can be kept to a minimum.
Human Resources
TEACHER’S NOTES
Unit 4
l
Training and
development strategy
Writing a training and development strategy
l Designing learning interventions
l Producing a development programme
l Evaluating training and development

web links.
Writing a training and development strategy

Discuss these questions with the class:
●● Why do companies invest in training?
●● What might happen if they didn’t?
●● What are the dangers of cutting all training during times of economic difficulty?
1 a Ask students to close their books and to suggest why organisations need a
training and development strategy. Then ask them to read the introduction on
Student’s Book page 30 to compare it with their own ideas. Students feed back
to the class.
Suggested answers
The document is written for the management board (to show how the HR
strategy meets the corporate strategy), for the HR Department (for preparing
the implementation plan), and also for all employees (where they can find an
explanation of HR strategy).
b Students discuss the best order in pairs and then feed back to the class. Discuss
what each section might include.
Suggested answers
2 Context and issues
3 Assumptions
4 Approach to training and development
5 Learning intervention methodology
6 Development plan
7 Evaluation
c Make sure students understand that the terms internal and external refer to
factors within the organisation and factors from the outside world. You could
explain the difference through changes in legislation (external) and company
culture (internal). Students then discuss the question in pairs and feed back to
the class.
UNIT 4 Training and development strategy
Answers
Internal: 2, 3, 4, 8, 9
External: 1, 5, 6, 7, 10
Extension activity
Ask students to work in pairs to discuss the following question: How might
each of these factors (in Exercise 1c) affect an organisation’s training
strategy? Ask them to support their answers with examples.
Suggested answers
1 changes in legislation: Employees may need to be trained in the new rules
(e.g. financial reporting). The legislation may determine what compulsory
training is given and how often (e.g. health and safety).
2 company culture: The management of the organisation could be very pro-
development. In an organisation where quality is seen as less important,
training may be needed to change that culture.
3 corporate objectives: The company may be planning to concentrate on new
foreign markets, in which case perhaps language training is needed. The
company may become more focused on environmental or ethical issues, in
which case training for all employees is needed.
4 management development needs: One senior manager is about to retire,
and his/her internal replacement needs to be trained up. All managers need
regular training in company policies (e.g. discipline and grievance procedures).
5 market competition: Strong competition has forced the company to halve
its training budget to save costs. A competitor is much better in a particular
marketing activity (e.g. trade fairs) and the company needs to raise the skill
level of its employees to keep up with the competitors in this area of the
business.
6 the economy and political stability: There are concerns that political or
economic instability could force the company to withdraw from some markets,
which means staff no longer need training for those markets. A period of
financial stability allows a company to increase its long-term investment in
staff development.
7 technological developments: Staff need to be trained in using the new
technology. The new technology means fewer employees are needed, so less
training.
8 training budget: The training budget could be cut, forcing many courses and
programmes to stop. The budgeting procedures could be changed, so that
departments are billed for training, rather than all costs being covered by the
company’s global training budget.
9 training facilities: A new computer suite could allow the company to use
more distance learning or blended learning. Some training rooms could be
converted into meeting rooms or offices.
10 unemployment: If unemployment is low, the company will have a smaller pool
of potential workers to choose from, meaning more training may be necessary
for specialised jobs. If unemployment is high, new employees who have been
unemployed for a long time may need re-training – for example, if technology
has moved on during their period of unemployment.
d Students discuss the questions in pairs and then feed back to the class.
Suggested answers
1 Internal – corporate objectives, as this should be the starting point for the
strategy, and budget, as this will affect what can be done, and how.
2 External – the economy and political stability are likely to have the biggest
influence, although technological developments could also have an impact.
2 a Go through the instructions with the class. Make sure they know to tick the
factors in Exercise 1c that are mentioned. After you have played Audio 4.1,
students discuss their answers in pairs, including what they remember about each
factor, and then feed back to the class.
4.1 page 98
Answers
the economy and political stability, changes in legislation, training budget, market
competition, management development needs
Note
A fast-track management programme is one which provides highly talented people
with the skills to advance quickly to more senior positions.
b Ask students to discuss the questions in pairs first to see if they can remember
the answers, and then to listen to Audio 4.1 again to check their answers,
including what Saeed said about each question. When they have checked in pairs,
go through the answers with the class.
4.1 page 98
Answers
1 Yes, he thinks it’s a good idea (I’m all for it).
2 Legislation (tax and financial regulations) is always changing and it can be
difficult to change company policy (it’s sometimes a struggle to keep up).
3 Investment in training has made the company market leader (well ahead of
our competition).
4 Yes, he does (I’m right behind training and I’ll back it up with money).
5 He would like to prepare them for more senior roles (very soon they will have
to take on more senior roles).
c Students work alone to complete the matching exercise and then feed back to the
class.
Answers
2 d 3 b 4 a 5 c
d Discuss the questions with the class. Ask students to point to examples of formal
or informal language for each question from Exercise 2c.
Answers
more informal: 2, 3
more formal: 1, 4, 5
3 Make sure students know what Logorhythm does. Discuss briefly these questions
with the class:
●● What type of employees might this company have?
●● What types of training might they need?
●● How might the business and culture of the company affect the style of training
required?
Students work alone to find and correct the inappropriate language and then
discuss their answers in pairs. Afterwards, go through the answers with the class.
Answers
gives us a few difficulties – causes some difficulties
are all pretty good – are stable/satisfactory
Michael and I guess that – it is believed/expected that
are gonna – will
cut back on – reduce/limit
Note
business volumes is another way of describing the total amount of sales.
Extension activity
Ask students to underline examples of formal language in the Logorhythm
document that they think they could use in their own writing. Then ask them
to compare their ideas and suggest how these phrases might be expressed in
a less formal or more conversational way. Give the following example to start
students off:
… to provide (to give) Logorhythm with a coordinated development strategy
(a really organised plan) which meets the needs of the business (does what
we need it to do) …
Ask students to feed back their ideas to the class. Then ask students to say
if they can recognise any patterns to help them recognise the difference
between more formal and more informal language (see Language note
below).
Suggested answers
The company’s location gives us … We find it difficult to attract managers
difficulties in attracting high quality who are good enough because of
managers … where we’re located.
Whilst the transportation, logistics and We’re happy with everything in
operational side of the business are all transport, logistics and operations, but
… good, the business has weaknesses we’re not so good at marketing, which
in marketing reflected by loss of is why we’ve lost market share.
market share.
The training and development Here are our suggestions:
department proposes that:
Plans to (cut back on) training We shouldn’t cut back on our spending
expenditure should be cancelled as a on training – if we did that, it could be
reduced investment in people could really bad for the company.
damage the business.
Greater emphasis should be placed We should focus more on things we can
on measurable outcomes to prove the measure, to show that the money we’re
value of development expenditure. spending isn’t being wasted.
Language note: Formal and informal English

●● There are many pairs of words with similar meanings, where one is formal and
the other is informal, e.g. provide and give.
●● Formal English tends to use more nouns (e.g. location, weaknesses,
expenditure) while informal English tends to use more verbs and adjectives
(e.g. where we’re located, we’re not so good, the money we’re spending).
●● Some linking words (e.g. conjunctions) are more formal than others, e.g. whilst
(similar usage to although, but), as (similar usage to because).
4 Make sure students have a specific organisation in mind before they begin. They
could either plan their writing in groups in class and write up their strategies
as homework, or they could do everything in groups, with one person acting as
secretary. Make sure they use formal language in their writing.
Designing learning interventions

Draw a circle in the middle of the board and write ‘learning methods’ in the
middle. Then nominate one student from the group to come to the front of the
class – ask this student to lead the class in a five-minute brainstorm on the topic
of learning methods, and to record the group’s answers on the board. (Different
approaches to learning can be found in Exercise 5a on Student’s Book page 32.)
Afterwards, ask students to discuss the difference between training and a

learning intervention. The difference is mainly one of attitude and perception.
Both terms can be used to describe any activity which gives an opportunity to
learn a new process, skill or system, but training focuses on what is taught, while
a learning intervention focuses on what is learned. Training also tends to apply to
only one approach, whereas a learning intervention can be used to describe any
activity where learning takes place.
5 a Ask students to work alone to complete the matching exercise. Then discuss
the answers with the class, including a discussion of exactly what each method
involves, using examples from students’ own experiences.
Answers
2 g 3 f 4 h 5 e 6 b 7 c 8 a
b Students discuss the question in pairs and then feed back to the class.
Suggested answers
1 on-the-job training – Advantages: offers immediate workplace guidance.
Disadvantages: colleagues may not be effective as trainers.
2 self-directed study – Advantages: enables people to organise their own
learning. Disadvantages: requires a lot of self-discipline.
3 e-learning – Advantages: ideal for people who prefer technology.
Disadvantages: less suitable for people who don’t like technology.
4 blended learning – Advantages: offers the best of face-to-face and technology-
based learning. Disadvantages: might be difficult to coordinate interpersonal
and technological aspects.
5 coaching – Advantages: offers a support process for self-discovery.
Disadvantages: may not be directive enough for some people.
6 mentoring – Advantages: provides an opportunity to gain wisdom from an
experienced colleague. Disadvantages: might make less experienced people
feel nervous.
7 training course – Advantages: very cost-effective at meeting the training
needs of a number of people at the same time. Disadvantages: may be a
compromise of different people’s needs and not fully meet any.
8 didactic teaching – Advantages: effective for giving specific information.
Disadvantages: not interactive, may be boring.
c Students discuss the four situations in pairs and then share their ideas with the
class.
Suggested answers
a didactic, as it is one-way information giving
b on-the-job training, as an experienced colleague can provide immediate
assistance
c mentoring, as a senior manager will be able to provide the right level of
knowledge and guidance
d on-the-job training, coaching or training course – all could produce
improvements
Extension activity
Divide the class into four groups and assign one of the four situations from
Exercise 5c to each group. Ask students to work together and discuss what
learning interventions could be used in each case (e.g. Should the training
be conducted by an internal trainer or an external consultant? How many
sessions would be needed? Where should the training take place? What
might it concentrate on? How will success be measured? etc.). Go round the
class, monitoring and helping students with any language they need.
Then ask each group to summarise their discussion for the others.
Students who are not presenting should be asked to take notes during the
presentations and be prepared to ask the presenters questions.
During the presentations, you could take notes on the language used by the
students. Rather than feed back immediately, check the notes you made and
find suitable exercises (on grammar, vocabulary or pronunciation as relevant)
for students to work on at the beginning of the next class.
6 a Go through the task with the class to make sure they know what to do. Then play
Audio 4.2 for students to answer the questions. They discuss their answers in
pairs before feeding back to the class.
You may want to ask students if they understood Greg’s joke near the beginning
of the session. The joke relies on the two meanings of the word concrete. The
trainer intends it as an adjective, to mean ‘specific, based on facts’, while Greg
jokes that it refers to the building material.
4.2 page 98
Answers
1 Training course
Suggested answers
2 uninterested, impolite/rude, unhelpful
3 interested, serious, thoughtful
Note
●● An Account Manager is commonly found in sales of financial services and has a
portfolio of clients that s/he manages.
●● For information on Kolb’s Learning Cycle, see Exercise 6c and the Note on
page 52.
b Discuss the questions with the whole class. Get students to give you examples.
c Discuss the theory and the diagram with the class.
Note
The Kolb's Learning Cycle diagram (on Student’s Book page 33) shows a four-
stage cycle starting at the top. The boxes represent the four stages – concrete
experience, reflective observation, abstract conceptualisation and active
experimentation. In simple terms, this equates to having an experience, thinking
about it, forming a conclusion or theory and then testing that theory by planning a
new action. The two continua represent internal and external processing.
d Tell students to try to complete the diagram first and then to listen to Audio 4.2
again to check. Encourage students to remember as much as they can about each
stage in the cycle. Afterwards, discuss the answers with the class.
4.2 page 98
Answers
1 Concrete experience
2 Reflective observation
3 Abstract conceptualisation
4 Active experimentation
Answers
By giving a practical example from personal experience.
Extension activity
The language used by the trainer, John, can be exploited further. Ask
students to turn to Audioscript 4.2 on Student’s Book page 98 and to
underline any phrase that John uses which they think they could adapt for
their own training in English. Then ask students to work in pairs to compare
their notes and suggest a function for each one. Go through the answers with
the whole class.
Answers
Suggested functions in brackets (note that this is an expanded list of the phrases
found in the Useful language box on Student’s Book page 86):
●● Now at this stage, I’d just like to explain … (introducing the topic)
●● I don’t want to get too technical …, but … (explaining how the training will
work)
●● Of course, feel free to ask questions as we go along. (explaining how the
training will work)
●● Right, so … (signalling the beginning of the main part)
●● … and here you can see (the complete model). (referring to a visual)
●● I just want to start off with … (structuring)
●● Each of these represents … (structuring)
●● The first of these … refers to … (structuring)
●● What do you think that might involve? (involving the audience)
●● That’s true. (encouraging participation)
●● Let me give you a simple example: some time ago, I was … (introducing an
example)
●● Exactly, and that’s where (the next stage) comes in, which is … (relating a
comment to the theory)
●● Yes. And that point takes us to (the third stage), which is … (structuring)
●● But to continue with this example, … (signalling a return to the example)
●● This is called … (explaining)
●● Here, you’ve … . You then … (explaining)
●● That’s an important point. (emphasising)
Language note
John uses I mainly for his specific example, with verbs in the past tense.
He uses we to make general abstract points about the theory, i.e. that they
apply to everybody (e.g. … if we just had experiences, we might repeat the same
mistakes). He also uses you to make general points about the theory, but these
feel more concrete and personal than his statements with we (e.g. If you’re sitting
in a car … ; You’ve had an experience …)
Additional activity Unit 4: Exploring the learning cycle

If students are interested in exploring the learning cycle further, you can use
the Additional activity worksheet for Unit 4 in the Resources section of the
course website.
7 Students could prepare their presentations either in groups or as a homework

task. When the presentations are ready, students take turns to deliver their
presentation, using the language from this unit. Afterwards, give and elicit
feedback on the quality of the presentations as well as the language used.
Extension activity
You could also ask students to research and prepare a presentation on other
learning theories. After students have given their presentations, open up a
class discussion on each topic.
Examples of topics to research and present:
●● Howard Gardner’s Multiple intelligences. See information under the search
word Intelligence here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multiple_intelligences
●● NLP (Neuro-linguistic programming), Bandler and Grinder. See http://
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neuro-linguistic_programming
●● Accelerated language learning, Colin Rose and Tony Buzan / Lozanov’s
suggestopedia. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Accelerated_language_
learning
●● Honey and Mumford Learning Styles. See information under Learning
styles here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Learning_styles#Honey_and_
Mumford.E2.80.99s_model
●● Fleming’s VAK (Visual, auditory, kinaesthetic) learning theory. See
information under Learning styles here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
Learning_styles#Fleming.27s_VAK.2FVARK_model
Producing a development programme

Write the following on the board:
ad hoc training
planned training programme
Then ask students to discuss what the difference is between the two (ad hoc is
defined under the entry ad hoc request in the Glossary in the Student’s Book)
and to say what the advantages and disadvantages are for each one, giving
examples if they can.
Suggested answers
Ad hoc training deals with training needs as they arise. The advantage of ad hoc
training is that it is quick and solves an immediate need. Disadvantages include
the problem that it may be an inefficient way of delivering training and may not
be as effective as planned training.
Examples could include training in specific skills (presentations, computer
systems), where there is an urgent need for training.
Planned training programmes have many advantages, most obviously that they
allow plenty of preparation time for the trainer; they allow the right people to
plan attendance; and they enable HR to manage the time and money costs of
training effectively. A disadvantage is that they can be inflexible and do not
respond to urgent needs.
Examples include almost all types of training.
8 a Students work alone to complete the matching task. They compare their answers
in pairs and then feed back to the class.
Answers
1 Introduction
2 Compulsory training
3 Technical and academic development
4 Soft skills training
5 Excellent manager programme
6 Ad hoc requests
7 To find out more
8 Enrolment
Note
●● A needs analysis in a workplace context is an individual or company-wide
assessment of training and development needs.
●● A development review is usually an annual meeting between a manager and
employee to discuss key job issues, performance and development needs.
●● due diligence is a procedure carried out by lawyers and sometimes financial
experts before signing an important contract, typically before an acquisition
of another company. It involves checking many documents carefully in order to
identify potential problems.
●● A team-building weekend is usually held away from work at a hotel or in a
country area where there will be a mixture of team-building exercises and social
activities to encourage team morale and greater cooperation.
●● assertiveness training is training aimed at developing confidence and people’s
ability to act firmly but politely in difficult situations.
●● A modular course is one which is delivered in a number of units over a period of
time.
b Discuss the question with the whole class.
Suggested answers
The language is mostly formal because this is an official company document and
includes instructions which employees must follow. However, it includes some
informal language to sound more encouraging and friendly (Thanks for helping
us … / John Peters is our … / Just because something is not … / look out for our
email …).
c Students work alone to complete the extracts and then check their answers in
Answers
1 assistance is available 5 be advised
2 in-house 6 will be required to attend
3 development reviews 7 further details
4 explore the options 8 modular course
9 a Ask students what they think the Excellent Manager Programme at BPF might
include. Then ask them to read the programme summary quickly to answer the
questions. They discuss their answers in pairs before feeding back to the class.
Note
Modular courses may be attractive to an organisation because it is possible for
an employee to only complete the modules most relevant to the business need
(and thus save money). It is also believed that because each session of a training
module is shorter than a long course, learning retention and learning transfer
(where new skills are more quickly applied to the workplace) is likely to improve.
Modular courses are therefore thought to provide a more integrated approach
than a single block of study and an opportunity to explore current work issues.
The potential problems with this approach are that it can be difficult to retain
focus and motivation over a long period and people are more easily distracted by
work than on a fixed block of training away from the office. A week-long course or
weekend residential course is more compact and may encourage concentration,
particularly if delivered away from the workplace. On the other hand, people
may tire towards the end of the course and learning decay (the forgetting of new
information) can be more rapid. Furthermore, residential courses may be less
attractive or more difficult for employees with families.
b Ask students to work alone to complete the objectives. Afterwards, check the
Answers
1 corporate 5 understanding 9 decisions
2 team 6 coordinate 10 win-win
3 interpret 7 experience 11 write
4 delegate 8 errors 12 transition
Extension activity
Write the following verbs onto the board:
provide manage maintain make

interpret coordinate reduce reach
Students work in pairs to find useful collocations with each verb in the
programme summary. Collect students’ suggestions onto the board in two
columns (verbs on the left, collocates on the right), but with the words in the
second column in mixed-up order. Students then work in pairs again to try to
match the two halves of the collocations from the board.
Suggested answers
to provide (inspirational) leadership / support / a (high quality) experience
to interpret financial data
to manage time / change
to coordinate (complex) projects
to maintain (high) standards
to reduce errors
to make (informed) decisions
to reach (win-win) solutions
10 a Students plan their documents in small groups. They can then either write up
their documents for homework or in their groups, with one person acting as
secretary.
b Students plan and write a summary of a modular course. When all the documents
are ready, ask students to present their summaries to the class.
Evaluating training and development

Ask students to work in small groups and discuss the following questions:
1 Why it is important to evaluate learning interventions?
2 In the organisation, who might find such evaluations useful? Why?
Suggested answers
1 Evaluation of all learning interventions is useful because it provides important
feedback on the effectiveness and the value of development activities.
2 Evaluation is useful to:
●● The trainee, because it helps them to reflect on what they have learnt and
gives them an opportunity to express their opinion on the effectiveness of the
training.
●● The trainer, because it provides useful feedback on what worked well and
suggestions for improvement which could be designed into future courses.
●● The trainee’s manager, because s/he can discuss with the trainee the
effectiveness of the training and explore how the learning could be applied in
the workplace.
●● HR, because they need to measure training effectiveness, assess how well
the training budget is being spent and to use this data when making future
training plans and appointing external training providers.
●● The organisation’s senior management, because they need information which
demonstrates that training is helping to support organisational development.
●● External training providers because they need performance feedback on their
own trainers to continually improve the quality of training, to keep and gain
customers.
11 a Students discuss the questions in pairs. After a few minutes, open up the
discussion to include the whole class. Try to bring in students’ own experiences of
giving, collecting or receiving feedback and evaluation after training. You could
offer your own experiences as a teacher.
Suggested answers
1
a Numerical data is easy to analyse but may not give sufficient detail.
b Narrative data gives a lot of detail but takes more time and is harder to
analyse.
c It guarantees that they will be completed, but participants may give less
considered answers if they are in a hurry to leave.
d Participants have more time to think carefully about the value of the course,
but they may not remember well, or may fail to complete the evaluation.
Note
Numerical evaluations ask evaluators to give a number value to a question.
Numbers can be popular with respondents as they are quick and easy to complete.
On the other hand, this could lead to people filling in forms quickly and without
much consideration. The most common number scale is 1–10. Number systems
may seem objective but can still be influenced by attitudes to questionnaires. For
example, some people, as a matter of principle, may not believe in scoring 10 for
anything. Very often evaluations can have a lot of 7 and 8 responses which people
may interpret as halfway between 5 and 10 and therefore only 50% effective. A
scale of 1–6 is sometimes used as this does not permit a middle, non-committal
score; however, with fewer numbers, the increments are larger and people may find
it harder to make a choice.
Narrative evaluations require people to give written answers. These provide
qualitative data. These take more time to complete and not everybody may
feel they have the skills, time or patience to express their views accurately.
Furthermore, they are more complicated to analyse and may be open to individual
interpretation. The choice of questions can be very important as this can influence
which aspects of the course are highlighted. For example, Which aspect of the
course did you find most useful? focuses on positives so may need to be balanced
with What did you find least useful?. However, some may feel that this question
pushes people into a negative frame of mind.
A third type of evaluation not discussed in Exercise 11a is a narrative multiple-
choice survey. This provides a compromise between the narrative and numerical
evaluations by giving the respondent a set of statements to choose from, ranging
from most negative to most positive.
b Students read the numerical evaluation form to answer the questions. They
discuss the questions in pairs before sharing their ideas with the class.
Suggested answers
1 Well – trainer interaction, course objectives, audio-visual aids, handouts and
materials, overall rating of trainer.
Not so well – lunch and refreshments, joining instructions, training facilities.
2 See Exercise 11c.
c Students read the narrative evaluation form to answer the questions. They
discuss the questions in pairs before sharing their ideas with the class.
Note
A breakout area is a space or room, often with informal seating, where people can
work in small groups.
Extension activity
You could ask students to complete an evaluation of the English course
for Human Resources they are currently studying (if you are feeling brave
enough!). Divide the class into at least two groups and tell students that
they are going to design an evaluation form which the other group is going to
complete. Ask each group to nominate a secretary. Groups discuss the design
of the form in class, then the secretary types up the form into a document
which they email to you before the next session. At the beginning of the next
session, give the groups a copy of each other’s evaluation form to complete.
Ask students to return the completed forms to the group who designed them.
Students then analyse and discuss the results.
At the end of this class, collect in all the completed evaluation forms. At
the beginning of the next class, you could discuss with students how you
feel about receiving feedback (i.e. for most teachers, this is one of the most
dreaded parts of the job, although the same teachers will acknowledge that
it can be invaluable) and ask your students how they felt about assessing you
(i.e. they may also have found it rather unpleasant, especially if they have
spent some time getting to know you – they may be unwilling to hurt your
feelings). This topic should generate some very interesting discussion about
how to manage the evaluation process sensitively, and it could also provide
you with some useful advice on how to improve your course!
12 a Go through the introduction and the questions with the class to make sure
everyone understands what they have to do. Then play Audio 4.3 for students to
answer the questions. They discuss their answers in pairs before going through
them with the class. Discuss students’ reactions to Bianca’s ideas.
4.3 pages 98–99
Answers
1 To get information about evaluation (for the development strategy document).
2 A numerical form which includes a box for comments.
3 At the end of the course (not after).
4 The company changes the training provider.
5 It focuses on people’s perceptions (and is therefore not useful for measuring
the impact of training on the business).
6 Track evaluation (to see how training affects sales, productivity and customer
feedback).
b Students work in pairs to try to complete the sentences and then listen to Audio
4.4 to check and complete the remaining spaces. When you go through the
answers with the class, discuss the meaning of the gapped phrases.
4.4 page 99
Answers
1 standard evaluation form
2 number rating scheme; comments
3 training providers
4 course effectiveness
5 perceptions
6 course objectives
7 return on investment
13 Make sure students have a specific organisation in mind before they begin.
Remind them to think about the issues raised by Bianca and John in Audioscript
4.3 (Exercise 12a). They then work in pairs or small groups to design their
evaluation forms.

Kolb’s Learning Cycle
Kolb’s Learning Cycle is a well-established model for explaining learning. It is an
experiential model which requires having experiences and processing them. It is
possible that this can happen at a subconscious level but many trainers seek to bring
this into the consciousness by encouraging structured reflection. Through the process
of experimenting and subsequently modifying behaviour, it is possible to repeat the
cycle and achieve what is called double loop learning.
Kolb’s model was developed and adapted (also referring to work by Kurt Lewin) by
Honey and Mumford’s Learning Styles. This identifies learning preferences which
correspond to each of the stages of the learning cycle: activist, reflector, theorist and
pragmatist. They developed a questionnaire to identify learning styles which is often
used in a development context.
Useful links
The experiential learning cycle: http://www.learningandteaching.info/learning/
experience.htm
Employee Development Programmes

For larger organisations, it is more effective to design and deliver a coordinated
development programme. This gathers all of the training needs identified during
personal development or performance reviews and matches these to corporate
priorities. The training department can then produce a complete programme of
events. Depending on the size and specialisms of the training department, these can
be delivered in-house or through external training providers.
Useful links
Example of a training and development plan: http://docs.google.
com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:QWY6dJn_iI0J:www.ussmc.com/pdf/sub/
LeadershipDevelopment.pdf+training+and+development+programme&hl=en&gl=
pl&pid=bl&srcid=ADGEEShMURHS_hKQqPEQ3T57zLrAYSTondKpBydNjDKJMHAW
jnWMbjNiTuS_LdmK8d3UKxWoz9jM0CxBpF3xmUK2z8lFQS1dmNacMuOAMbZkO7
3RGmlUaRg7XlChQQJF6F3NBfe--BVd&sig=AHIEtbT5BuGXMh6HUxiBxPNDLwiY7x
UDKw
The training budget

Typically, organisations have an annual budget for training and development. In
some organisations, this is completely centralised and all requests for attendance
on training programmes must be submitted to and authorised by the training or HR
department. In other organisations there is a mix of centralised and devolved training
budgets, which allow department managers to have some influence in what kind
of training can be given. Going one stage further, some companies give employees
individual learning accounts and a set amount of money to spend on their own
development.
Evaluating training and development

Evaluation is extremely important as it helps to measure the effectiveness of training
and therefore the cost effectiveness of the development budget. Over the years,
the quality and sophistication of evaluation methods have improved. Initially, many
organisations used what were disparagingly described as ‘happy sheets’. These
were a simple set of questions often focused on environmental factors such as the
room and lunch. Assessment of the trainer and the programme itself were largely
subjective. Improved evaluation processes involve greater learner (and manager)
involvement before the development activity begins, in order to clarify learning
objectives in advance of the course. This is then followed by a post-training meeting
to discuss what has been learned or gained and how this will be applied in the
workplace. Furthermore, training departments may also seek to measure the impact
the training has on corporate goals by linking development to performance objectives,
performance quality and financial goals.
One of the most established approaches to evaluation is the Kirkpatrick model. This
looks at four levels of assessment: Reaction, Learning, Behaviour and Results.
Useful links
Evaluating training efficiency and the Kirkpatrick model: http://www.businessperform.
com/workplace-training/evaluating_training_effectiven.html
Human Resources
TEACHER’S NOTES
Unit 5
l Coaching in the workplace
Coaching,
mentoring and counselling
l Conducting a mentoring session
l Delivering a counselling service

web links.
Coaching in the workplace

Write the words, coaching, mentoring and counselling on the board. Then ask
students to say what they think the words mean in an HR context. Don’t confirm
whether students' answers are correct yet, as they will find definitions for these
words in Exercise 1a in the Student’s Book.
Next, write (or dictate) the following questions, which students discuss in small
groups:
1 What do you call a person who performs these activities? What do you call the
person who receives them?
2 What is the difference between the three activities?
3 What skills, knowledge and personality traits are needed for the three activities?
4 What is your experience of these three activities?
Afterwards, open up the discussion to include the whole class.
Suggested answers
1 A coach, a mentor, a counsellor; a learner/coachee, a mentee, a client
2 Coaching is more active on the part of the coach, being focused more on
passing on practical skills although it can also be facilitative. Mentoring places
more emphasis on the mentee, who has to actively seek knowledge from the
mentor. Counselling is facilitated actively by the counsellor, but otherwise all
decisions and opinions come from the client.
3 A coach and a mentor both need deep subject knowledge. For a coach,
motivational skills can be just as important. All three need to be patient and
tolerant, but this is especially so with counsellors. The most important skill for
counsellors is the ability to listen and to get the client to open up.
Note
A counsellor is not the same as a councillor, although they are both pronounced
the same. The former is a person who counsels other people. The latter is a
member of a council (e.g. an elected representative in local government).
UNIT 5 Coaching, mentoring and counselling
1 a Students complete the definitions. You may want to make sure all students agree
with the definitions, as they will be crucial for the rest of the unit.
Answers
1 b 2 c 3 a
b Students discuss the five situations in pairs and then share their ideas with the
class.
Suggested answers
Coaching: 1, 2, 4
Mentoring: 5
Counselling: 3
Note
A sales calls to conversion rate (scenario 1) describes the number of calls made in
relation to sales. Ten calls and one sale would be a 10% conversion rate.
Extension activity
Ask students to work in groups to suggest possible causes for each of the
issues in the five scenarios. Then ask students to suggest five more scenarios
(from their own experience of the workplace or studying) where coaching,
mentoring or counselling would be most appropriate.
c Go through the instructions with the class. Then play Audio 5.1 for students to
complete the exercise. They discuss the answers in pairs, including any details
they remember about the three scenarios, and then feed back to the class.
5.1 page 99
Answers
Extract 1 mentoring
Extract 2 coaching
Extract 3 counselling
d Students complete the matching exercise in pairs and then feed back to the class.
Answers
1 What would you like to happen 5 What do you think went well?
2 So how would you define 6 Yes, that was excellent
3 I suggest you 7 let’s see what our options are
4 In what way? 8 Yes, I can see it’s difficult.
There is a free lesson on empathy at work on Professional English Online,
which you could use in class. http://peo.cambridge.org/index.php?option=com_
content&view=article&id=167:empathy-at-work&catid=5:general-
activites&Itemid=6
Discuss with the class whether each function would be suitable for all three
activities: coaching, mentoring and counselling.
Suggested answers
Functions 1, 2, 4, 5 and 7 would be suitable in all three situations.
Function 3 (giving advice) would be inappropriate in counselling, where all
suggestions should come from the client.
Function 6 (giving praise) might also be inappropriate in counselling, as it is a
form of judgement.
Function 8 (showing empathy) is especially important in counselling, but is also
useful in many other situations.
e Go through the instructions with the class. Students then work alone to complete
the questions before feeding back to the class.
Answers
1 How; work
2 Why; say
3 Where; like
4 When; feel
5 Who; help
Extension activity
Write the beginnings of five or more closed questions on the board (e.g. Can
you … ? / Do you … ?/ Did you … ? / Will you … / Is it … ?). Then ask students
to suggest how each question might be completed in a coaching, mentoring
or counselling context. (You could suggest that students think of one of the
scenarios from Exercise 1b on page 38 of the Student’s Book for ideas.)
Then ask students why open questions are more suitable than closed
questions in the context of coaching, mentoring and counselling (Answer:
open questions encourage the other person to find their own solution to the
problems).
Students then work in pairs to create open questions from the closed
examples on the board.
2 a Read the introduction with the class. Check that students understand the six
questions before they listen to Audio 5.2 (they may want to know what a skills
matrix is – see Note below). They discuss their answers in pairs, including any
other information they remember from the conversation, and then feed back to
the class.
5.2 pages 99–100
Answers
1 The information management system.
2 He is not sympathetic at all; he is very frustrated.
3 Remove emotions; focus on finding a solution.
4 He recommends including a scale of one to ten (to record Ole’s progress
gradually).
5 It will take too much time.
6 Information on a coaching programme Chinua is developing.
Note
A skills matrix is a table that matches employees to a set of desired skills, for the
purposes of assessing current ability and development needs.
b Students work in pairs to try to remember what the missing words were, and then
listen to Audio 5.2 again to check. They compare their answers in pairs before
5.2 pages 99–100
Answers
1 caught 5 in; ideal
2 pick 6 give; go
3 get; hang 7 get off
4 once; thousand times
c Ask students to discuss the expressions in pairs and try to make definitions. Then
they either check in the Answer key or discuss their ideas with the class.
Answers
1 catch sby: to meet someone unexpectedly that you need to speak to
2 pick sby’s brains: to ask someone who knows a lot about a subject for
information or their opinion
3 get the hang of sth: to learn how to do something, especially something that
is difficult to do or understand
4 If I’ve told sby once, I’ve told him/her a thousand times: an expression used
to describe a person who cannot do something correctly even after they have
been given instructions or help
5 in an ideal world: an expression used to describe a hypothetical situation
which is not possible in reality
6 give sth a go: to try or attempt to do something (even when you know that it
may not be successful)
7 get off: leave
d Students discuss the questions in pairs and then share their ideas with the class.
Suggested answers
1 Advantages: immediate, on-demand, natural, informal.
Disadvantages: not everyone gets coached, may be inconsistent in quality,
difficult to measure impact.
2 To have a consistent and high quality approach to coaching.
3 a Students work in pairs to put the stages in order and then listen to Audio 5.3 to
check their answers.
5.3 page 100
Answers
2 g 3 e 4 a 5 h 6 f 7 b 8 d
Note
●● A performance issue is a euphemistic or neutral way of describing a problem or
need relating to performance.
●● A performance objective is a specified goal regarding what somebody needs to
do, by when and to what standard.
●● aye is commonly used in non-standard Scottish English and other parts of
northern England to mean ‘yes’.
b Students discuss the eight statements in pairs to decide whether they are true
or false and then listen to Audio 5.3 again to check. Afterwards, go through the
5.3 page 100
Answers
1 F – Managers are coaching their staff but the coaching may not be consistent.
2 F – Fergus says managing conference calls is a performance issue.
3 F – Fergus’s staff have to find out information when sales figures are down.
4 T
5 T
6 T
7 F – It can also be a colleague with specialist skills.
8 T
c Ask students to suggest some examples of performance issues from the class
(such as the ones described in the scenarios in Exercise 1b on Student’s Book
page 38, but relevant to their own organisation or institution). Then ask students
to discuss the task in pairs. Afterwards, ask volunteers to report back to the
class on their discussions.
d Students work alone to complete the definitions and then discuss what they know
about each method with the class.
Answers
1 peer coaching
2 role modelling
3 instruction
4 guided reading
5 learner control and self-review
e Students listen to Audio 5.4 and answer the question. In pairs, they discuss what
they remember about the three methods and then feed back to the class.
5.4 page 100
Answers
instruction, role modelling, learner control and self-review (reflection and self-
assessment)
f Students discuss the questions in pairs and then listen to Audio 5.4 again to
check their answers. Afterwards, discuss the questions with the whole class.
5.4 page 100
Extension activity
Ask students to turn to Audioscript 5.4 (on Student’s Book page 100) and
then ask students if they can find examples of actions Maritza takes or
things that she says which help her to manage the workshop effectively. Give
students the following example:
She asks the whole group for suggestions, but quickly chooses a ‘volunteer’
to get the discussion started (Would anybody like to make any suggestions?
John?).
Make sure students understand that this is a discussion task (i.e. there are
no specific right or wrong answers, though some suggestions might be more
likely than others).
Suggested answers
●● In response to Fergus, she challenges his negative attitude (not for me, it
wouldn’t) by asking him to come up with a solution through a direct request for
a more positive comment (So what would you suggest?).
●● She encourages Callum, who might otherwise be hesitant to give his opinion
(Please do, Callum, and Go on).
●● She adds her ideas to Callum’s, but in the form of a question, in order not to
appear dominating (And then get feedback?).
●● She defuses a potential conflict between John and Fergus by praising all the
participants and thanking them for their contributions (Well, gentlemen, thank
you very much for all of your interesting contributions).
4 a Students work in pairs to discuss which phrases are unsuitable and why.
Suggested answers
1 c 2 b 3 a 4 b 5 c 6 b 7 a 8 c
Note
Some of the reasons why items are inappropriate may be less clear than others.
Some reasons which could be discussed in class are:
●● Items 1c (Doing a better job), 2b (To improve on current performance) 3a
(We will have fewer problems) and 7a (Yes, that seems OK now) might sound
reasonable at first but they are unsuitable because they are unmeasurable (or
unquantifiable).
●● 4b (This is how I learnt to do it) is prescriptive and imposes a method or
approach that is suitable for one person onto another (who may find it easier to
get the same result by a different route).
●● 6b (I can’t seem to get anything right) is an example of negative and destructive
self-talk (from the coachee) and would need to be addressed by the coach.
●● 8c (Don’t you think it was a great success?) is a leading question.
b Students work in pairs or small groups to make more phrases.
Extension activity
Students take turns to read their phrases to the class. The other students
have to guess which stage in the coaching process the phrase is intended to
be for. Discuss the suitability of each phrase before moving on to the next
group.
c Students discuss the question in pairs. After a few minutes, open up the
Suggested answers
1 Advantages: ensures everybody uses the same words and is consistent
throughout the organisation. Disadvantages: could become very mechanical
and managers could use phrases without really understanding them.
2 Advantages: managers become more involved and have to understand the
language they use.
Disadvantages: may lead to inconsistency if managers are not well trained or
monitored.
Note
A prompt sheet is a brief set of notes with pre-planned questions which serves as a
prompt or reminder of things to ask.
5 Make sure students are clear about the issue they wish to address before they
begin. You may want to spend time checking what the issues are with the class
before they begin the activity. You may also want students to review the phrases
from Exercises 4a and 4b before they begin. They then take turns to coach each
other and to give feedback on the effectiveness of the coaching. You could ask
students to do this activity in groups of three. In this case, the third student is a
monitor who reviews the effectiveness of the student in the coach role.
Conducting a mentoring session

Ask the group if anyone has ever had a mentor and to describe their experience.
Then ask students to imagine a situation where they were joining a new company
and knew that they would be appointed a mentor. What would be their hopes,
fears and expectations of the mentoring?
6 a Students read the email to answer the questions and then discuss the answers in
pairs. After a few minutes, open up the discussion to include the whole class.
Suggested answers
1 Totally unsuccessful.
2 a Hi b Best, Jim
3 It is informal, but this is normal in business correspondence between
colleagues who are friends.
Note
A mentoring contract is a form which documents a formal agreement between the
mentor and the mentee.
Language note
The second sentence of the email (All new employees were appointed a mentor)
may cause a comprehension challenge for students at intermediate to upper-
intermediate (B1–B2). The sentence is an example of a passive verb which has
two objects. Compare with the active voice: HR appointed all new employees
(indirect object of appoint) a mentor (direct object of appoint). This could also be
expressed as HR appointed a mentor for all new employees.
In many languages, the passive can only be formed from a direct object. English
is unusual in that passive can also be formed from an indirect object.
Ask students to focus on the language used in the email by asking them what
other ways Jim could have used to begin and end the email instead of Hi
Chinua, and Best, Jim.
As students make their suggestions, write them on the board so that informal
phrases are on the left-hand side, more neutral phrases are in the middle and
more formal phrases are on the right – but don’t explain that this is what you
are doing.
When students have finished, tell them that you arranged their answers in a
particular order then ask them to suggest what order you used (i.e. degrees
of formality).
Suggested answers
A range of beginnings and endings are available, from very formal to very
informal:
Beginnings: Dear Sir; Dear Mr Okeke; Dear Chinua; Hello Chinua; Chinua
Endings: Yours sincerely/faithfully, Yours, Best/Kind regards, All the best, Best,
Cheers
We don’t normally write a person’s name and surname in the greeting. It is safest
to use the same greeting formula that the other person uses with you, or perhaps
one level higher or lower. If the greeting is too formal, it may sound unfriendly.
For fairly new business contacts, neutral greetings may be most appropriate
(Hello Chinua – Best regards), becoming slightly less formal (Hi Chinua – Cheers)
once the relationship becomes friendly.
Students find more examples of informal language in James’s email. When
you check with the class, ask students to then find some examples of more
formal language in the email, and discuss why James uses this mixture.
Suggested answers
●● Conversational-style omission of words (e.g. Hope you are well)
●● Contractions (e.g. I’m)
●● Informal writing conventions (e.g. Re mentoring, …)
●● Exaggeration (e.g. a bit of a disaster)
●● Heavy use of simple linkers (e.g. and, but, because)
●● Many personal subjects, especially I (e.g. I don’t know who …)
●● Phrasal verbs: (e.g. pair up, fade away, rush through)
●● Informal vocabulary (e.g. guy)
●● Conversational-style comments (e.g. it caused a right scandal)
●● Emoticons (e.g. :–0)
●● Conversational-style linkers (e.g. Anyway)
●● Short or familiar forms of first names and no surname (e.g. Jim not James
Boyle)
Note that the email contains a mixture of informal and neutral or even formal
language (e.g. passive, long words, some long and complex sentences). This
is because the writer is trying to be friendly and open while at the same time
communicating some important professional information.
b Students read the email again and discuss the questions in pairs. When you
check with the class, ask the students to describe any of their own experiences of
mentoring schemes.
Answers
1 No.
2 No meetings to explain the mentoring process, no contract, no ground rules,
no guidelines, incompatible partnerships, inappropriate relationship between
mentor and mentee, people not having meetings when they were supposed to.
3 There was no adequate planning or training.
4 People stopped going to the meetings.
c Students work in small groups to make their lists and then compare the lists with
the one in the Answer key.
Suggested answers
Plan and prepare.
Provide adequate training.
Make participation voluntary.
Give potential participants a chance to meet first and choose a mentor.
Have a mentoring contract and agree rules.
Monitor the scheme’s progress.
d Students discuss the questions in pairs. After a few minutes, open up the
Suggested answers
1 See Exercise 6e.
2 Suggested answers
Advantages: clarifies roles and responsibilities, demonstrates commitment,
increases likelihood of mentoring success.
Disadvantages: signing a contract for a voluntary relationship may be
uncomfortable for some people.
e Students work alone to complete the contract and then discuss their answers in
Answers
1 Start date 5 What I expect from the mentor
2 End date 6 Ground rules
3 Purpose of mentoring activity 7 Problem resolution arrangements
4 What I expect from the mentee 8 Meeting details
Note
dyslexia is a learning disability caused by brain defects which affect the processing
of written information. Although it causes problems with literacy, absorbing
organising and remembering information, many people overcome these difficulties
and there are many famous and successful dyslexics.
Extension activity
Discuss with the class what is unusual about the language of the mentoring
contract, with examples.
Suggested answers
It is written in a formal abbreviated style, with many non-essential words omitted.
Most of the omitted words are articles (a/the), e.g. The purpose of the mentoring
activity. Other words and phrases are omitted if they are clear from context, e.g.
If frequent non-attendance is caused by the mentee’s manager, the mentor will
contact the manager to discuss the non-attendance. There are some long noun
phrases (e.g. Problem resolution arrangements) rather than full clauses with
subjects and verbs such as ‘How will we resolve any problems that arise?’. Passive
is also used to avoid mentioning human subjects (e.g. Problems will be resolved
through discussion).
7 a Discuss the questions with the class.
Suggested answer
1 The issues in (10): Focus of meetings
b Ask students to read through the questions to make sure they understand them
before they listen. Allow them to discuss their answers in pairs before feeding
back to the class.
5.5 pages 100–101
Answers
1 It has got worse.
2 It makes Ole more confused.
3 He will be angry and think Ole can’t do the job.
4 He will understand why Ole is struggling.
5 Look at previous coping strategies and apply them to this situation.
Note
●● An information management system is any computerised system to store and
access data, but it can also be a networked company database that is updated
in real time and can be accessed by employees from different locations.
●● coping strategies are attitudes and behaviours that help people to deal with
difficult situations.
c Students work alone to complete the exercise and then check in pairs. When you
go through the answers, ask students if they can recall the context in which each
question was used and what they remember about the answers that were given.
Answers
2 g 3 c 4 h 5 b
6 a 7 f 8 e
Extension activity
Ask students to turn to Audioscript 5.5 on Student’s Book pages 100–101
and ask them if they can find examples of actions Maritza takes, or things
that she says which help her to ensure the smooth running of the session with
Ole. Give students the following example:
She is friendly and informal from the beginning (Oh, hi).
Make sure students understand that this is a discussion task (i.e. there are
no specific right or wrong answers, though some suggestions might be more
likely than others).
Suggested answers
●● She asks if Ole wants a drink.
●● She uses neutral sounds (e.g. Oh?) to invite Ole to give more information.
●● She makes it clear that the topic of the meeting is based on Ole’s suggestion
(You said last time …), and that he can still choose what to talk about (Is that
still the case?).
●● She reacts to bad news in a non-judgemental way (I see).
●● She prompts Ole to provide more details using a very open-ended question (In
what way?).
●● She uses a question to gently lead Ole towards a possible way around his
problem (… and have you told your manager about your dyslexia?).
●● She offers a more positive alternative to Ole’s prediction (Or it might help him
to understand …).
●● She moves on from a topic that is becoming rather negative in order to
approach it from a different direction (OK, to put that aside for a minute, …).
●● She paraphrases and personalises an abstract concept (Yes, ways of dealing

with your difficulties).
●● She suggests a possibly fruitful direction to take their discussion (OK, so
maybe we could talk about …).
●● She explains why the topic is of practical use (… and how you could apply that
to this situation).
●● She offers a practical solution, with some options still open (Then you could
explain to John … even if you choose not to …).
●● She shows that she knows Ole’s story well, and that he is not just one of
hundreds of employees that she has to deal with (Now, I remember from when
you were recruited …).
8 Go through the instructions with the class. Point out that each role play will
involve two parts: first, negotiating and writing the first mentoring contract, and
then conducting the first mentoring session. Make sure students also use the
question types considered in Exercise 7c. Allow around five minutes for each part
of the role play. Afterwards, discuss the effectiveness of the sessions with the
class. Give and elicit feedback on students’ performances and the language and
techniques they used.
Delivering a counselling service

If you have access to the Internet in the classroom, you could search for an online
video of a counselling session to show students as an example. Suitable search
words are ‘empathy’ and ‘counselling’ (a good example can be found at: http://
www.youtube.com/watch?v=NH8sEpc_A9I). Play the video to the class, pausing
every time the counsellor is about to speak. Elicit from the class what the
counsellor might say and then play the next part of the clip to check. Afterwards,
discuss the effectiveness of the counselling techniques with the class.
9 a Students discuss the questions in pairs and then share their answers with the
class.
Suggested answers
1 Problems adjusting to the organisation or environment, financial problems,
relationship problems, family deaths, stress, depression, substance or alcohol
abuse.
2 It demonstrates that the organisation cares about its employees. It can help
solve problems that have an impact on productivity and morale.
b Students work alone to complete the sentences and then compare answers in
pairs.
Answers
2 Recommend 5 happen
3 Provide 6 consideration
4 challenging 7 understand
Extension activity
Ask students to write down the numbers 1–5 in a list in their notebooks or
on a piece of paper. Tell them you are going to read out five examples of
bad advice. Their task is to listen and make notes on what is wrong with the
advice after you have read out each one in turn. Then ask students to work in
pairs to compare ideas before feeding back to the whole group. The examples
of bad advice are:
1 Insist on more counselling for the client if you feel it is good for them.
2 Tell the client what you think is the best choice.
3 Contradict the client if you think s/he is being unreasonable.
4 Show that you feel sorry for the client.
5 Tell the client to cheer up and stop worrying.
Suggested answers
1 This statement includes the word insist. One of the most important rules of
counselling is that it cannot be imposed.
2 This statement contains the word tell. The counsellor should not make
decisions or give advice regarding a specific course of action.
3 The problem here is the word unreasonable. It is not the role of the counsellor
to make judgements about the client’s reasoning.
4 feel sorry is another judgement and about the counsellors feelings which do
not belong in the counselling session.
5 The phrase cheer up is inappropriate. It provides specific advice, diminishes
the importance of the problem, and is likely to be perceived as patronising
and unhelpful.
c Students discuss the three questions in pairs and then feed back to the class.
Encourage them to bring their own experiences into the discussion (while
respecting the confidentiality of the people in their stories, of course).
Suggested answers
1 Telling you that they have broken company rules or even the law.
2 By making it clear from the outset that this is problematic for the HR person
and stopping the conversation immediately if a compromising situation is
likely to occur.
3 When specialist counselling expertise or subject knowledge is required.
Note
For HR people, the greatest conflict of interest is likely to occur when an employee
confides that they have broken company rules (or even the law) in some way.
10 a Go through the situation with the class. Then play Audio 5.6 for students to
answer the questions. Students check in pairs before feeding back to the class.
5.6 page 101
Answers
Transfer back to Dubai because of the opportunities that would give him, and
because the move to Nigeria hasn’t worked out, so it’s time for a change.
b Go through the questions quickly with the class to predict some possible answers.
Then play Audio 5.7. Students discuss their answers in pairs and then feed back
to the class.
5.7 page 101
Answers
1 Fergus is worried that his wife is unhappy.
2 She might be angry that he didn’t talk to her about it.
3 No.
c Ask students to turn to Audioscript 5.7 on page 101 to find Chinua’s questioning
and prompting techniques. They then work in pairs to find examples of the five
techniques. Discuss the answers with the class.
Answers
1 She doesn’t mind? Relieved?
2 Do you? What do you think would be best?
3 So you thought the return to Dubai would cheer her up?
4 So is it just about work or are there any other factors involved?
5 And you came with family?
d Discuss the question with the class.
Suggested answers
Because it helps the client to understand the problem more clearly and to find
their own solution.
Additional activity Unit 5: Exploring counselling techniques

If students are interested in exploring the techniques used by Chinua in the
counselling session, you can use the Additional activity worksheet for Unit 5 in
the Resources section of the course website.
11 Go through the instructions with the class. Allow plenty of time for each role play.
Afterwards, give and elicit feedback on how both people felt in each role, as well
as on the quality of the language you heard.

Coaching in the workplace
While some people still strongly associate coaching at work with coaching in sport,
work-based coaching aims to be less directive and tends to give the lead clearly to
the employee. A coach in the workplace may be either a (line) manager or a fellow
colleague.
Many organisations now encourage coaching as an effective means of developing
their workforce. This often requires a change in the business culture and a different
perspective on the role of the manager away from supervisor and towards facilitator.
However, coaching is very goal-specific and focused on workplace performance issues
and generally avoids open-ended, broader development that might be better met
through counselling. It cannot be assumed that managers automatically possess
the skills to coach, so organisations frequently provide training and a framework for
managers to work to.
Useful links
Guide to coaching: http://www.trainingreference.co.uk/skills/coaching/coaching_guide.
htm
Example of coaching framework: http://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:LRtZ5
QWQUjkJ:www.whnt.nhs.uk/document_uploads/LD_Policies_Strategies/Coaching%25
20Strategy%2520final%2520version%2520July%25202006.pdf+a+workplace+
coaching+framework&hl=en&gl=pl&pid=bl&srcid=ADGEESjcrldg1VRRpe_0wjRuE
mrL6EMfWflgMQzXD42snUrnEkD9wgDefxwfzadXWt5J_t_PbqXGuuQXoCry2JDgAJE_
WyXa_1LY9qge4FzVCTAzb_F-Z_N2m0PQRiabJ7w5A6OTYu7V&sig=AHIEtbS-
39gnMiawTEcJYHtPOC2ajI8O1w
Coaching others to improve performance: http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/
newLDR_89.htm
Mentoring
Mentoring schemes are more popular in larger organisations, particularly multi-
nationals. There are three main types of mentee: newly qualified graduates who have
recently joined a company, managers identified for career progression through the
company, and senior executives. In the case of the last group, it is more common to
have an external mentor. Mentoring schemes can be very useful but also problematic
if not well-designed and monitored. It is important that participants are adequately
trained and briefed to know what to expect and how to behave. There are some critics
of mentoring, who feel that the process and relationship are too paternalistic.
A mentoring contract is a useful tool in the mentoring process. It is not so much
a legal contract as a psychological contract. Like mentoring itself, it can only be
consensual, so both parties must be in full agreement about all of its contents.
Primarily, it is a document to manage expectations and to define the nature and
extent of commitment that each person makes to the other. There is no single
template for this but generally, they cover frequency of meetings and commitment to
attend as well as issues such as honesty and confidentiality.
Dyslexia in the workplace

The workplace can be a difficult place for the dyslexic to navigate, particularly if they
have kept it secret. Whilst disclosure is a personal choice, it is generally considered
better to be open about it as this can enable the employer to make appropriate
adjustments. The most extreme cases may involve problems with literacy and filling
in forms, reading documents and being asked to write in training sessions, which
can be very stressful. Other problems may relate to poor working memory, which
can make processing a lot of information challenging. Overall organisational and
time management skills can also be affected. Many people have learnt to overcome
these difficulties through list making, diary management, creating templates, using
visualisation and location techniques. Employers can help by creating an environment
and learning processes that work best for the individual.
Useful links
Guide to dyslexia in the workplace: http://www.the-dyslexia-center.com/dyslexia-in-the-
workplace.htm
Counselling in the workplace

A number of organisations, particularly in the public sector, offer counselling to
employees. This often supports employees in very demanding jobs dealing with
members of the public. To ensure confidentiality and employee trust, it is common
practice to outsource the counselling service to an external organisation, often via a
confidential, telephone helpline. Counselling done badly or unprofessionally can be
very harmful, so it is important that counsellors are very well trained. Depending on
the issue, they may recommend referral to a specialist such as a debt or marriage
counsellor.
Useful links
Guide to counselling in the workplace: http://www.thecounsellorsguide.co.uk/
counselling-workplace.html
Human Resources
TEACHER’S NOTES
Unit 6
l Preparing a competence framework
Competences
l Identifying competences
l Writing performance standards
l Introducing a competence framework

web links.
Preparing a competence framework

Before the class starts, take enough pieces of large (A4 or A3) paper for every
pair of students. On each piece of paper, write a job title (e.g. customer services
assistant, lawyer, accountant, personal assistant, etc.) in the centre of the page
(allowing space for students to write notes during the class).
In class, write the word competence on the board and then ask students to
suggest a definition for the word (a competence describes a workplace activity
that must be performed to a minimum standard in order to fulfil a specific role,
e.g. ensuring all invoices are paid on time). If a more experienced professional
student in the class raises the difference between competence and competency
within HR, allow the students to discuss the issue but do not comment (this
difference between these terms is discussed on Student’s Book page 51 under
the heading Writing performance standards).
Ask students to get into pairs, and then give each pair one of the pieces of
paper with a job written on. Tell students that you are going to give them exactly
two minutes to write down as many competences as they can think of for the
job that is written on their paper. At the end of two minutes, tell students to
stop writing (even if they have not finished a sentence) and then to pass their
paper to the pair on their left so that each pair now has another job title with
some competences written on. Give students another two minutes to add new
competences to the ones already on the paper. Repeat the process with the class
until every pair has had an opportunity to work on every piece of paper. Finally,
collect in all the papers and choose two or three of the jobs for further discussion
(Do we agree that these competences are correct? Why (not)?). As a follow-up,
students could also be asked to discuss how each of the competences could be
measured and judged.
Note
According to the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD),
‘although in the 1980s and 1990s HR professionals drew a distinction
between "competencies" and "competences", now the two terms are often used
interchangeably.’ (CIPD, 2011: https://www.cipd.co.uk)
UNIT 6 Competences
1 a With books closed, ask students if anyone has used a competence framework
and, if so, to explain what the document was used for. If students are not
familiar with such documents, you could print out some pages from an authentic
competence framework (e.g. http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/DefenceFor/
Jobseekers/CivilianCareers/ModCoreCompetenceFrameworkDocument.htm) and show
them to students.
Students then open their books to discuss the three questions in pairs. After a
few minutes, open up the discussion to include the whole class.
Suggested answers
1 Advantages: it can drive and define excellence; people know what’s expected
of them.
Disadvantages: it could be bureaucratic, it can take time to gather data that is
not used.
2 Professional associations, employees, job descriptions, performance data.
3 To increase commitment and involvement.
b Ask students to read the introduction about the Putrajaya Paradise Hotel. Ask
them what kind of competences might be needed for hotel staff (you could, for
example, ask about the competences of the porter shown in the photograph at
the top of the page). Then ask students to listen to Audio 6.1 and make notes
in their notebooks. Students then compare their notes with a partner and listen
again if necessary before feeding back to the class.
6.1 pages 101–102
Suggested answers
Xiao Long’s reasons for: had success with previous employer, is dynamic, defines
and drives excellence, defines minimum standards, defines expectations of high
performance, staff understand what they are expected to do, achieves a culture of
excellence.
Andrew’s reasons against: bureaucratic, wastes time in gathering data which is
never used, they already have customer care training, a lot of work, might be
difficult to persuade staff that it is useful.
Extension activity
Ask students to look at Audioscript 6.1 (on Student’s Book pages 101–
102) and to read and listen again to underline all the phrases for polite
disagreements. Then go through the answers with the class.
You could practise the phrases by asking students to hold a light-hearted
argument about which of two things is better (e.g. mornings or evenings, HR
or finance, etc.), using as many of the phrases as possible.
Suggested answers
Well, to be honest, I have my doubts.
Yes, I take your point. That’s always a possibility, but …
Of course, but …
That’s useful too, but …
I guess so, but …
It is at first, but …
Maybe you have a point, but …
We’ll come to that in a minute, but …
OK, you’ve convinced me. But …
c Students discuss the question in pairs and then feed back to the class. Avoid
confirming or rejecting students’ ideas at this stage, as the purpose of this
question is to prepare students for the listening in Exercise 1d
UNIT 6 Competences
d Discuss the questions with the class to make sure students understand them.
You could also ask students to suggest possible answers to each question. Then
play Audio 6.2 for students to answer the questions. Allow them to check in pairs
before feeding back to the class.
6.2 page 102
Answers
1 Buy a ready-made competence framework (for the hotel and leisure industry).
2 They take ownership and it’s more meaningful.
3 It takes a lot of time and people with the same job will give the same answers.
4 It builds a more accurate picture, everyone is personally involved, individuals
highlight different aspects (of the same job).

2 a Ask students to read the email and answer the questions. Students then discuss
Suggested answers
1 To explain the purpose of the interviews and how they will be conducted.
2 A reiterative process involves the employee in the process (cross-referenced
and checked by you) and will therefore give HR a better understanding of
each employee’s job (modify our understanding … build up a complete and
accurate picture of each competence).
3 More formal because this is describing an official obligation.
Note
A reiterative (interview) process is one which involves asking the same set of
questions many times in order to create a detailed description of a situation. The
aim of such a process is to build a complete picture through ongoing re-evaluation
and assimilation of new information. In the example given in the Student’s Book,
this means that information gathered in an initial conversation is then fed into a
second round of interviews (with other staff) which in turn provides information for
a third round and so on.
Language note
The second sentence of Xiao Long’s email begins Myself and other members of
HR … , where Myself is part of the subject. Typically, when we use I as part of a
compound subject (i.e. a subject that refers to more than one person), we put it
last (e.g. My friends and I … not I and my friends). However, because Xiao Long
is the HR Manager and he wants to use his position to show how important the
competence framework is, it makes sense for him to put himself first here. As I
sounds unnatural in this position, he chooses Myself over the more common but
less formal Me.
Extension activity
Discuss with the class the features of the email that make it sound more
formal.
UNIT 6 Competences
Suggested answers
●● He doesn’t use contractions (e.g. I am … , we are …)
●● He uses more formal vocabulary (e.g. inform rather than tell)
●● He uses some words with very precise meanings in this context (e.g.
reiterative, cross-referenced)
●● He uses some long, complex sentences, with several relative clauses.
●● When he joins sentences with and, he omits repeated subjects (We look
forward … and we thank you …)
●● He uses some formal fixed expressions (e.g. Regards).
Note that, as is typical for most formal business writing, the email does include
some features of less formal language such as addressing the reader personally
(e.g. you and your colleagues) and including multi-word verbs (e.g. feed in, build
up).
b Students work alone to complete the matching exercise and then feed back to the
class.
Answers
1 feed in 5 in the course of
2 modify 6 enable
3 cross-referenced 7 inform
4 build up
3 a Students complete the exercise alone and then discuss their answers in pairs.
When you check with the class, discuss why it is important to do or not to do
each thing on the list.
Answers
Do – 1, 5, 6, 7
Don’t – 2, 3, 4, 8
b Students discuss the extracts in pairs, including what is wrong with the
inappropriate phrases. Then check with the class.
Suggested answers
1 b 2 b 3 a 4 b
Note
Reasons why the other phrases are inappropriate:
1a might be seen as confrontational (i.e because if you didn’t read the email, there
will be consequences).
2a offers praise but could also be divisive (not every employee is praised in this
way) and so could make employees doubt the objectivity of the process.
3b might cause offence because it is too direct.
4a is a leading question, which should not be used as it gives too much influence
to the interviewer’s opinion.
4 a Before you listen, ask students to discuss what competences Rebecca’s job as
Conference Centre Manager might involve. Then play Audio 6.3 for students to
answer the questions. Allow them to check in pairs before going through the
6.3 page 102
UNIT 6 Competences
Answers
1 F – Rebecca is not sure what Xiao Long wants but she has read the email.
2 T
3 F – Rebecca manages ‘customers, employees and processes’.
4 T
5 F – Her job is to make sure that tasks are completed.
6 F – Not yet – Xiao Long needs more details.
b Before you play Audio 6.3 again, students discuss in pairs who said each
sentence, Rebecca or Xiao Long. Then play the recording for them to complete
the sentences before feeding back to the class.
6.3 page 102
Answers
1 time 5 need
2 perceive 6 saying
3 group 7 correct
4 skills 8 helpful
c Students match the extracts to their functions.
Answers
a 6, 7 b 3, 4, 5 c 2 d 1, 8
Extension activity
Students test each other in pairs by reading aloud one of the functions (a–d)
to the other person, who then tries to guess the two corresponding phrases
from Exercise 4b (1–8). Alternatively, they could read aloud one of the
phrases then ask for the correct function from their partner.
5 Students work in pairs to conduct their interviews. Make sure the student playing
the interviewer keeps notes of the other person’s competences, as these will be
important for later parts of the lesson (Exercises 6c, 7f and 9). Allow about five
minutes for each interview and then tell students to swap roles. Afterwards, give
feedback on the effectiveness of the interviews and the quality of the language
they used.
Identifying competences
As an introduction to the idea of generic and job specific competences dealt with
in Exercise 6a, write the following on the board:
English language: knowledge and skills
General English (generic) HR English (job specific)
Ask students to copy the table into their notebooks and tell them that you are
going to dictate a few phrases to them. For each phrase, they should decide
whether it describes an English language knowledge or skill which could be used
by any learner of English, or one which is specific to HR:
1 reading for specific information
2 interviewing techniques
3 writing a person specification document
Check students’ answers (1 General English, 2 & 3 HR English). Ask them to work
in pairs to extend the lists. Then feed back to the whole class.
UNIT 6 Competences
Suggested answers
General English (generic): Grammar, pronunciation, reading skills, listening skills,
most vocabulary, useful phrases for meetings, emailing, presentations
HR English (job specific): interviewing techniques, counselling techniques, useful
phrases for development reviews
6 a Check students fully understand the differences between generic and job specific
competences. Then ask them to discuss the task in pairs and then feed back to
the class.
Answers
All specific except 1 and 8.
b Discuss the task with the class.
Answers
a 2, 6
b 4, 5
c 3, 7
c This task is related to those in Exercises 5, 7f and 9. Ideally, students will

have their notes from Exercise 5 for this task. If they do not, it would be worth
completing Exercise 5 before beginning this task. Students work in pairs to write
sentences for their jobs or planned jobs, using the notes they made during the
role plays. Afterwards, ask students to give you examples.
7 a Give students about two minutes to read the document and think about
the possible headings and then to discuss their ideas with a partner. Avoid
confirming or rejecting students’ answers at this stage, as the actual headings
are provided in Exercise 7b (on the next page).
b Students work alone to complete the matching exercise and then feed back to
the class. Discuss with the class which heading belongs with which column before
confirming the answers.
Answers
2 e
3 a
4 b
5 c
A Job title D Underpinning knowledge
B Competence E Performance standard
C Element
Note
●● A competence provides a broad description of what somebody should do, while
an element is merely a sub-division of a competence which breaks down the
competence into its constituent parts.
●● underpinning knowledge describes the things that people need to know in
order to deliver the competence. For example, in order to safely manage fire
procedures, an employee would need to know the location of the fire exits and
also how to use a fire extinguisher. The performance standard describes the
standard to which something must be done, e.g. clear the building of guests
within ten minutes.
c Students work alone to answer the questions and then feed back to the class.
UNIT 6 Competences
Answers
1 E 2 E 3 C 4 D
d Students work in pairs to complete the framework document and then feed back
to the class.
Answers
a 6 b 3 c 1
d 5 e 4 f 2
Note
●● A quality management system is a coordinated and documented control system
for managing product and service consistency throughout the organisation.
●● customer care standards are standards that an organisation creates to specify
the standard of behaviour required for all interactions with customers. This can
include general issues of politeness but also specific performance standards
such as ‘phones must be answered within three rings’.
e Ask students to work in pairs to make the four knowledge statements and then
feed back to the class.
Suggested answers
1 Knowledge of growing conditions of plants
2 Awareness of how to design landscapes (landscape design)
3 Knowledge of flower seasons and habits
4 Knowledge of gardening budget
Extension activity
You could ask students to suggest some more competences and elements for
the job of Head Gardener. Then ask students to work in pairs to come up with
more knowledge statements for one or two or the elements.
f This task is related to those in Exercises 5, 6c and 9. Ideally, students will have
their notes from Exercise 6c for this task. If they do not, it would be worth
completing Exercises 5 and 6c before beginning this task. Students could work
either alone or in pairs to write the statements. Afterwards, ask students to
volunteer some examples.
g Students discuss the questions in pairs and then feed back to the class.
Suggested answers
1 There is insufficient information to define competent behaviour without them.
2 Specifically, what a competent person will be doing.
Writing performance standards

8 a Make sure all students have read and understood the difference between
competence and competency in the introduction on page 51. You may want to add
that the Chartered Institute for Personnel Development (CIPD) has noted that
the terms may also be used interchangeably, especially over the last few years.
Students then discuss the four statements in pairs and feed back to the class.
Answers
Competence – 2, 3 (satisfactory performance)
Competency – 1, 4 (excellent performance)
UNIT 6 Competences
b Discuss the question with the class.
Suggested answers
Advantages: provides information on expected performance and provides a
motivational higher target for employees.
Disadvantages: may create uncertainty regarding which standard people should
be working to; reduces the value of the minimum standard, identifying it as an
inferior achievement.
c Students work alone to complete the matching exercise and then check their
Answers
1 b 2 c 3 d 4 a
d Students work alone to complete the tasks and then feed back to the class.
Answers
1 a each month
b all; ten
c can; is able to
d must
2 a To show that the statements apply to the competences of the job, not the
qualities of a particular individual.
b To describe the actions of one person in the job.
c Because may, might and could suggest a performance standard statement
is optional. A performance standard statement describes the ability to
do something (is able to, can), a responsibility (meets, fulfils, etc.) or an
obligation (must, should).
Extension activity
Ask students to look again at question 1 in Exercise 8d and then write on the
board:
a the frequency of an action
b a quantity
c an ability
d an obligation
Ask students to work in pairs to make a list of other examples of words or
phrases that could be used in performance standard statements. Then they
feed back to the class.
Suggested answers
a by the 4th of every month, at least four times per calendar year, quarterly
b 90%, at least half, no more than 20
c is capable of, knows how to
d needs to, (should)
e Students work alone to complete the sentences and then check their answers in
pairs before they feed back to the class.
Answers
1 Must; all; equipment
2 Is able; at least; must; massage
3 organise; always
4 Gathers; generates
UNIT 6 Competences
Note
A staffing rota is a plan of the different times during which each member of staff
works.
9 This task is related to those in Exercises 5, 6c and 7f. Ideally, students will
have their notes from Exercise 6c for this task. If they do not, it would be worth
completing Exercises 5 and 6c before beginning this task. Students work alone
or in pairs to write performance standard statements. Afterwards, elicit some
good examples from volunteers and discuss with the class how to make any vague
statements more specific.
10 a Discuss the question with the class. Avoid confirming or rejecting students’ ideas
at this stage, as the purpose of this question is to prepare students for Audio 6.4
in Exercise 10b.
Answers
Through observation, reference to documents, performance results and customer
feedback
b Students read the six statements to make sure they understand all the words.
Then play Audio 6.4 for them to complete the exercise. They discuss their
answers in pairs, including any other details they remember from the dialogue,
and then feed back to the class.
6.4 pages 102–103
Answers
1 F – Andrew has two more jobs before he finishes.
2 F – Xiao Long says they only need a general guide.
3 F – Xiao Long says a mystery shopper might suggest that management do not
trust their staff.
4 T
5 T
6 F – Xiao Long asks him to write an implementation plan.
Note
A mystery shopper is someone who is employed to pretend to be a customer and
then afterwards write a report on the quality of customer service they received.
c Students work in pairs to complete the HR collocations and then listen to Audio
6.4 again to check their answers. When you check with the class, discuss the
meanings of the six expressions.
6.4 pages 102–103
Answers
1 sources 4 performance
2 confidence 5 outcomes
3 assessment 6 plan
Introducing a competence framework

Ask students if they know what a pilot scheme is and to check in the Glossary
(Student’s Book pages 122–127) if they are not sure. Write the following on the
board and then ask students to work in pairs to discuss which of these schemes
or changes to an organisation would benefit from being piloted before being
introduced to the whole organisation.
1 mentoring scheme 3 new disciplinary code
2 bonus scheme 4 coaching programme
UNIT 6 Competences
Then ask students to feed their ideas back to the class. Note that answers may
vary depending on the type of organisation they are working for (or would like to
work for in the future).
Suggested answers
1 mentoring scheme – Yes, especially because such a scheme can be piloted
discretely with selected individuals or teams first without having any
immediate impact on the organisation.
2 bonus scheme – No, piloted bonus schemes (which would only cover some
people) may cause resentment amongst other employees not receiving the
bonus. In most countries, it may even be breach of employment law.
3 new disciplinary code – No, it would breach employment law to pay or
discipline workers differently.
4 coaching programme – Yes (as mentoring).
11 Go through the introduction with the class, to make sure all students fully
understand the concept of going live (i.e. when a new system begins to function).
Then ask students to discuss the three questions in pairs. After a few minutes,
open up the discussion to include the whole class.
Answers
1 Advantages: can test and perfect model before going live and may help to
‘sell’ competence framework.
Disadvantages: takes longer, results may only be true for the pilot group.
2 Because they want to continuously improve standards.
3 Demanding senior managers, competitive commercial environment.
12 a Before turning to the web page for employee briefings, ask students to suggest
what Xiao Long might include in it. Write down students’ suggestions on the
board. Then ask them to turn to Student’s Book page 90 and read the web page
to see if it includes any of their suggestions. Discuss the question in the Student’s
Book with the class.
Suggested answers
Yes. Xiao Long’s web page explains what a competence framework is and offers
links to more information for both managers and employees. He also summarises
the stages in the implementation process of the framework to Putrajaya Paradise.
Note
●● If something is fit for purpose, it does what it should do.
●● excellence is an extremely high level of service which is increasingly becoming
the new, expected minimum standard. The use of the word in a business context
was largely popularised by management guru Tom Peters with his book In
Search of Excellence.
b Ask students to work in pairs or small groups to complete the three tasks. When
they have finished, discuss the answers with the class.
UNIT 6 Competences
Suggested answers
1 1 competence framework 2 1 HR
2 competently 2 skills and knowledge
3 key competences 3 Feed back
4 generic 4 industry standards
5 job specific 5 pilot
6 elements 6 Adapt
7 acceptable 7 Launch
8 competency 8 update
9 exemplary performance 3 Manager: a, b, c, e
10 performance statements Employee: a, c, d
Note
exemplary performance is performance of an extremely high standard that serves
as a model for others to follow. That person is described as an exemplar.
13 Students could write their reports in groups in class or as a homework task. If

you decide to set it as homework, you could ask students to plan their reports in
class before writing them up at home. The following sample answer (one of many
possible answers) might be useful as a guide for you and/or the students.
Report to management board on the use of competences

1 Introduction: What are competences?
Competences are descriptions of what employees need to be able to do. These
may be generic, which cover activities in all employees’ work such as awareness of
health and safety regulations, and job specific, which relate to a particular function
such as accountancy.
2 A competence approach for Putrajaya Paradise
Putrajaya Paradise has chosen to adopt a competency approach because it
is believed that this provides the best means of ensuring consistent and high
standards of service delivery.
3 How competences relate to quality and performance standards
Competences can be used to tie together all currently unconnected quality,
performance and safety standards by writing them into a single competence
framework.
4 Competence framework design
The framework was designed using a reiterative process of consultation. This
involved interviewing employees to discuss their work activities and then feeding
this into conversations with other staff. Afterwards, this information was sorted into
generic and job specific competences, as well as competences covering minimum
performance requirements and competencies describing exemplary performance.
5 The main components
The components of the framework are job titles, competences, elements (which
divide competences into parts and provide more detail), underpinning knowledge
(which describes what people need to know in order to behave competently), and
performance indicators (which describe the standard to which something must be
done and provide specific examples).
6 Competence framework introduction
The framework was introduced using a pilot scheme, which tested and modified the
scheme in the conference centre and gardening team, before rolling it out to the rest
of the organisation. Once perfected, it was introduced into the whole of the company.
7 Scheme update
The scheme will be updated through annual review to check if it is still current and
to make any changes necessary.
UNIT 6 Competences
Your report should include the following answers.

1 Competences define the actions and performance standards required of
each employee.
2 To make clear to employees the standard of performance expected.
3 By including links to business goals and quality standards.
4 By interviewing employees to identify their competences.
5 Competence, Element, Underpinning knowledge, Performance standard.
6 By introducing a pilot scheme in the gardening and conference sections first.
7 By reviewing it every year to check for changes in the business and environment.
14 Students work in groups to outline their implementation plans. Note that this
could be conducted as a role play, especially if students have different professional
backgrounds. They can then write up their plans either at home or in class.
Additional activity Unit 6: Crossword

UNIT 6 Competences

Competences
Competences are used by organisations to communicate and specify their
expectations of staff. Competences can be defined as a statement of the desired
minimum standard and ability. They tend to be more widely used in public sector and
health service organisations. Competences can be written for different kinds of job,
including management and a competence framework for managers was produced by
the management charter initiative.
Useful links
The management charter initiatives National Occupational Standards for
Management: http://www.brefigroup.co.uk/training/mcicomps.html
Competence and competency frameworks: http://www.cipd.co.uk/subjects/
perfmangmt/competnces/comptfrmwk.htm
Pilot schemes
Introducing a new system or process using a pilot scheme has many advantages. It
enables any ‘teething troubles’ to be identified and rectified before being rolled out to
the rest of the organisation. This not only has a practical benefit, it can also help to
‘sell’ a new initiative to the cautious-minded. Frequently, managers and departments
that are the most positive about an initiative are selected for the pilot. These people
are likely to be more tolerant of the imperfection of the new systems whilst providing
constructive feedback. They can help to build a positive buzz in the organisation and
increase the chances of successful implementation.
Reiterative/consultative process
As with pilot schemes, the reiterative approach serves a practical and political
purpose. It gathers and tests information but gains support through the process
of consultation. Consulting as many people as possible can help to persuade
members of an organisation that future change or transition in the organisation
has been developed with their full knowledge and cooperation (as opposed to being
imposed from above). This means that consultation is in reality, an early stage of the
implementation process. These kinds of methods are some of the primary tools in
management consultancy.
Best practice, exemplars, product champions

Consultative processes, such as the one discussed in this unit, also provide
opportunities to discover areas of best practice where something is done particularly
well. This can be used for organisational learning by identifying exemplars and
product or service champions who provide examples of how to do something very well
and pass on their knowledge to their colleagues.
Human Resources
TEACHER’S NOTES
Unit 7
l Planning for a development review
Employee
development and performance review
l Introducing a new review scheme
l Delivering an employee briefing
l Conducting a development review
web links.
Planning for a development review

Discuss the following questions with the class:
●● Have you ever had a performance review? Did you find it useful?
●● Have you ever been involved in conducting a performance review? Do you think it
was more useful for the employee or the organisation, or was it equally useful for
both? Why?
1 Students discuss the four questions in pairs. After a few minutes, open up the
Suggested answers
1 To measure performance, decide on pay levels, set objectives, identify training
needs.
2 It can be perceived as authoritarian, paternalistic or threatening.
3 Yes. It should describe the type of scheme and will influence how it is
perceived by employees.
4 To respond to changes in business needs, organisational culture, management
style, ownership, employment trends or HR fashions.
2 a Tell students to read about Capo Verde International to find out what it does and
who Jesper Koenig is. Then ask students to read the forum posts to complete
the exercise, ignoring any unfamiliar words or phrases they might find. Students
check their answers in pairs before feeding back to class.
Answers
1 Kaplan’s balanced scorecard 5 developmental dialogue
2 performance indicators 6 performance-related pay
3 MBO 7 grandparent appeal process
4 cooling-off period
UNIT 7 Employee development and performance review
Note
A paper chase (in Tomasz Kamiński’s post) is a metaphor for a bureaucratic
system, particularly in an organisation that generates excessive inter-departmental
documentation.
Students test each other in pairs by reading a definition to their partner
who then tries to guess the correct approach. Alternatively, they could read
an approach then ask for a definition from their partner. You could also ask
them to give examples of each approach.
If you have time, you might want to draw your students’ attention towards the
different styles of language used in the HR forum posts. While students are
completing Exercise 2a, use the time to write the following questions on the
board:
Which post is written
1 more formally overall?
2 more informally overall?
Who
3 disagrees politely but firmly?
4 agrees with the previous writer but reaches a different conclusion?
5 makes a direct recommendation?
6 sees things from the employee’s point of view?
7 uses a lot of emphatic language?
8 uses a lot of negative arguments?
After checking the answers to Exercise 2a with the class, ask them to work in
pairs to answer the questions on the board. Tell them that sometimes, more
than one answer is possible. Students should also underline or make a note
of the language used to express these ideas.
Answers
1 Davindra (no contractions – I am … is not … does not … and I beg to differ is
very formal and considered old-fashioned by many English speakers)
2 Maria (Oh Davindra! The sad reality … the poor employee doesn’t have even
… just told what to do) and Tomasz (just turn the whole thing into a paper
chase … The last thing we want is …)
3 Davindra (I am very sorry but I beg to differ …)
4 Tomasz (You have a point, Maria … On the other hand, …)
5 Linda (I think we should … That kind of target-driven approach is the most
effective and acceptable.)
6 Davindra (an employee is not interested … if it does not affect his salary …
Employees will be much more engaged … if …) Maria (The sad reality …
managers often dominate and impose unrealistic goals … the poor employee
… safeguards for employees … someone to talk to …?)
7 Davindra (very sorry … in any way whatsoever … You must … much more
engaged) and Maria (Oh … If only it was so simple! … doesn’t have even
the smallest involvement … is just told what to do) and Tomasz (just turn the
whole thing into a paper chase … The last thing we want is …)
8 Davindra (… not interested … just sit around wasting time, creating
meaningless objectives …) and Tomasz (… just turn the whole thing into
a paper chase. The last thing we want is to be spending our time filling in
pointless forms.)
b Students discuss the questions in pairs and then share their answers with the
class.
Suggested answers
1 Linda Evans prefers MBO – straightforward, effective, acceptable.
Davindra Singh disagrees with Linda, thinks employees are not interested
unless pay is involved, prefers PRP, which results in employee engagement.
Maria da Silva thinks MBO and PRP don’t allow for employee involvement.
She supports employee safeguards to protect against imposed objectives.
Tomasz Kamin’ ski prefers two-way dialogue – maximises motivation and
potential. He thinks structured systems are bureaucratic.
3 Suggested answer
Developmental dialogue would be appropriate to the culture of a green (and
ethical) company such as Capo Verde. However, a management-by-objectives
(MBO) approach would be appropriate for the construction industry (where
objectives are specific and usually connected to a specific deadline). Therefore,
an approach which included some parts of developmental dialogue and MBO
might be best.
Extension activity
Students work in groups to discuss their experiences of the approaches,
whether as a manager or as an employee. After a few minutes, ask volunteers
to share their experiences with the class. You could also ask students to
research some of the approaches as a homework task and then report their
findings to the class in a later lesson.
c Students work alone to make collocations. They check their answers in pairs
Answers
2 a 3 e 4 b 5 c 6 f 7 d 8 h
Extension activity
You could ask students to find some three- or four-part collocations in the
forum posts.
Suggested answers
target-driven approach
satisfy the review criteria
impose unrealistic goals
maximise the motivation/potential of employees
filling in pointless forms
Introducing a new review scheme

Tell students to read the case study information to find out why Capo Verde
International (CVI) is creating an action plan. When they have read the
information, discuss the following questions with the class.
1 How did CVI enter the Romanian market?
2 How likely is it that the Romanian company had its own performance review
system?
3 What three things do CVI’s HR team hope to learn from the new employee
development review scheme?
4 What jobs do the Romanian employees do?

5 Have the five branches had a coordinated HR policy up to now?
6 Who has requested the action plan?
7 What must be included in the action plan?
Suggested answers
CVI is creating an action plan in order to introduce its corporate employee
development review scheme to its new Romanian offices.
1 It bought a local construction company.
2 Unlikely. It has very few existing HR systems.
3 They want to (i) objectively measure performance, (ii) identify current skills
and (iii) identify current needs.
4 A full range of building and administration roles.
5 No. Each branch has operated independently.
6 The management board.
7 Timescales for implementation, anticipated problems and suggested solutions
4 a If they haven’t already done so, ask students to read the case study information.
They then discuss the three questions in pairs. After a few minutes, open up the
b This task can be conducted as a role play: begin by asking students to suggest
participant roles (e.g. chair, minutes, attendees). Then ask students to provide an
agenda for the meeting and write it up on the board. For example:
CVI HR meeting
Romanian employee review scheme
Chair:
Minutes:
Date:
Ask students to suggest typical phrases for a meeting: agreeing (Yes, I think
you’re right), disagreeing (I take your point but …), taking turns (Could I just
stop you there?), concluding (If everyone is agrees, shall we minute that point?).
Students then work in small groups to work out their action plans. The discussion
should then be set up as a role play. Allow around 15 minutes for the discussion.
Make sure they produce a written plan, as this will be important for Exercise 6a.
Afterwards, discuss the action plans briefly with the class. Note that there will be
a chance to discuss the plans more fully in Exercises 6a and 6b.
5 a Go through the questions first and ask students to predict the answers. Then play
Audio 7.1 for students to answer the questions. They discuss their answers in
7.1 page 103
Note
There is no standard timeframe for the introduction of a review process into a new
organisation, as it depends on many variables. In the context of the Romanian
scenario, it is likely that data gathering and relationship and trust building will
take around three months, a trial pilot in the capital would be a further six weeks
to three months, and that assessment and modification would take a further three
months. Therefore, there would be a nine-month lead time to full implementation.
This is a generous estimate but given the factor of pressure on end of year
accounting and summer holidays, a nine-month period is quite realistic.
Answers
1 Carry out a skills audit.
2 It would create an extra task that would delay implementation.
3 It may lead to resistance to change.
4 He agrees with Olga.
Note
When you roll out a scheme, you extend it to include the whole organisation.
b Ask students to read the extracts first to try to remember / work out which words
could go in each space. Then play Audio 7.1 again for students to complete the
sentences. They check in pairs before feeding back to the class. Discuss the seven
gapped phrases to make sure all students fully understand them.
7.1 page 103
Answers
1 skills audit 5 gradual; phased
2 delay; implementation 6 pilot scheme
3 resistance; change 7 rolling; out
4 fact-finding mission
6 a Students swap plans with another pair to discuss the two questions. Allow around
five minutes for the discussions. Then they feed back to the pair who created the
plan.
Delivering an employee briefing

Discuss the following questions with the class:
●● Have you ever conducted/attended an employee briefing?
●● Why can it be difficult to conduct a briefing for a large number of employees?
●● What advice would you give to someone before conducting an employee briefing?
7 a Students read the email and answer the questions. They discuss the answers in
pairs before feeding back to the class. For question 4, ask students to suggest
reasons for their answers.
Answers
1 Run briefing sessions, communicate the requirements of the reviews and
explain their importance.
2 Conduct reviews for all staff within the first two months of the year.
3 Frustration and resistance, caused by time pressure and budget cuts.
4 Official and formal.
Note
●● An operational manager is one with an active, functional role such as production
or logistics.
●● A cascade system starts from the top (most senior part) of an organisation.
In this scheme, senior managers conduct reviews first, followed by the people
below them in the hierarchy.
b Students work alone to find the phrases and then discuss their answers in pairs.
When you check with the class, discuss which of the seven phrases students could
use in their own emails (Answer: all of the phrases are useful, although phrases
4, 6 and 7 are more specific to the situation; phrases 1, 2, 3 and 5 are useful for
a wide range of emails).
Answers
1 Please find attached
2 I am requesting that (HR Managers)
3 Also stress that
4 participation is compulsory
5 I realise
6 (this) may result in some frustration or resistance
7 we are operating a cascade system
8 a Students work alone to put the stages into the right order and then discuss their
answers in pairs. When you discuss the answers with the class, ask students to
say why each stage is important and what the consequences would be if the stage
were not completed.
Answers
2 Make room reservations for all briefing sessions and create an enrolment
process.
3 Identify key communication objectives and content for briefings.
4 Email managers and employees with details of briefings and enrolment
process.
5 Prepare appropriate presentational material and prompt cards.
6 Send reminders near to the briefing sessions.
7 Take a register of attendees and arrange additional briefings for people off
work during planned briefings.
b Students discuss the task in pairs. After a few minutes, open up the discussion to
c Go through the instructions with the class. Make sure they realise that Cindy
is a woman and Roman is a man. Remind them that CVI stands for Capo Verde
International. Then play Audio 7.2 for students to complete the task. They
compare their answers in pairs and then feed back to the class.
7.2 page 103
Answers
1 C 2 R 3 B 4 C 5 R 6 B
d Discuss the questions with the class.

e Students discuss the task in pairs and then listen to Audio 7.2 again to check
their answers.
7.2 page 103
Answers
1 F R 2 I C 3 F R 4 I C 5 I C 6 I C 7 F R
f Students work alone to complete the matching exercise and then check their
answers with the class. Make sure students know how to use each of the multi-
word verbs (i.e. which of them can have objects, and whether the object comes in
the middle or at the end) – see Language note below.
Answers
1 b 2 d 3 a 4 e 5 c
Language note: Multi-word verbs

Multi-word verbs are simply verbs which consist of more than one word but
which have a single meaning. Examples include wake up, look after and put up
with. The term phrasal verb is widely used instead of multi-word verb, but many
linguists argue that the term phrasal verb should be limited to only certain multi-
word verbs (types 1, 2 and 4 below).
Most multi-word verbs belong to the following four groups:
1 Intransitive phrasal verbs: (without an object), e.g. go along,
kick off, wake up
2 Transitive phrasal verbs: , e.g. fill somebody in, wake
somebody up
3 Prepositional verbs: , e.g. run through something,
go over something, look after somebody
4 Phrasal prepositional verbs: , e.g. put up
with something, kick off by doing something
Note that several multi-word verbs, e.g. wake (somebody) up, kick off (by doing
something), can be used in more than one pattern. The distinction between group
2 and group 3 is important because it determines where the object is placed. In
group 2, object pronouns (me, him, her, it, them) normally come in the middle
of the phrasal verb. In group 3, however, the object always comes after the
preposition.
g Discuss the questions with the class.
Suggested answers
If you are presenting to people who use English as a second or foreign language,
they might not understand the multi-word verbs you use. (The decision to use
multi-word verbs should depend on whether your audience use English as a first
language or as a second or foreign language.)
Not everyone uses the same acronyms, even if they are working for the same
organisation.
9 a Go through the instructions with the class. Ask students to suggest how each
of the four issues could be connected to resistance to the review scheme. Point
out that Luis will address each speaker by name, so students should be able to
recognise who is speaking and when. Then play Audio 7.3 for students to match
the names with the issues. Students discuss their answers in pairs, including as
much as they can remember about each issue and Luis’s responses to them, and
then discuss their answers with the class.
7.3 page 103
Answers
1 Jo 3 Carla
2 Kim 4 Mike
b Students work alone to put the words in the right order and then compare their
ideas in pairs. Play Audio 7.3 for students to check and then go through the
7.3 page 103
Answers
1 I understand that it can be difficult to
2 it is a chance to
3 I can assure you that
4 Thank you Kim, yes, that is an excellent question
5 I’m sorry, Jo, but that is not the purpose of this meeting
Extension activity
Discuss with the class the function of each phrase from Exercise 9b and elicit
more phrases for each function.
Suggested answers
1 Showing empathy, but standing firm
2 Highlighting a possible benefit
3 Reassuring, promising
4 Praising a good question
5 Avoiding going off-topic
10 Students work in small groups to plan their briefing sessions, including trying
to predict what hostile or difficult questions may be asked and how best to deal
with them. After about five minutes, put them into different groups, ideally
not with the students they planned their sessions with. Students take turns to
present their briefing sessions and to act as audience members to their partners’
sessions. Allow plenty of time for each briefing session. Afterwards, give
feedback on the effectiveness of the sessions, the way the presenters dealt with
questions and any language issues that arise.
Conducting a development review

Invite two volunteers to the front of the class. One of them should conduct a
very short development review with the other. Before you begin, make sure they
have a specific job in mind – it could be a humorous or unusual job (e.g. a circus
acrobat) or it could be the interviewee’s real job. The other students should
watch and take notes of the good and bad techniques they observe during the
review. Point out that the aim of this exercise is to experiment with different
techniques – you are not expecting a perfect performance at this stage. In fact,
it will be useful if they make mistakes, as this will generate some good discussion
later and help students understand what not to do in a real-life review.
After a few minutes, you could ask a different pair of volunteers to take
over where the previous pair stopped. Afterwards, discuss the strengths and
weaknesses of the review with the class and elicit any tips for conducting an
effective review.
11 Students discuss the task in pairs. After a few minutes, open up the discussion to
Suggested answers
Advantages:
employee friendly c, d
neutral or shared space b, c, d
no risk to confidential documents a, c
private and confidential a, c
relaxed and informal d
Disadvantages:
formal and possibly intimidating a
imbalance of power a
lack of privacy b, d
possibly noisy b, d
risk to confidential documents b, d
12 a Elicit from students what Cindy’s job title is (Answer: she’s an HR manager – see
Exercise 8b). Students then discuss the question in pairs, including justifications
for their answers. Afterwards, discuss the question with the class.
Suggested answers
2 should not be discussed in a development review. 4 and 8 would be illegal
and contrary to equality legislation in most countries. 5 would be inappropriate
unless part of a 360 degree review process. All other options are possible
depending on the type of scheme.
b Go through the questions with the class and then play Audio 7.4 for students to
find the answers. They discuss their answers in pairs before feeding back to the
class.
7.4 pages 103–104
Answers
1 previous year’s performance (11)
2 He is generally positive.
c Students discuss the five questions in pairs before listening to Audio 7.4 again
to check their answers. Then ask them to compare their answers in pairs before
going through the answers with the class. You could ask students to discuss
what would have happened if Ian had been more critical, and even role play this
situation to see how it develops.
7.4 pages 103–104
Answers
1 Feedback from participants.
2 They need to evaluate the pilot scheme first.
3 There were positive and negative aspects – there was some resistance
in some of the sessions and there wasn’t time to convince everyone the
programme was good.
4 It reinforced the idea that the review scheme was created by and for the
benefit of HR.
5 They can now realise the importance of engaging managers and work on this
in the future.
Extension activity
Ask students to look at Audioscript 7.4 (on Student’s Book pages 103–104)
for examples of Ian being positive towards Cindy (e.g. Yes, you did a great
job …) or offering a non-judgemental response (e.g. Uh-huh, in what way?
in response to Cindy’s disappointment about the briefing sessions – … to
be honest, they were a bit of a mixed bag). Discuss with the class why it is
important to avoid judgements, especially negative judgements, during a
performance review.
Suggested answers
Positive:
●● Yes, you did a great job and the participants commented on this, too. I know
you researched it carefully before setting up the scheme, so thanks for all your
hard work.
●● Seeing that it has been such a big success, …
●● You did a great job within the limits you were set …
Non-judgemental:
●● Uh-huh, in what way?
●● I see, and have you any thoughts about …
●● The wrong approach?
●● So you think it would have been better if …
Note
Being judgemental or critical creates a confrontational atmosphere within the
review. It is likely to lead the interviewee to be defensive and less willing to discuss
weaknesses and training needs. They are likely to come out of the review feeling
negative and demotivated, and believe that the process is a waste of time. From
the manager’s point of view, it achieves nothing.
13 a Discuss the questions with the class.
Answers
1 suggests a possible future action.
2 talks about something which did not happen in the past.
Extension activity
Point out that the two sentences are both in the passive and elicit from the
class why this might be (Suggested answer: to avoid putting the blame on a
specific person who could have done things differently, to keep the discussion
focused on avoiding the problem).
Ask students to suggest the active equivalent of the two sentences, with you
as subject, and the grammatical structures they each use:
… what you could do differently. (could + infinitive)
… what you could have done differently. (could have + past participle)
b Discuss the questions with the class. Point out that both could have and might
have can also be used to criticise, but this meaning generally comes from context
or from (criticising) intonation. In 2, should have in this context is always used to
criticise a past mistake.
Answers
1 and 3 describe a possible alternative action in the past but which did not
happen.
2 criticises a mistake in the past.
Language note: Modal perfect structures

(should have, might have, etc.)
Most modal perfect structures have two very different meanings, depending on
context:
1 They are often used to make logical deductions about the past, which the
speaker believes to be true:
●● They will/must have arrived by now. = I am sure they have arrived by now
●● They should have arrived by now. = I’m fairly sure
●● They may/might/could have arrived by now. = it’s possible
●● They can’t have arrived by now. = it’s impossible
2 They are used to hypothesise about events in the past that didn’t happen.
These are often part of conditional structures:
●● You could/might/should have tried harder = but you didn’t try harder
●● I would have tried harder if I’d known how important it was = I didn’t know
how important it was so I did not try harder
Extension activity
Write the following sentence on the board:
If you _____ (know) then what you _____ (know) now, what _____ (you do)
differently?
Ask students to suggest the best verb forms to go in each space. For the last
space, note that several modal verbs are possible. You could ask students to
tell you the differences between the modal verbs, including which one they
should avoid in a development review.
Suggested answers
●● If you had known then what you know now, what would/could/might/should you
have done differently?
●● It is best to avoid should have done when asking about past problems, as it
assumes the person made a mistake, and is therefore judgemental.
c It might be a good idea to start by describing a past mistake of your own, so

students have a chance to tell you what you should/could have done. Students
work in pairs to describe their situations. Encourage them to use plenty of
modal perfect structures. With weaker classes, you could tell them to discuss
their stories first, without worrying about the grammar, and then to focus on the
grammar once they had their stories clear. Afterwards, ask students to volunteer
some of their examples to the class.
14 a Students discuss the questions in pairs. You may need to check they understand
some of the abbreviations used in Cindy’s notes:
proj. (= project)
bldng (= building)
dev. (= development)
progs (= programmes)
After a few minutes, open up the discussion to include the whole class. Avoid
confirming or rejecting students’ ideas until they have completed the listening
exercises which follow.
b Ask students to read through the five statements first to check they understand.
Then play Audio 7.5 for students to complete the task. They discuss their
answers in pairs, including anything else they remember about the conversation,
7.5 page 104
Answers
1 T
2 F – Cindy is only putting in the numbers of department managers.
3 F – Rik thinks recharging departments will work against them.
4 T
5 F – She would like to encourage managers to find their own solutions.
Note
●● unit cost, in a training sense, is the cost per person.
●● A learning champion is someone in the organisation who has responsibility for
developing a particular skill, area of knowledge, or initiative. They do this as an
additional task to their regular job.
●● A milestone is a significant action or event to be completed in order to achieve
another, main objective.
c Students work in pairs to choose which verb form was used and then listen to
Audio 7.5 again to check. Afterwards, discuss why each verb form was used in
each case.
7.5 page 104
Answers
1 is going to cause 4 ’ll talk; ’ll have
2 will cause 5 will be
3 might forget 6 will you ensure
Language note: will, going to and might

These verb forms can be used for two reasons:
1 To make decisions:
We tend to use will for spontaneous decisions and going to for decisions made
earlier. We use might if we have not yet fully decided or it is not yet possible
to say.
2 To make predictions:
We tend to use will for subjective predictions, based on our own opinion
or feelings, often with maybe or I think. We tend to use going to for more
objective predictions, based on some external evidence. We use might when
we are not sure of our predictions.
15 a Students discuss the questions in pairs and then share their ideas with the class.
Additional activity Unit 7: Conducting a review meeting

If students would benefit from more practice in conducting a review meeting,
you can use the Additional activity worksheet for Unit 7 in the Resources
section of the course website.
b Make sure students have got specific jobs in mind before they start their reviews.
The interviewer could use some of the topics listed in Exercise 12a for ideas.
Point out that although this may be more stressful for the interviewee, it is the
interviewer whose skills are being tested. Allow plenty of time for each interview
(around 8 minutes), after which students swap roles. Afterwards, give feedback
on the interviewers’ skills and any language issues that arose.

Employee development and performance review
On a wide scale, organisations have been using some kind of employee review process
since the 1980s. It was initially more common in public sector organisations such as
the UK’s National Health Service. It is a language sensitive area where the original
word, appraisal, is now rarely used and is replaced by the less judgemental, review.
However, the addition of the word development or performance changes the emphasis
considerably.
Useful links
Overview of performance appraisals and other forms of review:
http://www.businessballs.com/performanceappraisals.htm
360 degree appraisal

In the early 1990s, the idea of 360 degree appraisal or feedback became popular. In
this, an employee would be assessed not only by their manager, but also by peers and
subordinates. Although this was thought to be a useful and progressive tool, many
organisations have found it difficult to implement, partly because of the administrative
complexity, but more commonly because of the level of trust required to do it honestly
and without negative consequences. In short, people fear criticising managers and
colleagues too openly.
Useful links
A critique of 360 degree appraisals:
http://www.missouribusiness.net/sbtdc/docs/360_performance_eval.asp
Paperless reviews
As technology has developed, many organisations are now moving to paperless
reviews. Although this has obvious environmental and logistical benefits, in some
instances it has led to the introduction of more complicated schemes as people seek
to exploit the new functions available. In other words, employees have to enter more
data into more fields. The paperless aspect has spread to many HR functions
Employee briefings
When introducing new corporate-wide initiatives, such as a new employee review
scheme, it is common practice to give employee briefings. These are short meetings,
usually around 30 minutes or so, in which information is given, documentation
explained and any questions answered. The aim is to make sure that all employees
have the same information at roughly the same time. Consequently, they often
involve groups of between 20 and 50 people at a time and are delivered over a short
period of time. An alternative method of disseminating information is via existing
departmental team meetings; this is more time efficient but it can be harder to ensure
message consistency.
Human Resources
TEACHER’S NOTES
Unit 8
l Investigating a complaint
Discipline and grievance
l Writing a disciplinary procedure
l Conducting a disciplinary hearing
l Dealing with a grievance
web links.
Investigating a complaint
Write on the board:
●● resign
●● lose your job
●● remove somebody from a job
Then ask students to call out as many verbs, phrases or expressions as they know
for each category. Write students’ suggestions on the board.
Suggested answers
●● resign: hand in your notice; quit; take voluntary redundancy; give up a job
●● lose your job: get / be sacked; get / be fired; get / be made redundant; be
given the sack / the boot / your marching orders; (be told to) collect your cards,
(be told to) take a walk. have your contract terminated
●● remove somebody from a job: dismiss; sack; fire; make somebody redundant;
give somebody the sack / the boot / their marching orders; get rid of
somebody; terminate somebody’s employment
1 a Ask students to read the background information on McCabe’s to find out what
the company does and why it has employed a Personnel Manager. Then play
Audio 8.1 for students to answer the four questions. They discuss their answers
in pairs before feeding back to the class.
8.1 page 104
Answers
1 Fire the employee.
2 Because the employee is frequently late, and because this was normal
behaviour in the past.
3 He says it is unacceptable because it does not follow the law.
4 Talk to the employee.
UNIT 8 Discipline and grievance
Language note: non-standard varieties of English

Many of the audioscripts in this unit feature speakers of non-standard Scottish
English who use regional variations on standard uses of English. These are:
●● aye – yes
●● cannae – contraction of cannot
●● didnae – contraction of did not
●● doesnae – contraction of does not
●● lad – man (or boy)
●● maybes – perhaps
●● shouldnae – contraction of should not
You may want to tell students that although English is a global language, regional
variations of English are common among both native and non-native speakers.
So, for example, there are recognisable differences between American and British
English but, even when the speakers are very proficient, there are also regional
variations between English speakers from France and those from Spain or Russia.
For preparation for work in a global marketplace, it would therefore be helpful
for learners of English to gain experience in listening to non-standard regional as
well as standard international varieties of English – in this case, a non-standard
variety of Scottish English.
b Students work in pairs to complete the sentences and then listen to Audio 8.2 to
check their answers. Afterwards, check with the class.
8.2 page 105
Answers
1 discipline
2 follow; law; formal procedures
3 resolve; disciplinary action
c Students discuss the questions in pairs. After a few minutes, open up the
Suggested answers
3 Advantages: it may reveal information that is important, the problem may be
resolved amicably without the need for discipline and it could save a lot of
time and expense in the future.
Disadvantages: it introduces another stage of action and it may take longer to
arrive at the same conclusion.
d Make sure students know who Robbie is (i.e. the man that Khalid has been asked
by Stewie Dawson to sack). Then play Audio 8.3 for students to answer the
question. They discuss the answer briefly in pairs and then feed back to the class.
8.3 page 105
Answer
He takes neither side.
Note
An employee representative can be anybody who acts to support the employee on
their behalf. Typically, it is a union representative, but it could be just a friend or
colleague.
e Students discuss the questions in pairs to try to remember the answers. After
you have played Audio 8.3 again, students discuss their answers in pairs and
then feed back to the class.
8.3 page 105
Answers
1 To take his time, to describe the situation (as he understands it).
2 Yes.
3 It makes him late (because he has to take the children to school).
4 To start and finish work later.
5 It is an investigatory conversation (only), so formal action would not be
appropriate.
6 Khalid, Robbie and Stewie will meet (to try to agree a solution together).
2 a Students discuss the question in pairs and then share their answers with the
class.
Answer
b
Extension activity
Ask students what the three questions have in common.
Answer
They are all presented as statements.
Question 1 paraphrases Robbie’s statement in order to check understanding and
prompt Robbie to provide more information.
Questions 2 and 3 are presented as statements in order for Khalid to show
what he expects, i.e. they are based on the assumption that Robbie is a good
employee who has done these things.
b Play Audio 8.4, pausing after each pair of extracts to discuss the differences with
the class. Afterwards, ask students to practise the two different versions, either
individually or as a class.
8.4 page 105
3 Students discuss the situations in small groups. After a few minutes, open up the
Suggested answers
1 lack of skill or knowledge, avoiding responsibility – training/coaching, discuss
expectations
2 bullying – investigate
3 lack of skill or knowledge – training/coaching
4 stress, domestic problems – counselling
5 unchallenging work – discuss, introduce new tasks/responsibilities
Extension activity
Students work in pairs (or groups of three) to role play an informal meeting
between one of the employees from the situations in Exercise 3 and one (or
two) HR managers. The meetings should follow the meeting between Robbie
and Khalid as a model, and the HR managers should try to remain neutral
and avoid taking sides while calming down the employee and gathering
information.
Allow at least five minutes for the role plays, after which you could tell
students to swap roles. Afterwards, give feedback on the effectiveness of the
techniques and the language they used.
Writing a disciplinary procedure

You could print out a set of sample warning letters from the ACAS site
(http://www.acas.org.uk/index.aspx?articleid=1439) and distribute them so that
each pair has one or two letters (ACAS – Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration
Service – is a British organisation that seeks to improve employment relations).
Note that only the first eight letters on the site are warning letters: do not print
out the ninth letter. As a class, students work out the most likely order in which
the eight letters would be sent. Afterwards, make sure students have the web
address of the sample letters, as they could be very useful in their future work.
Answer
The letters would be in the order they appear on the ACAS site.
Suggested answers
1 To comply with legal requirements.
2 To provide clear guidance to employees and have an established process for
managing discipline.
3 It could break the law, lead to poor management practices or poor employee
discipline.
b Students work alone to decide which four questions are unsuitable. Ask students
to work in pairs to discuss their answers and encourage them to give reasons for
each answer. They then feed back to the class.
Answers
Unsuitable: 2, 3, 6, 7
Extension activity
Discuss with the class useful language for rules of conduct, based on the four
good examples from Exercise 4b (1, 4, 5 and 8). Ask students for examples
of other rules which could use the same useful language. The rules could be
semi-serious or extreme, as in the examples below.
You could explain that the reason for using less serious examples is to help
students to focus their attention on getting the language right (even when the
content is dubious).
Suggested answers
1 … will be considered … and receive …
4 You must … if you …
5 … will result in … and a …
8 Failure to … will result in … and a …
1 Using the photocopier without permission will be considered a disciplinary
offence and will receive a written warning.
4 You must polish your shoes if they become dirty.
5 Talking during office hours will result in a verbal warning and a disciplinary
hearing.
8 Failure to smile at all times will result in a written warning and a five-day
suspension without pay.
c Read the criteria for rules of conduct from Exercise 4b. Students then work in
pairs to rewrite the rules. Tell them to invent any necessary details. Afterwards,
discuss the best answers with the class.
Suggested answers
2 Failure to meet agreed performance standards may result in disciplinary
action.
3 Three or more individual absences in a month will result in an investigative
interview.
6 Removal of quantities of stationery beyond normal working requirements will
be viewed as theft of company property and will result in a verbal or written
warning.
7 Failure to comply with the dress code will result in a verbal warning.
5 a Students work alone to complete the flowchart and then feed back to the class.
Answers
1 guidelines 6 written
2 investigatory 7 final
3 misconduct 8 record
4 verbal 9 letter
5 hearing 10 appeal
Note
●● evidence is specific proof. This could be a document, camera evidence or
a witness statement. It is important that disciplinary actions are based on
evidence and not unsupported rumour.
●● suspension involves someone being relieved of their duties and not being
allowed to attend work. Usually, this is on full pay, as to stop pay would
prejudge an outcome of a disciplinary hearing.
●● A probationary period is a trial period. Often, people are employed on three-
or six-month’s probation pending acceptance. In a disciplinary context, a
probationary period is a specified time in which further misconduct will lead to
an escalation of proceedings.
●● dismissal is the formal noun for being sacked. It is important to understand
the distinction between dismissal and redundancy. Dismissal is the removal of
somebody from the company as a punishment for unacceptable behaviour.
●● redundancy is an economically motivated activity where somebody has to
leave the company because their job is no longer available. In most countries,
the reason for termination will have an impact on what social benefits can be
claimed.
b Go through the three situations carefully with the class, to make sure all students
are familiar with the way the flowchart works.
Suggested answers
Disciplinary matters must always take into account the specific circumstances.
However, as a general guide, the most likely actions would be:
1 verbal or written warning depending on level of refusal
2 suspension, followed by hearing and possible final warning or dismissal
3 investigation
Extension activity
Students ask and answer questions about the flowchart, e.g.
A: What happens if there is evidence of serious misconduct?
B: This leads to suspension of the employee.
Alternatively, this activity could be personalised, so that students ask and
answer about what would happen to employees in various situations. This
would be an excellent chance to practise second conditionals (see Language
note below) to describe imaginary situations, e.g.
A: What would happen if there was/were evidence that an employee was/were
guilty of serious misconduct?
B: The employee would be suspended.
Language note: Second conditionals

We use second conditionals to talk about imaginary present or future situations
(e.g. If you continued to behave in this way, we would hold a disciplinary
hearing). Note that we generally use the past simple, not would, in the if-clause.
Note also that with the verb to be in if-clauses, many people consider were
correct for all persons (if I/you/it were … ), but was is also very widely used (if I/he
was …).
c Students work alone to complete the extracts. They discuss their answers in pairs
Answers
A B C D
1 accordance 8 disciplinary code 13 severity 19 right
2 undertakes 9 duties 14 counselling 20 consider
3 irrespective 10 company 15 issue 21 commensurate
4 make property 16 verbal 22 emerges
5 follow 11 reasonable 17 breaches 23 influence
6 provide instructions 18 written 24 ignored
7 give 12 specified
standards
d Students discuss the questions in pairs. After a few minutes, open up the
Suggested answers
1 So that it is totally clear what the charge is.
2 Depending on the severity, from three days to two weeks.
3 Personnel Manager’s office or private meeting room.
4 a It can help to explain the employee’s situation.
b It is good practice which ensures fairness.
Extension activity
Use the disciplinary policy and procedure document to make a quiz. Make
sure students have their books closed. Students then work in teams to take
turns to give you a question number. Ask the question corresponding to that
number. If they get it right, they get a point. If they get it wrong, don’t give
the correct answer. Other groups can then choose that number again if they
think they know the answer. At the end, the team with the most points is the
winner.
1 What guidelines were used to write the document?
2 Who was consulted during the writing of the document?
3 What two adjectives describe the manner in which the company will act?
4 Will the manner in which the company behaves depend on things such as
age, race or religion?
5 What four things can employees expect?
6 When, specifically, should employees be careful not to break the law?
7 What two things may employees not do in connection with company
property?
8 What two groups of people should employees treat with respect?
9 What type of instructions are employees expected to carry out?
10 What two factors affect the disciplinary actions that the company may
take?
11 What examples of non-disciplinary actions are given?
12 What type of warnings do not form part of the formal disciplinary
process?
13 What two adjectives describe breaches of conduct that may lead to formal
disciplinary action?
14 What are the four formal disciplinary actions, in order of severity?
15 In what three situations do employees have the right to appeal?
Answers
1 ACAS guidelines
2 employee representatives
3 fair and just
4 No
5 They will be made aware of the disciplinary code; The company will follow the
code; They will be informed of the details of their transgressions; They will
have the opportunity to defend themselves.
6 In the course of their duties
7 damage or remove it
8 customers and colleagues
9 reasonable instructions
10 The nature and the severity of the problem
11 training and counselling
12 verbal warnings from managers
13
serious, persistent
14 disciplinary hearing; written warning; final warning; dismissal
15 If they believe the punishment is excessive; if there is important new evidence;
if the employee believes the procedure was not followed
6 Students could write their documents at home. Note that they could use most
of the model for their own documents: there is nothing wrong with copying a
good model! However, they must make sure their document fits in with their own
organisation, so for each section they should think carefully about what to add,
what to remove and what to amend.
Conducting a disciplinary hearing

7 a Ask students to read the introduction to find out who James and Len are.
Go through the eight statements with the class to make sure students fully
understand them. Then play Audio 8.5 for students to complete the task. They
discuss their answers in pairs, including any other details they remember from
the recording, before feeding back to the class.
8.5 page 105
Answers
1 F – Khalid is friendly but Good morning … please come in is more formal
spoken English (compare with Hi, come on in! or Hi! What’s up?).
2 T
3 F – Len (Dickinson) should only speak if James asks him to (note that Len
does interrupt however).
4 F – James admits to sleeping on the night shift.
5 F – James decided not to tell the shift leader.
6 T
7 T
8 F – James has never been in trouble before.
Note
●● Khalid asks to be called Mr Khan (not Mr Aziz) as this is the most formal way he
can be addressed.
●● A three-shift pattern is a work pattern which involves working mornings,
afternoons and nights, usually in consecutive weeks. See the Note under
Exercise 7a of Unit 2 on page 22 for more detail on shift patterns.
b Discuss the questions with the class.
Suggested answer
This type of question (e.g. so you were simply overtired?) is necessary in the
hearing because Khalid needs to ensure that his interpretation of James’s
answers is one which James agrees with. This is important to avoid any later
suggestions from James that he was misrepresented – this is just what James
attempts to imply when he says No, I didnae say that. You’re saying that! and
which Khalid counters by summarising the situation:
James: No, the bag’s not mine. It must have been left there from another shift.
Khalid: So are you saying that it’s normal for employees to sleep at work?
James: No, I didnae say that. You’re saying that!
Len: I think James means he just found the bag and doesnae know who it
belongs to.
James: That’s it, exactly.
Khalid: OK, to summarise, you’re saying that you accept that you were sleeping
at work, you didn’t tell the shift leader and that you just found the
sleeping bag?
Extension activity
Ask students to look at Audioscript 8.5 (on Student’s Book page 105) and
to read and listen again. While they are listening, write the following on the
board:
●● greeting
●● addressing a particular person
●● establishing a procedure
●● asking for more information
●● summarising
●● showing understanding
After students have listened, ask them to underline words or phrases used by
Khalid which match these functions.
Suggested answers
●● greeting: Ah, good morning …
●● addressing a particular person: by using their names – James, Len
●● asking for more information: A good reason? … so you were simply tired? And
you didn’t …? And is there anything else you’d like to add?
●● introducing a new conversation topic: Right, I’d like to [confirm/propose]…
●● summarising: As you know …, So, in other words, it was …, So are you saying
that … ? OK, to summarise, you’re saying that …
●● showing understanding: I see
c Ask students to work in small groups to discuss their answers. Make it clear
that students should be able to justify their decision and that this should involve
thinking of reasons why the other options are not suitable. After five minutes,
ask groups to feed back their ideas to the class. Students’ ideas will then be
confirmed in Exercise 7d.
d Students listen Audio 8.6 to answer the questions. They discuss their answers in
8.6 pages 105–106
Answers
Khalid gives James a written warning.
Yes, based on the evidence in the hearing, it is possible that James is not the only
person who is sleeping on night shifts.
e Students work alone to match the beginnings with the endings and then listen
again to Audio 8.6 to check their answers. Afterwards, go through the answers
with the class.
8.6 pages 105–106
Answers
2 d 3 b 4 f 5 e 6 a
8 Make sure students have a specific situation in mind. Go through the advice in
the box with the class. Then allow up to 10 minutes for each role play. Students
swap roles and repeat the activity, using a different situation. Afterwards, give
feedback on the effectiveness of the language and techniques used during the
disciplinary hearings.
Dealing with a grievance

Ask students to suggest a definition of the word grievance. Then write the
following sentences on the board.
1 An employee may ___ a grievance.
2 An employer should try to ___ that grievance.
Ask students to work in pairs to think of a range of verbs that could go in each
gap (or which collocate). If you think students might find this difficult, write the
words from the Suggested answers below in random order on the board and ask
students to match the verbs to the two sentences. Afterwards, discuss their ideas
with the class.
Suggested answers
1 have, discuss, raise (with his/her employer), inform (his/her employer) of
2 handle, resolve, deal with, address, settle
9 a Make sure students are all comfortable with the idea of grievances and grievance
procedures. They then discuss the questions in pairs. After a few minutes, open
up the discussion to include the whole class.
Suggested answers
1 To provide a legal structure and practical process for employees to raise
grievances.
2 See Exercise 9b.
b Students work alone to match the grievances with their definitions. When you
check with the class, ask students if they know of any real-life examples (but not
any that are confidential of course!) for each type of grievance.
Answers
2 d 3 f 4 b 5 g 6 h 7 a 8 c
c Students discuss the task in pairs, including justifications for their answers. Then
discuss the statements with the class. You could play devil’s advocate here, by
suggesting possible reasons to justify the ‘wrong’ answer. This will force students
to justify the ‘right’ answer.
Answers
1 informally 4 will
2 specific 5 can
3 in writing 6 possible
10 a Students read the email to answer the questions. They compare their answers in
Answers
1 To put her complaint on record.
2 Her manager, Bill Wallace.
3 Rudeness, sexism and victimisation.
4 She wants Khalid, as Personnel Manager, to make Bill stop.
5 Take legal advice.
Extension activity
The following link provides a background to a real-life example of
victimisation/discrimination from the UK. The case concerns a policeman from
West Yorkshire who was repeatedly overlooked for promotion.
http://www.unison.org.uk/acrobat/B367.pdf
With stronger classes, you could ask them to read the first page of the case
study. With weaker classes, you could explain the facts of the case. Students
could then work in two teams, one representing the employer, the other
representing the employee, to think of arguments for their side of the case.
Afterwards, put the two groups together to discuss the case. Finally, you
could give them the remaining two pages of the case study, or simply tell
them what was decided and why.
b Students discuss the questions in pairs and then share their answers with the
class. For the points in question 2, they should justify their answers.
Suggested answers
See Exercise 10c.
c Students read Khalid’s email to complete the tasks before feeding back to the
the class.
Answers
Options expressed:
a I acknowledge receipt
c I understand from your email that you are unhappy with the behaviour of your
manager, Bill Wallace
d I will conduct an informal investigation
Options not expressed: b, e
Extension activity
Ask students to identify phrases from Khalid’s email that they could use in
their own emails in response to a grievance.
Suggested answers
Thank you for your email [date] for which I acknowledge receipt.
I understand from your email that you are unhappy with …
Your aim in writing is to …
I take the matter very seriously and in the first instance I will …
After this, I will …
I will be in touch again within …
d Students could write their emails alone as a homework task or in groups in class.
Encourage them to use phrases from Khalid’s email.
11 a Go through the questions quickly with the class. Then play Audio 8.7 for students
to answer the questions. They discuss the questions in pairs, including any other
details they remember about the conversation, and then feed back to the class.
8.7 page 106
Answers
1 No
2 As one of those PC (politically correct) types
3 ‘love’
4 It’s not bad (but only because he watches her carefully)
5 Bullying
b Play Audio 8.7 again for students to identify words and phrases. You may need
to point out that Khalid’s name is Arabic, which suggests that he is of Muslim
origin. Afterwards, discuss the answers with the class.
8.7 page 106
Suggested answers
racist: Oh, sorry, I don’t suppose you people eat that.
sexist: Well, I call all the girls ‘love’.
Extension activity
Discuss with the class Khalid’s techniques for dealing with Bill’s unpleasant
behaviour during the interview. You could ask students to look at Audioscript
8.7 on page 106 of the Student’s Book.
Suggested answers
He completely ignores Bill’s racist comment about your people.
He asks questions (Why do you say that? In what way?) rather than confirming
that he is talking about that Jenny McKinsey. Bill’s use of that before her name
suggests hostility towards her.
He shows that he is not sympathising with Bill (I’m not sure I do) when Bill tries to
suggest his attitude is justified.
He avoids commenting on Bill’s general sexist attitude (I call all the girls ‘love’)
but keeps the discussion focused in this particular grievance.
He avoids reacting to Bill’s rude comments about Jenny (a young girl with a
marketing degree).
He turns the conversation from a focus on Jenny towards a focus on Bill’s attitude
and behaviour.
He avoids expressing his opinion in response to Bill’s challenge (You’re saying …,
aren’t you?), but continues to ask questions (I’m asking what you think).

d Students discuss the questions in pairs or small groups. After a few minutes,
open up the discussion to include the whole class.
Answers
1 If someone is politically correct, they avoid saying or doing something which
might be rude or even offensive to other people (especially things connected
to gender, sexuality, ethnicity/race, nationality or religion). For example, in
many English-speaking cultures the person who manages a meeting is called
a chairperson (or a chair) but not chairman (because it suggests only men do
this job, which is untrue in most companies today).
2 Suggested answer
The modern meaning of politically correct originally comes from the United
States, although similar ideas are common in many countries today (though
the meaning and influence of politically correct ideas varies).
Note
political correctness is a concept considered to have started in USA but is also
prevalent in the UK. It is an emotional term which is used by some to describe a
high level of sensitivity towards minority groups but by others, it is a pejorative
term that describes an absurd level of consideration. Its two main manifestations
are in the use of language and in policies and practices. For example, the terms
deaf and blind are replaced by people with hearing or visual impairments;
disabled becomes people with disabilities or other-abled people. Policy actions
tend to focus on not acting in a way which might marginalise minorities.
12 a Students discuss the task in pairs and then feed back to the class.
Suggested answers
a 4 – critical, judgemental and unhelpful
b 1, 5
c 2, 3
Note
The purpose of Khalid’s meeting is to gather information, assess Bill’s perspective
on the situation and to explore what kinds of solutions might be possible. It is
therefore unhelpful to make provocative or judgemental remarks, or to ask leading
questions.
b Students listen to Audio 8.8 to identify the questions. They discuss in pairs what
they remember about Bill’s responses to the questions and then feed back to the
class.
8.8 page 106
Answers
Questions 3 and 5
c Students discuss the questions in pairs and then share their ideas with the class.
Suggested answers
1 Khalid deals with Bill directly and fairly. He uses questions to explore Bill’s
options (have a dialogue about the situation), the consequences of his choices
(a formal grievance procedure) and what Bill would like to do (do you think it
would be possible to … ; Would you prefer that?)
2 a Probably yes. During his conversation with Khalid, Bill becomes less
confident, which suggests he may not be as strong as he appears to be at
first.
b Yes. It is better to avoid a formal grievance action if possible because this
will make working together in the future more possible and comfortable
for both people.
d Go through the questions quickly with the class and then play Audio 8.9 for
students to answer the questions. They discuss their answers in pairs before
8.9 page 106
Answers
1 Criticism of her work 3 No
2 No 4 Neither
e Ask students to start making notes in pairs and then to listen to Audio 8.9 again
to add to their notes. Afterwards, students compare notes in pairs and feed back
to the class.
8.9 page 106
f Students work in pairs to take turns to make sentences, using the sentence
beginnings. Afterwards, elicit the best answers from the class.
Suggested answers
As I understand it, there’s been something of a clash of personalities and
working styles.
According to Jenny, some of Bill’s comments are sexist, he is unreasonably
critical of her work and he would like to get her to leave.
Bill has confirmed that he can be hard but feels that he is fair and is not
trying to remove Jenny from the company by making her life unpleasant.
We all agree that Jenny’s work is of a good standard and that performance
is not an issue.
The main issue seems to be about the level and nature of supervision.
13 Students work in groups of three to role play the situation. If you prefer, you
could allow students to change the details of some of the grievances (e.g. using
the list of possible causes of grievance from Exercise 9b on Student’s Book page
67). Allow no more than around five minutes per role play, to allow every student
the chance to play the HR manager.


ACAS
ACAS is the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service. It is an independent,
government-funded body designed to encourage and support fair and legal
employment practices. It is neutral and not on the side of the employer or employee
but will freely give information to either party regarding the legal conditions of a
situation. As well as giving advice, the service can offer conciliation where they act
as a facilitator to help two parties to reach a voluntary agreement. The final level of
support is arbitration, in which both parties present their argument and undertake to
agree with the ruling of ACAS. This is sometimes used in large-scale disputes between
employers and unions that have reached an impasse.
Useful links
ACAS guide to Discipline and Grievance at Work, including samples of Discipline and
Grievance procedures: http://www.acas.org.uk/CHttpHandler.ashx?id=1043
Harassment and bullying at work

Harassment and bullying in the workplace is an extremely destructive and distressing
behaviour which is illegal. Bullying can be carried out by peers, often where one
person is victimised by the rest of a group or by a manager. The bullying is usually
of a psychological nature and may involve unreasonable criticism and undermining
somebody’s confidence. It may be combined with sexual harassment followed by
making someone’s working life very unpleasant if sexual advances have been rejected.
Because of peer pressure or fear of losing the job, victims often feel helpless and
unwilling to complain. Organisations have a duty to develop anti-bullying policies and
procedures and to take reasonable steps to ensure that it does not happen and to
take appropriate action when it does.
Useful links
CIPD factsheet: http://www.cipd.co.uk/subjects/dvsequl/harassmt/harrass.htm
Dismissal and unfair dismissal

Organisations have the right to dismiss an employee; however, this must be based
on reasonable grounds and conducted in the correct manner. Reasonable grounds
can include gross misconduct such as violence or theft, or repeated smaller offences
or refusal to accept instructions. Employees may also be dismissed on the basis of
incapability or incapacity; they lack the skill to do the job or are physically unable to
attend work for a long period. In all cases, it is important that employers work with a
legal disciplinary framework which is correctly followed. If the employee feels s/he
has been unfairly dismissed s/he may appeal firstly to the employer and then to
an independent employment tribunal. The ruling of the tribunal is legally binding.
Often, the employee’s case is upheld (supported) not because they did not deserve
to be sacked, but because the company failed to follow its own procedures and acted
illegally.
Employee representatives
Unions in many countries retain the right of employees to be represented, either
by a non-union employee representative or just another colleague. This can be of
benefit to the employer as it helps to ensure fair play and also provides a witness to
proceedings.
Human Resources
TEACHER’S NOTES
Unit 9
l Evaluating a reward system
Reward management
l Writing a reward strategy
l Introducing a new reward system
Go to page 130 for essential background information on the topic and

useful web links.
Evaluating a reward system

With books closed, write the words compensation and reward onto the board.
Ask students to suggest two definitions of each, one from general English and
one specifically for an HR context. Afterwards, students can compare their HR
definitions with those in Exercise 1a.
Answers
General English definitions:
Compensation is commonly associated with insurance. If something bad
happens to you (e.g. your bags are lost while you are flying), you may receive
compensation from the airline. If you have an accident at work, you may try to
claim compensation (for medical costs or other costs relating to the injury).
A reward is like a prize, given to thank somebody for their efforts. For example, if
you lose your cat, you may offer a reward to the person who finds your cat.
HR definitions: see Student’s Book page 70 Exercise 1a.
UNIT 9 Reward management
Suggested answers
2 As part of a continuing quality management process; because it has been
noticed that the reward system is not suitable for changing business needs.
3 1–3 years: businesses work in annual cycles and the needs of a business often
change after more than three years.
4 a Advantages: HR Department likely to be very familiar with the system, can
work flexibly because they are on site, saves on cost, likely to have many
contacts in the organisation.
Disadvantages: may be too close to be objective, may influence the
outcome to favour the HR Department, staff may not be completely open
if they fear giving negative feedback might be personally risky.
b Advantages: a consultant may be a specialist in analysing schemes,
can provide an uninvolved objective view, people may be more open to
someone outside of the organisation, the final report is perceived as
impartial and valuable.
Disadvantages: it is likely to be costly, consultant will have limited time
and limited flexibility, it may take time to build trust as not everybody
trusts consultants or their objectives, the consultant may not understand
or may need time to learn the specific company culture.
b Students work alone to complete the matching exercise and then feed back to the
class. Afterwards, they can test each other in pairs by reading a term to elicit a
definition or vice versa.
Answers
2 e 3 g 4 b
5 c 6 d 7 a 8 f
Note
●● A reward element is one part of the total rewards package. Increasingly the
rewards that employees receive in exchange for work is being seen as much
wider than just pay.
●● benchmarking is used widely in consultancies and larger organisations to gain
comparisons of wage levels and also product performance.
●● A spinal point is a point on a pay scale (sometimes called the spine). It is a
system widely used in the public sector in the UK.
●● job evaluation involves analysing many aspects of a job such as complexity,
autonomy and responsibility in order to determine its value to the organisation
and identify the appropriate pay level. It is done every few years and may lead
to some jobs being upgraded or downgraded.
●● An employee survey is a questionnaire that gathers employees’ opinions about
the company. These are frequently completed anonymously or carried out by an
external consultancy that produces an overall report.
●● grade shift occurs when a job drifts up or down a pay scale, although the level of
responsibility may not have changed.
●● Many organisations operate various bonus schemes to act as an incentive for
extra effort.
●● employee value proposition is the perception of the employee regarding the
balance between what they get from and give to the employer.
Extension activity
You could explore the reward system further by asking students the following
questions and asking them to note down their answers. After you have read
out all the questions, ask students to compare their answers in pairs. Then
they feed back to the whole class.
1 What are some examples of reward elements?
2 How exactly does benchmarking work? Why is it important?
3 What problems could there be in having too few or too many spinal
points?
4 Regarding job evaluation, in what ways could a job change over a number
of years? An Office Manager post, for example.
5 What are the possible consequences of asking employees to put their
names on their employee survey questionnaires?
6 What might cause grade shift?
7 What kinds of bonuses can companies offer?
8 What non-financial aspects might influence the employee value
proposition?
Suggested answers
1 Pay, bonuses, company car, pension, healthcare.
2 By making direct comparisons between companies regarding factors such as
pay and company performance. It is important because organisations need to
be aware of how they are performing in comparison with their competitors.
It can also help to determine wage rates by establishing industry norms.
Benchmarking is also used in the public service to measure comparative levels
of service within health authorities and local government organisations.
3 Too few could mean that people with different levels of responsibility receive
the same wage; too many may result in a complex scheme that is difficult to
operate.
4 The most common factors are changes in the number of staff supervised, level
of responsibility such as authorising invoices for large sums, changes in tasks
and systems.
5 There may be fewer responses and/or people may not be completely honest
with their answers, fearing that making negative comments will damage their
position in the organisation.
6 Although a particular job may not change, other jobs around it may do so,
giving it a different ranking in the overall order of positions.
7 Monthly sales bonus, cash bonus at the end of year, one-off awards such as
employee of the month, gift vouchers, prizes or holidays.
8 A reputation for being a ‘good’ employer, a moral stand on factors such as
environment and child labour, a market reputation as a prestigious company
to work for.
2 a Tell students to read about BelleBank to find out who Dirk Woulters and Jacek
Król are. Then play Audio 9.1 for students to mark the phrases they hear.
Afterwards, they discuss in pairs what they remember about each phrase and
then feed back to the class.
9.1 page 106–107
Answers
All 8 phrases are discussed: job evaluation, benchmarking, spinal point,
grade shift, reward element, employee survey, bonus scheme, employee value
proposition.
Note
●● return on investment (ROI) is the financial return in percentage terms of capital
invested.
●● the works means ‘everything’.
●● A focus group is a term from marketing where companies get a group of
members of the public to discuss their thoughts and feelings about a product.
In an HR context, it is a group of employees gathered to focus on a particular
issue.
b Students discuss in pairs if the statements are true or false and then listen again
to Audio 9.1 to check their answers. Go through the answers with the class.
9.1 page 106–107
Answers
1 F – Staff complain about the reward system but it is popular with the board.
2 T
3 F – He says the external consultant has not helped.
4 F – Benchmarking shows BelleBank is not the best or the worst employer.
5 T
6 F – Jacek thinks an employee survey would encourage more complaints.
7 T
3 a Ask students to discuss the task in pairs. Make sure they know to justify their
answers. Afterwards, discuss the task with the class.
Answers
Appropriate: 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 – because they focus on various aspects of the
reward system.
Inappropriate: 3, 7, 10 – because they could encourage an emotional reaction
(e.g. many employees could say they are not paid enough compared to the
directors).
Note
payroll administration is the process of managing payment of employees.
Sometimes this is managed within the accounting department and sometimes as a
sub-section of human resources.
b Discuss the question with the class.
Suggested answers
Advantages: they are easy to answer, give clear, black and white answers, easy to
score and generate statistical information.
Disadvantages: people may want to give an answer somewhere in between or
may want to explain their answer; the survey may therefore not reflect a true
picture, or may give a very simplistic explanation of people’s views.
c Students read the introduction to the survey to answer the questions. They
discuss their answers in pairs and then feed back to the class.
Answers
1 To make sure (ensure) that the reward system is suitable (effective and
rewarding).
2 Email Jacek or put it in a box outside the Personnel Office.
3 No.
4 The date when surveys must be completed; how the survey should be
completed (put a tick (✓), a cross (✗), a number, etc.).
Extension activity
Use the following questions to discuss the language from Jacek’s message
with the class:
1 In the first sentence, why did he put the reason (In order to …) before the
request (… we would be …)?
2 What phrase did he use to make his request very polite?
3 What two phrases did Jacek use to show that the survey will be quick and
easy?
4 Why do you think Jacek used the passive (… can be returned …) in the
second paragraph?
5 Think about your answer to question 4 (Exercise 3c). How could Jacek
have added the two missing pieces of information ? (completion date and
how to complete the survey, e.g. tick, cross, etc.)
Suggested answers
1 To make the request less aggressive; to draw maximum attention to the fact
that this is for the employees’ own benefit, not HR’s.
2 … we would be most grateful if you would …
3 a little time, the brief survey
4 To avoid having to refer to the survey three times (You can return the surveys
by email or print them and return them …). In this case, the active voice
would also be acceptable, and may in fact make the email a little friendlier.
5 Please complete the brief survey below by [date]; For each statement below,
tick the box which is closest to your view.
d Students work alone to rewrite the questions. Make sure they know to rewrite
only the appropriate ones (i.e. questions 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 8 and 9). Afterwards,
discuss the best answers with the class.
Suggested answers
2 I understand how the bonus scheme operates.
4 I am aware of my non-financial rewards.
5 I understand the overtime payment system.
6 I think non-financial rewards are important.
8 I am satisfied with the company healthcare plan.
9 The payroll administration is efficient.
e Students work alone to answer the questions. They discuss their answers in pairs
Answers
1 22%
2 Suggested answers
People don’t read all their emails, employees didn’t think it was a priority,
if employees are unhappy they may not be interested in replying, they may
receive many surveys, (in Jacek’s case) no completion date was included so
employees may be planning to do it in future or may have forgotten to do it.
4 a payroll administration
b bonus scheme
5 Fairness of rewards, overtime system, awareness and importance of non-
financial rewards.
f Students work alone to answer the questions. They discuss their answers in pairs
Answers
1 a Payroll (efficiency), healthcare (covers family members and leisure
cards for swimming pools and gyms), enjoyable place to work, training
programme is a perk.
b Bonus scheme (unfair, demotivating).
2 End the bonus scheme.
3 indirect benefits, perks
Extension activity
You could ask students to look at the ways in which the actual comments of
the focus group have been reported in the summary. Ask students to read
the summary again and underline all the examples of reporting, for example:
The focus group recognised that …
After a few minutes, ask students to compare the words they have underlined
in pairs. Then write up the phrases on the board. Ask students to suggest
what members of the focus group might actually have said, for example:
‘Well, most of us think that HR is really well organised and well managed too.
For example, we all think that the payroll system is really well run.’ (Obviously
there are many different possible answers for this and students should be
aware that this is the case.)
Finally, discuss the use of tenses in the reporting structures.
Elicit from the class all the phrases used in the summary to report opinions.
Discuss also the tenses used after the reporting structures. Elicit some
examples of what the members of the focus group actually said.
Suggested answers
Reporting structures
The Focus Group recognised that …
People felt that …
The focus group also saw that …
The majority of the group see … as …
However, everyone agreed that …
Everybody wants … to …
4 Go through the useful language in the box. Students then work in groups of up
to five students to discuss the results and their implications. Allow around 10
minutes for the role plays, and then give and elicit feedback on the language
used as well as the results of the discussions.
Writing a reward strategy

Ask students to brainstorm a list of different pay packages, e.g. fixed salary,
basic plus commission, productivity bonus, extra reward based on manager
assessment, share of company profits. Then discuss with the class which
packages they (as employees) would prefer and why.
5 a Students discuss the questions in pairs and then feed back to the class.
Suggested answers
2 Inputs: effort, creativity and innovation, loyalty, attendance, compliance with
rules.
Outputs: productivity, sales, profit, customer feedback.
3 Advantages: can motivate employees, can result in greater effort and
productivity.
Disadvantages: can be time-consuming, can be demotivating to those who do
not benefit.
Note
inputs and outputs are two different criteria against which to assess and reward
workers. At first sight, it may seem to make more sense to reward people primarily
on outputs, namely, productivity and impact on profits. However, it can also be
argued that where there are two workers in the same job and one puts in more
effort, that extra effort should be recognised and rewarded.
Extension activity
You could also discuss with the class whether extra effort by an employee
should be rewarded even if it doesn’t impact on profits.
b Students work alone to start completing the table and then discuss the answers
in pairs. When you check with the class, discuss each term from the table,
including which they would find most attractive as part of their own pay package.
Answers
Financial (any order): bonus, flexible benefits, leisure card, share ownership
Non-financial (any order): autonomy, flexible working hours, participation in
decision making, work–life balance
Note
●● flexible benefits are when the employee chooses his/her own preferred balance
of benefits. For example, employee A may prefer more holiday while employee B
wants a leisure card and private health cover.
●● work–life balance has become an important topic over the past ten years or
so. As a reaction to burnout (when people become too exhausted to work
effectively) and stress, many people became more aware of the importance of
balancing career with other factors such as family, friends and health.
●● profit share is used as a means of linking overall company profitability to
individual bonuses. This has the advantage for the company of not paying
bonuses on poor performing years. However, bonuses are not usually
guaranteed and it may be difficult to maintain staff motivation for a whole year
if they are not sure whether or not they will receive their bonus.
Extension activity
The issue of work–life balance can generate plenty of good discussion. You
could ask the class to discuss the following questions:
●● Are people becoming less interested purely in pay and more interested in
getting and keeping a good work–life balance?
●● If so, how might this change the way a company designs its reward system?
If you have access to the Internet in the classroom, you could show the
following presentation on the topic of work–life balance: http://www.youtube.
com/watch?v=SXM7MpoVAD0 (you may want to start at 0’59” as the
introduction may be a little challenging for the students – though the core of
the talk should be manageable for students at B1–B2).
Students watch the clip to make notes on the presenter’s four main
observations. Afterwards, students work in groups to discuss each of these
observations in turns and then share their ideas with the class.
c Students discuss the questions in pairs and then feed back to the class.
Suggested answers
The employee: provide a wider variety of benefits, which may be important,
useful and motivating.
The employer: saves money while motivating employees in a way that is attractive
to them.
6 a Ask students to read the introduction to find out what approach BelleBank
Poland is going to use and what it means. Students then work alone to read the
strategy document to complete the task. They discuss their answers in pairs
Answers
1 T
2 F – Wages will only increase if the bank’s profits improve.
3 T
4 F – Staff will be rewarded for working during national holidays, doing overtime
or working in shifts.
5 T
6 T
7 F – PRP (performance-related pay) will stop (discontinue).
Note
●● A total rewards approach is an approach to designing a reward system based
on all aspects of reward that might be attractive to employees.
●● A benchmarking table is a league table which ranks organisations against the
same factor(s).
●● A single spinal column system is one where all jobs from the lowest to the
highest are placed on the same scale, with each being placed on a different
point. In this way it is possible to see how many points there are between jobs
and effectively creates a common currency. See http://www.ucu.org.uk/index.
cfm?articleid=2210 for an example.
●● preferred office space refers to giving some workers the opportunity to choose
their office; this may be with an outside window or on a particular floor. There is
often a higher status attached to having an individual office rather than working
in an open space shared with many other workers.
●● A lump sum is a single payment.
●● A loyalty bonus is money paid to staff for remaining with the company. This is
often paid to workers whose skills are in high demand but short supply.
●● A share option scheme gives employees the option to buy shares in their
company, sometimes at below market rates or as a bonus paid in shares.
b Students discuss the three questions in pairs. After a few minutes, open up
the discussion to include the whole class. Encourage students to give specific
examples in their discussions.
Answers
1 They will review the system every year.
2 Suggested answers
By offering rewards that are more accessible to or more attractive to part
of the workforce, e.g. football tickets, weekend breaks, or incentives to work
nights or overtime.
3 Conduct research with employees, conduct regular equality reviews.
Note
An organisation should make sure that a reward system does not favour one group
of people over another. This is called equality proofing. This involves making sure
that a company’s policies, procedures and practices do not favour or discriminate
against any group of employees. Although cases of blatant discrimination are
becoming less frequent, companies may still discriminate without meaning to or
realising it. Typical examples include the timing of meetings and training courses
in evenings and weekends, locations or activities inaccessible to people with
disabilities, excessive travel away from home and career development dependent
upon frequent relocation, both of which may exclude single parents or people with
young families. It is important to remember that equality is about fairness and
inclusiveness and not designed exclusively for the protection of women and ethnic
minorities. It is therefore possible that a white male could be a victim of inequality.
c Ask students to work alone to complete the collocations and then to check in
Answers
1 strategy 4 system
2 system 5 number
3 basic pay levels 6 staff
Suggested answers
1 has been developed; have been established
2 will be administered, will be simplified, will be reduced, will be entitled
3 The passive is often used in formal writing. The passive shows that the object
of the activity (e.g. the strategy, basic pay levels) is more important than the
person or people doing the activity (e.g. HR).
Extension activity
You could also ask students to discuss these additional questions:
1 What is the form of the present perfect passive?
2 Why did the writer choose present perfect and not past simple in this
document?
3 What is the form of the future simple passive?
4 Why did the writer choose the future simple (will) and not another future
tense structure (e.g. going to)?
5 How could you say sentences 1–5 from Exercise 6c in the active voice?
Use we.
6 Is it possible to say sentence 6 in the active voice?
Suggested answers
1 have been
2 To emphasise that the present results (i.e. the strategy itself, the pay levels)
are more important than the time the events happened.
3 will be
4 Will is often used in more formal documents. One important function of will
is to make promises. Promises made with will sound stronger than decisions
described by going to.
5 1 We have developed the strategy through …
2 … how we will administer the system
3 We have established basic pay levels through …
4 Over the next year, we will simplify the current grading system
5 We will reduce the number of grades …
6 Yes, but we don’t normally use a human subject (i.e. not We will entitle you
to … ). The subject needs to be something you have, such as a position in
a company or the length of your experience: Your position/experience will
entitle you to a company car …
e Students work alone to rewrite the sentences. Make sure they know to change
the tenses where appropriate, and to delete any inappropriate information.
They compare their answers in pairs before feeding back to the class.
Suggested answers
1 The strategy has been developed through employee consultation.
2 This document will set out how the new reward system will be administered.
3 A new grading system has been established.
4 The current system will be simplified.
5 Some staff will be entitled to a company car.

7 Students write their reward strategies as a homework task or in pairs in the lesson.
Encourage them to use the strategy on Student's Book page 74 as a model.
Introducing a new reward system

Write the following on the board:
accounting communication continuity technology
Then ask students to imagine an organisation that is going to replace its existing
reward system with a new one, and ask them to discuss what practical issues the
organisation will need to think about to make sure that the transition to the new
system works effectively. Students work in pairs to discuss the question, using the
four issues to help them. Then open up the discussion to the whole class.
Suggested answers
●● accounting: procedures may need to change and this may require training of
staff and new software (depending on the nature of the change).
●● communication: all staff need to be fully informed about the nature of the
change, when the old system will be discontinued and when the new one will
start. Furthermore, staff (such as those in accounting) will need full information
about the schedule for the implementation of the scheme.
●● continuity: the changeover needs to involve the minimum disruption to
employees; everybody still needs to get paid the right amount and on time.
●● technology: new software or programmes may need to be installed which
may require training for staff on how to operate them. IT staff may need to
work with accounting staff to select an appropriate software package. Training
rooms and trainers will need to be booked, etc.
Suggested answers
1 Level of information provided, how well it is introduced, how well the new
system works, whether employees felt it is an improvement or not and staff
attitude towards it.
2 Have a well managed system, provide quality information in a variety of
formats and encourage people to be involved.
b Make sure students remember who Dirk and Jacek are (see Exercise 2a). Ask
students to read through the six statements first and then listen to Audio 9.2 to
decide if they are true or false. Afterwards, they compare their answers in pairs,
including any other details they remember from the recording, and then feed
back to the class.
9.2 page 107
Answers
1 F – The strategy has been approved.
2 F – Jacek suggests filing the document, but Dirk disagrees.
3 T
4 T
5 T
6 F – Dirk suggests putting all the information onto the intranet.
c Students work alone to match the beginnings with the endings and then listen
again to Audio 9.2 to check. Go through the answers with the class.
9.2 page 107
Answers
2 e 3 c 4 a 5 b 6 g 7 h 8 f
9 a Ask students to read the email quickly to answer the question before feeding
back to the class.
Answer
To explain the results of the reward scheme review.
b Students discuss the questions in pairs and then share their ideas with the class.
Suggested answers
1 No. The style is very informal and the information is limited and not always
clear.
2 He should make it more formal and clearer.
c Ask students to work alone to complete the email. They discuss their answers in
Answers
1 Reward scheme 7 has been 12 The most significant
2 announcement 8 completed change is that
3 employee 9 employees 13 discontinued
4 pleased to 10 would like to 14 provide
5 important 11 helpful and 15 shortly
6 complete informative
Answers
More positive or enthusiastic: 4, 5, 6, 12, 15
More formal and polite: 1, 2, 3, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 13, 14
e Students work alone to rewrite the email. Make sure they know to change the
grammar of the sentence where necessary. They may also use their own ideas for
improving the email. When they have discussed their improved emails in pairs,
discuss the answers with the class.
Suggested answer
Furthermore, we plan to simplify the grading system. The total rewards system
will include a wide range of benefits. For details, just log onto the intranet.
Managers need to bear in mind that they are required to communicate details
through team briefings.
That concludes this update, but feel free to contact HR if you require any further
information.
Regards
Jacek
10 a Put students into small groups of three to four students for this discussion.
Make sure they have a specific organisation in mind. If students worked alone or
in different groups to write the strategy document for Exercise 7, make sure all
students in each group are familiar with the relevant strategy document before
they begin. They should complete the activity as a role play, using as many of
the phrases for making suggestions from Exercise 8c as they can. Allow around
five minutes for the role plays. Afterwards, give feedback on the success of the
communication and the quality of the language you heard.
b Students could write their emails as a homework task or in their groups.

Reward strategy
Establishing and writing a reward strategy is one of the most important jobs that HR
needs to do. It will have significant financial implications for the company as the wages
bill is one of the greatest costs for most businesses. It is likely that HR departments
will have to operate within financial constraints set at board level. Reward strategies
have become more wide-ranging and sophisticated, often incorporating a total rewards
approach (see below). This gives the company the opportunity to make an attractive
offer to the employee, while deriving maximum benefit from the available resources.
Useful links
Reward strategy – a practical guide: http://www.employment-studies.co.uk/pdflibrary/
mp11.pdf
Reward strategy examples: http://www.gov.mu/portal/sites/ncb/fsc/reward.htm
PwC case study: http://www.pwc.co.uk/eng/services/alexander_mann_group_case_
study.html
Total rewards
A total rewards approach encompasses all aspects of the employee experience. It is
often considered by many to consist of the following five elements:
●● pay
●● benefits
●● work–life balance
●● recognition
●● career opportunities
All of these factors have some value to the employee and can therefore be designed
into a reward package and strategy.
Financial and non-financial rewards

It might be argued that all rewards cost the company money in some respect.
For example, a leisure card is not financial from the employee’s perspective but it
obviously costs the organisation money to fund. Purely non-financial rewards relate
to psychological rewards such as recognition and praise and the flexibility to enhance
work–life balance (e.g. being able to leave early to collect children from school).
Useful links
What is total rewards: http://awlp.org/awlp/about/html/aboutus-whatis.html
Strategic reward and total reward: http://www.cipd.co.uk/subjects/pay/general/
totrewdqf.htm
Flexible benefits
Flexible benefits may be considered as a ‘benefit buffet’ whereby employees choose
which benefits they value most. For example, some people may be purely interested in
maximising their pay, whilst others value longer holidays or flexitime more highly.
Useful links
Flexible benefits: http://www.employeebenefits.co.uk/benefits/flexible-benefits.html
Case study (Honda): http://www.employeebenefits.co.uk/item/11827/23/316/3
The employee value proposition

The employee value proposition describes the overall perception of the employee
regarding the exchange of his or her time for compensation in money and other
benefits.
Employees’ satisfaction will be greatly influenced by the perception of whether or not
they think they are getting a good deal.
Useful links
The employee value proposition: http://www.recruitersnetwork.com/articles/article.
cfm?ID=1456
Performance-related pay (PRP)

Performance-related pay simply seeks to link increased pay to improved results. It is
a philosophy based on rewarding outputs, (what people produce) rather than inputs
(what effort people put in). At face value it makes sense, but the reality has been
that it is not so easy to introduce in all circumstances. The idea gained considerable
popularity in the 1980s and was widely introduced in the public sector in order to
raise service standards and make people more accountable for their work. However,
whilst it is easy to make a reward link for a salesperson’s job, it is not so easy for
administrative, academic and technical jobs, particularly in larger organisations. Many
organisations have now modified their approach to use a hybrid of input and output
measurements.
Useful links
Performance related pay: http://www.cipd.co.uk/subjects/perfmangmt/perfrelpay/
prefrelpay.htm
Work–life balance
Work–life balance as a notion started to become popular in the late 1980s as a
response to executive burnout. Many people started to realise that although they had
highly successful careers, they had paid a very high price in terms of family sacrifices
and damage to personal health and well-being. Many training courses were developed
and awareness raised to help people to redress the balance and redefine the meaning
of success.
Useful links
Case study (NHS): http://www.employeebenefits.co.uk/item/12188/23/305/3
Human Resources
TEACHER’S NOTES
Unit 10
l Creating an HR brand
HR branding
and consulting
l Communicating the brand message
l Negotiating service level agreements
l Developing a consultancy role
Go to page 145 for essential background information on the topic and

useful web links.
Creating an HR brand
Explain to the group that the unit concerns how HR is presented to the outside
world and employees within the company. Then ask them to discuss these
questions:
●● What role, if any, does marketing play in HR?
●● What role does HR play in marketing?
Suggested answers
●● HR teams need to market themselves and their skills to other parts of
their organisation. They have to demonstrate that they add value to the
organisation and are not just a cost. If organisations fail to appreciate the
value of HR, its budget may be cut or its work may be outsourced.
●● Directly, wherever HR’s work is visible to the outside world, e.g. the
recruitment webpage, job adverts, interviewing candidates (who may later
become customers), etc. Less directly, training (e.g. customer service skills,
quality, etc.) is a key part of marketing. Finally, a happy workforce can be
the most effective form of marketing, as employees speak highly of their
organisation and enhance its reputation. Conversely, if the organisation
treats its employees badly, they can seriously undermine the organisation’s
marketing efforts.
1 a Ask students to work alone to complete the matching exercise and then to
compare their answers in pairs. Make sure students realise that although this
exercise focuses on marketing rather than HR, its relevance will become clearer
as the unit progresses. When you go through the answers with the class, elicit
what students know about each term.
Answers
2 c 3 f 4 d 5 e 6 a
UNIT 10 HR branding and consulting
Note
●● platform is the overall term for all the brand elements. Marketers build a
platform.
●● mission describes the main purpose of a product, service or company. It could
be argued that the true mission is to make a profit, but usually the word
mission implies some higher level of purpose. Sometimes this might be about
functionality (e.g. to be easy to use) or about market position (e.g. to be the
world’s favourite retailer).
●● vision is important because in order for people to connect with the brand, they
need to imagine and visualise the brand experience.
●● values are important because increasingly, consumers make judgements about
companies, (whether they want to buy their products or work for them) based
on their moral behaviour.
●● personality in branding seeks to give a product human characteristics that
people either relate to or aspire to. From an HR perspective, a company may
describe itself as friendly, although in reality the company itself is inanimate.
●● tone refers to how the brand is delivered, e.g. quickly, politely, totally; as such, it
nearly always uses adverbs.
Extension activity
Tell students to work in small groups. Each group should choose a well-known
brand, such as a make of car, a soft drink, etc. They then try to identify the
brand mission, personality, etc., for their chosen brand. Afterwards, discuss
their ideas with the class.
You could also approach the same question from an employee’s point of view.
This may be less easy, as many organisations do not promote themselves
as employers to the same extent as they promote their goods and services.
One strong exception is McDonald’s, which uses TV and cinema adverts to
promote itself as an employer.
If you have access to the Internet in the classroom, you could play an extract
from the following video, http://www.youtube.com/user/mcdonaldscorp#p/
u/40/2e-VY_wXmys, where McDonald’s uses its reputation as a good employer
as part of its mainstream marketing efforts. The video consists of employees
at McDonald’s telling personal stories about their experiences of working for
the company. The employees promote strong professional aspects (career
development, good wages) and personal aspects (they enjoy working with
customers, they work hard but have good fun and have made friends) of their
work.
b Students discuss the questions in pairs and then share their ideas with the class.
Suggested answers
1 By treating the company as a market and its services as products.
2 To communicate what services it provides, send a message about the style of
HR and raise the profile of HR within the company.
2 a Ask students to read the introduction to Real-Time Consulting to find out what it
does. Discuss with the class what the term real-time technology solutions might
mean (see Note on page 134). Then ask students to read through the statements
to check they understand all the words. You may need to check students’
understanding of tagline (see Note below). Students then listen to Audio 10.1
to complete the task. They discuss their answers in pairs, including anything else
they remember about the conversation, before feeding back to the class.
10.1 page 107
Answers
1 T
2 F – Paula has been working on taglines but Bernhard explains that this is not
the right starting point.
3 T
4 T
Note
●● real-time technology solutions are solutions that must be delivered within a
specific, often very short, timeframe in order to be effective. Some examples are
alarm systems, car braking systems, traffic and rail signalling.
●● A tagline is a short sentence which summarises a brand.
●● A centre of excellence is a place where best practice and high standards are
developed, demonstrated and taught. Companies may develop their own centre
of excellence for management or other skills.
b Ask students to work alone to complete the matching exercise and then to listen
to Audio 10.1 again to check.
10.1 page 107
Answers
2 a 3 e 4 f 5 b 6 c
c Ask students to read the corporate objectives and then to discuss the three
questions in pairs. After a few minutes, open up the discussion to include the
whole class.
Suggested answers
1 Because the HR Department should serve the needs of the business.
2 To maintain and develop … – because it relates most closely to the core
function of HR.
3 respond, develop, dynamic
Extension activity
You could explore company mission statements further by asking students to
answer questions 2 and 3 in Exercise 2c for the mission statement of their
own organisation(s). Alternatively, you could print off some authentic mission
statements from the Internet, for example: http://www.missionstatements.com/
company_mission_statements.html (you will need to click on one of the boxes
to view the mission statements).
3 a Make sure all students have a specific organisation in mind before they begin.
Make sure they also understand all the words in the survey (see the Extension
activity on page 135 for ideas). Students then work alone to complete the two
survey questions and discuss their answers in pairs. Afterwards, ask one or two
pairs of students to feed back to the class.
Note
The purpose of question 1 in Paula’s survey is to see whether there is a mismatch
between what the HR department does and how it is perceived internally by other
departments and staff. For example, HR may believe that it is providing support
and advice whereas employees perceive it as acting in a policing role and checking
up on people.
In general, there has been a shift away from procedural behaviour towards a more
consultative approach, but perceptions of HR within companies are not always
favourable and that is something that an HR department needs to manage and
improve.
Extension activity
You can review the adjectives which appear in part 2 of Paula’s survey by
photocopying and distributing the following worksheet to students before
they begin Exercise 3a.
approachable
authoritarian bureaucratic
consultative
creative
dynamic efficient flexible friendly proactive
radical reactive reliable responsive satisfactory
Which adjective in the box means that

1 other people can trust that you will do what you say you will do?
2 you have original ideas?
3 you pay attention to what others say and take action based on that?
4 you don’t waste time, money or effort?
5 you are nice, with a positive attitude towards other people?
6 you are prepared to be completely different, to take extreme risks or to
try something completely new?
7 people feel they can come to you at any time for advice or help?
8 you use your power to impose decisions on others?
9 you take action without waiting to be told or forced to take it?
10 you may be good enough at something, but not excellent?
11 you have a lot of procedures, documentation and rules, which others
might find excessive?
12 you ask for other people’s opinions and advice before making decisions?
13 you have a lot of energy and that you make things happen?
14 you are prepared to change your plans and your ideas to adapt to the
situation?
15 you generally take action only after you have been asked or forced to do
it?
Answers
1 reliable 6 radical 11 bureaucratic
2 creative 7 approachable 12 consultative
3 responsive 8 authoritarian 13 dynamic
4 efficient 9 proactive 14 flexible
5 friendly 10 satisfactory 15 reactive
b Students discuss the questions in pairs and then feed back to the class.
Suggested answers
1 That it is solid and reliable but not very dynamic or innovative.
2 No.
c Ask students to listen to Audio 10.2 and mark the words from the survey that
they hear. In pairs, they discuss what was said about each word and then feed
back to the class.
10.2 page 107
Answers
partner, advisor, creative, proactive, consultative, radical, dynamic, friendly,
approachable, reliable
(Paula also uses the term administrative function, but she doesn’t use
administrator.)
Note
A service portfolio table shows the complete set of services delivered by a
department in an organisation (e.g. HR).
d Students discuss the four questions in pairs to see how much they remember and
then listen to Audio 10.2 again to check their answers. Afterwards, discuss the
questions with the class, including students’ experience or knowledge of service
portfolio tables.
10.2 page 107
Answers
1 They are not happy.
2 That HR is reliable.
3 Key services and main activities.
4 It is a planning tool to help HR define its range of services.
4 a Students work in pairs to discuss the abbreviations and then feed back to the
class.
Answers
D&G – discipline and grievance
R&S – recruitment and selection
F2F – face-to-face
SLAs – service level agreements
KPIs – key performance indicators
Note
●● development activities cover all activities aimed at developing employees such
as coaching, mentoring and on the job training. HR and employee development
departments are very keen to encourage people to think about development as
covering a wider range of activities than just training courses.
●● A business partner role is one in which HR has an important strategic role in
the direction of the business as a whole, rather than just delivering HR and
personnel services. HR in this role aims to become a value adding service
through listening and responding to employee needs. For a fuller explanation,
see Background information and useful web links on page 145.
●● service delivery methods describe the different ways in which services are
delivered. Traditionally, this just involved straightforward delivery (e.g. the HR
department physically perform the action). Now, it may include self-service HR
and a greater use of technologically delivered services. Examples include holiday
records being updated by employees themselves or conducting feedback using
an electronic template.
●● contracting with other departments has its origins in business unit
management, which was a concept created by the Boston Consultancy Group to
encourage greater accountability amongst managers by identifying their area of
budget responsibility. This led to cross-charging internal customers for services
delivered, in order to recover costs. The final link in this chain of events was to
formalise the contracting through service level agreements (SLAs).
b Students work alone to complete the definitions and then check in pairs before
Answers
1 succession planning
2 strategic partnering
3 self-service HR
4 human capital management
5 internal consultancy
Additional activity Unit 10: Exploring the HR service portfolio

If students would like to explore the HR service portfolio in more detail, you
can use the Additional activity worksheet for Unit 10 in the Resources section
of the course website.
5 a Quickly elicit from the class the meaning of the terms in the model (as described
in Exercise 1a). Then play Audio 10.3 for students to answers the two questions.
They compare their answers in pairs before feeding back to the class.
10.3 pages 107–108
Answers
1 brand platform, brand mission, brand vision
2 internal, external
Note
internal customers are all employees who receive a service from other departments
and colleagues. Ultimately, everybody in an organisation is an internal customer
of everyone else. The concept supports cooperation between individuals and
departments.
b Students work alone to match the sentence halves and then listen to Audio 10.3
again to check their answers. Go through the answers with the class.
10.3 pages 107–108
Answers
1 b 2 c 3 d 4 e
5 a
c Students discuss the questions in pairs. After a few minutes, open up the
d You may need to check students’ understanding of some of the words in the
box before they begin the task (e.g. considerately, impartiality, innovative and
qualities may be words unfamiliar to B1 and B2 students). Students work alone
to complete the table and then compare their answers with a partner before
considerately: kindly and helpfully
impartiality: behaving objectively or in a way that does not support any of the sides
involved in an argument
innovative: using new methods or ideas
qualities: characteristics or features of someone or something
Answers
1 will create 6 are leaving
2 will use 7 impartiality
3 to provide 8 qualities
4 see 9 innovative
5 are enjoying 10 considerately
Note
The employer brand is how the company is perceived and the HR brand represents
how HR is perceived. To a potential candidate that might be one and the same, but
to existing employees it may be different.
e Students complete the task in pairs and then feed back to the class.
Answers
1 Personality 4 Platform
2 Tone 5 Mission
3 Values 6 Vision
Extension activity
Ask students to work in pairs to suggest other:
●● nouns that could be used to describe brand values
●● adjectives that could be used to describe brand personality
●● adverbs that could be used to describe brand tone.
Students then feed back their ideas to the class. You could also make a list
on the board.
Suggested answers
●● brand values: patience, integrity, creativity
●● brand personality: positive, approachable, enthusiastic
●● brand tone: efficiently, calmly, creatively
6 Make sure students have a specific organisation in mind. If you prefer, you could
make this a light-hearted and imaginative exercise, by allowing students to create
their brand platforms for an old-fashioned organisation or one with no respect
for employees.
Communicating the brand message

7 Students discuss the questions in pairs and then feed back to the class.
Suggested answers
1 senior management, all employees and potential employees
8 a Ask students to work alone to read the email and answer the questions. Allow
students to discuss their answers in pairs before feeding back to the class.
Suggested answers
1 To explain improvements to the service HR provides to employees.
2 Yes
3 b
b Students quickly read the improved version. Discuss the question with the class.
Suggested answers
She has made the email more engaging and interesting.
c Students work alone to add the phrases to the email. Then ask them to compare
Answers
1 as part of our modernisation programme
2 also
3 even more
4 in addition to this
5 quickly and simply whenever you want
6 further
7 for an informal chat about how we may help you
8 We hope HR is working for you!
Extension activity
Ask students to look again at the phrases in bold in the text in Exercise
8b and the phrases in the box in Exercise 8c and ask them to discuss the
following questions in pairs:
1 Which phrases make the email more positive and enthusiastic?
2 Which phrases provide additional information?
3 Which phrases help the email flow more naturally, and fit together more
logically?
4 Which phrases make the email more personal and friendly?
Then feed back to the whole class. Make it clear to students that a number
of possible answers are correct and a word or phrase could be the answer to
more than one question in some cases.
Suggested answers
1 are delighted to release; newly; high; we hope HR is working for you!; even
more; further; quickly and simply
2 as part of our modernisation programme
3 still; also; in addition to this
4 that you have come to expect; for an informal chat about how we may help
you; We hope HR is working for you!; whenever you want
9 a Make sure students realise the discussion is about websites for external
customers (and not intranet sites, for example). Students discuss the two
questions in pairs and then feed back to the class.
b Students work alone to read the careers page and find the information on the
website. They check in pairs before feeding back to the class.
Answers
1 Store roles, Head office roles
2 Apply now
3 Rewards & benefits
4 Trainee management scheme
Suggested answers
The company can show that it does more than just make a profit. Future
employees might want to work for a company which has similar values.
d Students work alone to complete the sentences and then check in pairs before
Answers
1 You will have the chance to gain experience in a number of locations.
2 Our levels of pay are extremely competitive.
3 Do you take graduates?
4 We are looking for a design engineer.
5 We actively pursue ethical and environmental policies.
6 We offer a comprehensive technical skills building programme.
e Students work alone to complete the task and then feed back to the class.
Answers
a 4 b 1 c 3
d 6 e 2 f 5
If you have access to the Internet in your classroom, search for the careers
page of other well-known organisations for students to look at (e.g. https://
jobs.bbc.co.uk/fe/tpl_bbc01.asp). Ask students to identify sections similar to
those in Exercise 9e and useful phrases in those sections similar to the ones
in Exercise 9d.
Students create their own HR websites, using the examples they have studied
in this section as models. They could work alone at home or in groups in
class.
Negotiating service level agreements

Books closed, write ‘service level agreement (SLA)’ on the board and ask students
if they know what it is and if any students have experience of working with them.
Do not confirm answers yet but ask them to turn to Student’s Book page 83.
Suggested answer
A service level agreement (SLA) defines what service(s) one department can offer
another and how much each service costs.
Suggested answers
1 Advantages: people know exactly what they are getting, can choose which
services to have. Disadvantages: it takes extra time and bureaucracy on
internal accounting systems.
2 payroll, training, recruitment, discipline
Note
SLAs (see http://www.slatemplate.com/ for an example), are very popular with IT
departments, which bill other departments for their service. They can also be used
with other departments that provide a service for the rest of the organisation, such
as finance, legal services or administration.
b Discuss briefly with the class what an SLA with the Accounting department might
include. Students read the three statements and then listen to Audio 10.4. They
discuss their answers in pairs, including anything else they remember from the
conversation, before feeding back to the class.
10.4 page 108
Answers
1 F – Bernhard suggests that it is better to discuss the SLA informally before
they write the contracts.
2 T
3 F – Simone wants to be responsible for recruitment because she feels that HR
do not have specialist knowledge of accountancy.
c Students read through the expressions first to try to remember who said what
and then listen to Audio 10.4 again to check their answers. You may want to
explain to students that this is a prediction task which will make listening easier
– they are not being expected to recall every word. When you check with the
class, elicit the context that each phrase was used in.
10.4 page 108
Answers
1 S 2 B 3 S 4 S 5 B 6 S 7 B 8 B
The contexts for the answers are:
●● I guess we’d better get down to business (getting the meeting started)
●● And how about recruitment and selection? (asking if these are to be part of the
SLA)
●● You know, I’ve been thinking about that. (that = if recruitment and selection
are to be part of the SLA)
●● The thing is, a lot of accounting positions … (justifying why HR’s support in
recruitment and selection may not be needed)
●● I don’t doubt it. (agreeing that Simone is the best judge of who to recruit for
her department)
●● Therefore, with respect, I’m not sure what added value HR brings …
(questioning whether HR’s services are needed)
●● I can understand your point of view. I’d like to suggest that … (responding to
the suggestion that HR doesn’t add value to the recruitment process)
d Students work alone to complete the exercise and then feed back to the class.
Answers
a 3, 4, 6, 7 b 5 c 1, 2, 8
Extension activity
Students work in pairs to think of more phrases for the three functions.
Suggested answers
a There’s one thing that still bothers me, though … ; I can see what you’re
saying, but …
b Absolutely; Yes, that’s a good point.
c Why don’t we …?; Let’s …
e Students discuss the question in pairs. After a few minutes, open up the
Extension activity
You could continue the discussion from Exercise 10e by asking students
to suggest more examples of employees with special skills, where HR may
have a limited role in recruitment and selection. You could also elicit some
examples of employees who do not need special skills, where HR could
conduct the whole recruitment/selection process without the need for support
from department managers, etc.
f Students work alone to complete the SLA template. They check in pairs before
Answers
1 clearly define 5 organisational development
2 Services provided 6 payroll administration
3 billing arrangements 7 reference checking
4 reviewed annually
11 Make sure students have a specific department in mind, and preferably a specific
organisation. Students work in pairs to negotiate their SLAs. After about five
minutes, tell students to swap roles, so everyone has a chance to play the HR
role.
Developing a consultancy role

Prepare a piece of paper with the following questions on, clearly written:
●● What major changes might an organisation undertake?
●● How are staff likely to react to these changes?
●● What might HR’s role in change be?
In class, write on the board the following sentence, making sure to underline
'transition' as shown:
Organisations increasingly talk about managing transition.
Ask students to give you a definition for transition (a change from one form or
type to another, or the process by which this happens). Then invite one student
to volunteer to be the chair for a short class discussion. Explain to students that
you will not get involved but will only listen (you may find it helpful to move to the
back of the classroom to show that you want the students to be responsible).
Give the volunteer chair the paper with the three questions on and give him/her
a time limit of seven minutes. Explain that the role of the chair is not only to
manage the discussion but to ensure that every student contributes.
Suggested answers
1 project management, strategy development, change management
2 increased respect and status
b Tell students that they are going to listen to part of a meeting and then ask them
to read the instructions to find out who they will be listening to and what they will
be talking about. Explain that this is an open-ended listening task – they will be
taking personal notes to summarise the situation (i.e. there won’t be a traditional
listening comprehension exercise such as they have used throughout this course).
Play Audio 10.5 for students to make notes. Then ask students to compare their
notes in pairs. Ask each pair of students to prepare a short written summary. You
can then ask students to circulate the completed summaries and say whether all
the students understood the situation in the same way.
If you feel that your students may not enjoy such an open-ended activity, the
Extension activity below provides more traditional comprehension questions.
10.5 page 108
Suggested answers
Bernhard is gathering information on the situation. Kevin is not keen on the
reorganisation because of the disruption it will cause and time it will take. He
also feels it will be difficult working closely with Central Admin as their Head,
Véronique, is not being very cooperative about reporting to him.
Bernhard should first of all speak to Véronique to see how she feels.
Extension activity
You could use these questions to check comprehension, and play Audio 10.5
a second time if necessary to check the answers.
1 What situation does Kevin want to discuss with Bernhard?
2 Which two parts of the business does the situation involve?
3 What is the first problem Kevin mentions?
4 What is the second issue Kevin is worried about?
5 How does Kevin describe Véronique’s attitude?
6 When will Bernhard talk to Kevin again?
Answers
1 The reorganisation
2 Legal and Central Admin
3 The office move
4 Staff relations – it will be difficult to get people to work together
5 Not very cooperative
6 Tomorrow
13 a Students work alone to match the actions to the stages before feeding back to
the class.
Answers
1 Talk to Véronique
2 Organise integration activities
3 Take emotion out of situation
4 Get others involved to form working party
5 Set up brainstorming meeting
6 Agree objectives, priorities and deadlines
7 Put into practice and review
Note
Stage 3 of the consultancy sequence is Move from positions to objectives.
Positions here refer to emotional attachments such as (in this context) I won’t
share my office space, whilst objectives refer to desired outcomes such as I need
a minimum of 10 square metres. Maintaining a position makes it harder to reach
agreement than focusing on objectives, but people often develop an emotional
attachment to an idea from which they find it difficult to back down.
b Students discuss the question in pairs and then share their answers with the
class.
Suggested answer
Spend time meeting the people involved and help them to work together.
14 a Ask students to read the four questions to make sure they understand, and then
play Audio 10.6. Students discuss their answers in pairs before feeding back to
the class.
10.6 page 108
Answers
1 stressed
2 Kevin is not helpful (obstructive) and says he is too busy to discuss it with her.
3 two or three people from each section
4 Yes
Note
A joint working party is a group of people from different departments.
b Students try to complete the extracts from memory and then listen to Audio 10.6
again to check their answers. They check in pairs before feeding back to the class.
Answers
1 Could 5 Is there
2 it going 6 you like out
3 Why; then 7 idea; Let’s
4 bit; know
Suggested answer
He is friendly and informal but also supportive.
15 Make sure students have a specific situation in mind before they begin. It might
be best to role play the situation with Kevin first and then the situation with
Véronique in the second role play. Make sure each student has a chance to play
the HR manager. Allow around five minutes for each role play and then tell
students to swap roles.

Employer branding
Whilst companies have always been aware of the need to brand their products
to make them attractive to customers, employer branding is a much more recent
development. It concerns managing how the company is perceived by an external
market. This is important within a broad PR context but also with regard to attracting
candidates and being able to compete within the job market.
Useful links
CIPD guide to employer branding: http://www.cipd.co.uk/subjects/corpstrtgy/general/
empbrand.htm
HR branding
HR branding is closely linked to employer branding because the HR department is
involved in presenting the company to candidates through its website, recruitment
practices and influence on company culture. However, HR branding has another
dimension regarding how it manages the perception of HR among employees within
the company. It is generally considered that HR should model its brand to reflect
corporate brand aspirations and objectives, in the same way that HR strategy should
reflect or serve corporate strategy.
Useful links
HRM guide to employer branding: http://www.hrmguide.net/usa/commitment/
employer_branding.htm
Business partnering
Business partnering is a term coined by HR management guru, Dave Ulrich. In his
model, he sought to reposition the role of HR to become one that was perceived as
adding value rather than cost. In his model, he identified four key roles; strategic
partner, administrative expert, employee champion and change agent. With the
exception of administrative expert, these roles are more proactive and place HR
in a more prominent role within the organisation. However, although the model is
attractive, it remains more of an aspiration than a reality for many HR departments.
Useful links
CIPD guide to HR business partnering: http://www.cipd.co.uk/subjects/corpstrtgy/
general/hrbusprtnr.htm
Service level agreements

Service level agreements are contracts between suppliers and customers which
stipulate the level of service that will be delivered. These became popular in the
1980s, particularly as organisations started to outsource services but still wanted to
specify the standards required for the service. This process became internalised as
the mechanism was also adopted for service delivery between departments within the
same organisation. Currently, the use of service level agreements is widespread within
the delivery of IT services.
Useful links
Guide to SLAs: http://www.businesslink.gov.uk/bdotg/action/detail?itemId=10737925
64&type=RESOURCES
Authentic example of an HR SLA: http://www.bracknell-forest.gov.uk/human-resources-
sla-2007-to-2010.pdf
Internal HR consulting
Many HR Managers and departments are keen to develop a consulting role. The title
consultant implies a certain level of expertise and wisdom. However, unlike a medical
consultant, the HR consultant may take a facilitative role as well as an advisory one.
This means providing process skills to enable others to solve their own problems. In
large organisations with complex internal politics, the consultancy role may also involve
mediating and enabling cooperation between different interest groups and departments.

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Professional English

Cambridge English for

Go to page 14 for essential background information on the topic and useful

Linking business and HR strategies

three-year plan resourcing plan outsource

b Students first decide whether the eight statements are advantages or

Writing up the HR strategy

d Students work alone to match the sentence halves.

e Discuss the question with the class.

11 Students work in small groups to brainstorm ideas for an implementation and

Additional activity Unit 1: Vocabulary revision

Background information and useful web links

Outsourcing and offshoring

Go to page 27 for essential background information on the topic and useful

Researching a resourcing plan

2 a Ask students to read the background to Hoffmann-Strenge to find out what it

Producing a resourcing plan

Solving resourcing problems

b Students work in pairs to complete the sentences.

Additional activity Unit 2: Describing graphs in presentations

12 Students work in small groups to prepare their presentations. Alternatively,

Background information and useful web links

Producing a resourcing plan

Solving resourcing problems

Go to page 45 for essential background information on the topic and useful

Defining job requirements

liaise closely ​challenging targets ​a penetration pricing policy ​

Identifying suitable candidates

b Students work in their groups of three to present their candidate’s strengths

Students could be asked to discuss different aspects of the video:

c Discuss the question with the class.

b Students listen to Audio 3.6 and take notes on Ritva.

Questions from the interviews include:

Additional activity Unit 3: Indirect questions

e Students work alone to complete the questions.

Choosing the right candidate

Background information and useful web links

Conducting interviews and choosing the right candidate

Go to page 59 for essential background information on the topic and useful

Writing a training and development strategy

Language note: Formal and informal English

Designing learning interventions

Afterwards, ask students to discuss the difference between training and a

e Discuss the question with the class.

Additional activity Unit 4: Exploring the learning cycle

7 Students could prepare their presentations either in groups or as a homework

Producing a development programme

b Discuss the question with the whole class.

provide manage maintain make

Evaluating training and development

Background information and useful web links

Employee Development Programmes

The training budget

Evaluating training and development

Go to page 74 for essential background information on the topic and useful

Coaching in the workplace

Afterwards, open up the discussion to include the whole class.

b Students work in pairs or small groups to make more phrases.

Conducting a mentoring session

7 a Discuss the questions with the class.

liaise closely challenging targets a penetration pricing policy