In Company SECOND EDITION Pre-Intermediate s4

in company SECOND EDITION Pre-intermediate Unit 14

headword pronunciation translation/notes example sentence appeal against sth (phr v) /ə'piːl əgenst Anyone who is sacked from their job but appeals ˌsʌmƟɪɳ/ against the decision will lost their salary entitlement. assembly plant (n) /ə'sembli ˌplɑːnt/ An assembly plant is the part of a factory where workers build machinery or equipment. atmosphere (n) /'ætməsfɪə/ A high-flier who knows too much can create a bad create a good/bad atmosphere /kriːˌeɪt ə gʊd/bæd working atmosphere. 'ætməsfɪə/ backup (n) /'bækʌp/ provide backup /prəˌvaɪd 'bækʌp/ Working as an "SPC professional" involved providing backup to salesmen throughout the company. base salary (n) /ˌbeɪs 'sæləri/ We offer a base salary of $80K plus commission. bid (n) /bɪd/ make a bid /meɪk ə 'bɪd/ We made a million-dollar bid to buy the company out. blue-chip company (n) /'bluːʧɪp ˌkʌmpəni/ A "blue-chip company" is very successful and makes a lot of money. break (n) /breɪk/ give sb a break /gɪv ˌsʌmbədi ə If someone gives me a break, they won't be 'breɪk/ disappointed. business (n) /'bɪznəs/ big business /ˌbɪg 'bɪznəs/ Do you agree that workers' rights are more important than the interests of big business? /'bɪznəs business background ˌbækgraʊnd/ Five years working for a multinational have given me a solid business background. /'bɪznəs ˌvenʧə/ business venture The new industrial estate will provide space for approximately 15 business ventures. call on (phr v) /'kɔːl ɒn/ Multinational manufacturer seeking International Sales

This page has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net. 1 It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages. Copyright Ó Macmillan Publishers Limited 2009. Manager to call on Europe and Latin America. challenging (adj) /'ʧælənʤɪɳ/ Hiring or firing an employee is a challenging, emotional experience. chart (n) /ʧɑːt/ Part of Sara's job was to produce reports and charts illustrating sales figures. check out (phr v) /ʧek 'aʊt/ Can we just check out some details? close down (phr v) /kləʊz 'daʊn/ Five factories have been closed down. (opposite = open up) commercially aware (adj) /kə'mзːʃəli əˌweə/ His experience at several blue-chip companies means he is extremely commercially aware. commission (n) /kə'mɪʃən/ We offer a base salary of $80K plus commission. communication (n) /kəˌmjuːnɪ'keɪʃən/ communication skills /kəˌmjuːnɪ'keɪʃən A good manager needs to have excellent skɪlz/ communication skills. company (n) /'kʌmpəni/ company secret /ˌkʌmpəni 'siːkrət/ Workers who reveal company secrets will be sacked. compensate for sth (phr v) /'kɒmpənseɪt fə Firms started recruiting temporary workers in an ˌsʌmƟɪɳ/ attempt to compensate for the lack of skilled workers. competence (n) /'kɒmpətəns/ level of competence /ˌlevəl əv Staff are paid based on their skills and level of 'kɒmpətəns/ competence. conference (n) /'kɒnfərəns/ organise a conference /ˌɔːgənaɪz ə A large part of my job involves organising meetings 'kɒnfərəns/ and conferences. consult (v) /kən'sʌlt/ John was consulted about the decision. corporate image (n) /ˌkɔːpərət 'ɪmɪʤ/ Our corporate image is being redesigned. covering letter (n) (BrE) /ˌkʌvərɪɳ 'letə/ If you are interested in applying for the post, please (AmE = cover letter) /ˌkʌvə 'letə/ send in a CV with covering letter. customer relations (n pl) /ˌkʌstəmə A job in customer relations involves dealing directly rɪ'leɪʃənz/ with clients and responding to complaints and queries. CV (n) (BrE) /siː'viː/ If you are interested in applying for the post, please (AmE = résumé) send in a CV with covering letter. decrease (v) /dɪ'kriːs/ The number of orders began to decrease and the (opposite = increase) factory was finally forced to close. employee (n) /ɪm'plɔɪiː/ The bank has over 600 employees working in ten different countries.

This page has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net. 2 It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages. Copyright Ó Macmillan Publishers Limited 2009. employer (n) /ɪm'plɔɪзː/ Skytronics, Nicola Williams's former employer, refused to be interviewed about the incident. employment (n) /ɪm'plɔɪmənt/ terminate sb's employment /ˌtзːmɪneɪt The firm decided to terminate her employment for ˌsʌmbədɪz using a mobile phone in work hours. ɪm'plɔɪmənt/ experience (n) /ɪk'spɪərɪəns/ It's not often that qualifications and experience totally match up to an advertised post. fire (v) /'faɪə/ fire sb for soing sth /'faɪə ˌsʌmbədi fə She was fired for using her mobile phone during duːɪɳ ˌsʌmƟɪɳ/ work hours. halt (n) /hɔːlt/ be brought to a halt /biː ˌbrɔːt tə ə The whole of the country will be brought to a halt if hɔːlt/ plans for a general strike go ahead. high-flier (n) /haɪ'flaɪə/ A high-flier who knows too much can create a bad working atmosphere. hire (v) /'haɪə/ We had to hire temporary workers to cope with the increased workload. human resources (n pl) /ˌhjuːmən My name is Philip Rickett. I work in the human rɪ'zɔːsəz/ resources department. impression (n) /ɪm'preʃən/ give the impression /gɪv  ə ɪm'preʃən/ Be careful not to give the impression you are over- qualified for the job. incentive (n) /ɪn'sentɪv/ Money and security are the incentives in most people's work. in-depth (adj) /ɪn'depƟ/ If you're successful, you'll go on to a more in-depth interview this afternoon. industrial action (n) /ɪn'dʌstrɪəl "Industrial action" is an expression that means the ˌækʃən/ same as "to go on strike". industrial estate (n) /ɪn'dʌstrɪəl ɪˌsteɪt/ The company has its premises on an industrial estate on the outskirts of town. interpersonal skills (n pl) /ɪntə'pзːsənəl A good manager should have excellent interpersonal ˌskɪlz/ skills. involve (v) /ɪn'vɒlv/ What exactly does your job involve? issue (v) /'ɪʃuː/ issue a statement /'ɪʃuː ə ˌsteɪtmənt/ The company later issued a statement supporting the action of their manager.

This page has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net. 3 It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages. Copyright Ó Macmillan Publishers Limited 2009. job insecurity (n) /'ʤɒb Feelings of job insecurity are much more common (opposite = job security) ɪnsɪˌkjʊərəti/ now than 30 years ago. labour (n) /'leɪbə/ labour costs /'leɪbə ˌkɒsts/ Labour costs tend to be lower in Eastern Europe. /'leɪbə ˌlɔːz/ labour laws Flexible labour laws help to reduce the unemployment rate. lay sb off (phr v) /'leɪ ˌsʌmbədi ɒf/ As the number of orders decreased we had to start laying workers off. leadership (n) /'liːdəʃɪp/ leadership qualities We're looking for someone with excellent leadership qualities to manage our sales team. logistical (adj) /lə'ʤɪstɪkəl/ logistical planning /lə'ʤɪstɪkəl The "logistical planning of a department" means the ˌplænɪɳ/ way in which it is organised on a day-to-day basis. the long-term unemployed (n pl) / ə ˌlɒɳtзːm The new reforms would mean that the long-term ʌnɪm'plɔɪd/ unemployed should take any job they are offered. make up for (phr v) /meɪk 'ʌp fə/ Firms started recruiting temporary workers in an attempt to make up for the lack of skilled workers. managerial (adj) /ˌmænɪ'ʤɪərɪəl/ managerial experience /mænɪ'ʤɪərɪəl ɪk We are looking for someone with previous ˌspɪərɪəns/ managerial experience. market (n) /'mɑːkɪt/ This mobile phone is the smallest on the market. match up to sth (phr v) /mæʧ 'ʌp tə It's not often that qualifications and experience ˌsʌmƟɪɳ/ totally match up to an advertised post. motivation (n) /məʊtɪ'veɪʃən/ People's motivations interest employers. negotiate (v) /nə'gəʊʃɪeɪt/ Salaries at management level are often negotiated individually. objective (n) /ɒb'ʤektɪv/ meet an objective /ˌmiːt ən We need to find ways of making it easier for team ɒb'ʤektɪv/ members to meet their objectives. organisational skills (n pl) /ɔːgənaɪ'zeɪʃənəl The day-to-day running of the department helped to ˌskɪlz/ develop my organisational skills. over-qualified (adj) /ˌəʊvə'kwɒlɪfaɪd/ Be careful not to give the impression you are over- (opposite = under-qualified) qualified for the job. plant (n) /plɑːnt/ Ford has several plants all over Europe. prioritise (v) /praɪ'ɒrətaɪz/ The position required a lot of time management skills

This page has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net. 4 It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages. Copyright Ó Macmillan Publishers Limited 2009. and prioritising of tasks. productivity (n) /ˌprɒdʌk'tɪvəti/ Feelings of job insecurity often lead to lower productivity. pursuit of excellence (n) /pə'sjuːt əv The "pursuit of excellence" is a formal phrase ˌeksələns/ meaning "doing things as well as possible". qualifications (n pl) /ˌkwɒlɪfɪ'keɪʃənz/ It's not often that qualifications and experience totally match up to an advertised post. recession (n) /rɪ'seʃən/ Many people lost their jobs during the recession. (opposite = boom) recruitment (n) /rɪ'kruːtmənt/ Philip Rickett is responsible for recruitment.

recruitment officer /rɪ'kruːtmənt Adjectives like "excellent" and "outstanding" on your ˌɒfɪsə/ CV will usually make a recruitment officer suspicious. redesign (v) /riːdɪ'zaɪn/ Our corporate image is being redesigned. result (n) /rɪ'zʌlt/ achieve a result /əˌʧiːv ə rɪ'zʌlt/ The financial rewards are great for all those who achieve results. résumé (n) (AmE) /'rezjuːˌmeɪ/ To apply for the post, please send résumé with cover (BrE = CV) letter. rise (v) /raɪz/ Unemployment is rising and more and more workers (opposite = fall) are being laid off. sack (v) (BrE) /sæk/ sack sb for doing sth Nicola Williams was sacked for using a mobile phone during working hours. sacking (n) (BrE) /'sækɪɳ/ Do you think the sacking of Nicola Williams was justified? salary (n) /'sæləri/ Salaries at management level are often negotiated individually. /'sæləri /ɪn salary entitlement ˌtaɪtəlmənt/ Anyone who is sacked from their job but appeals against the decision will lost their salary entitlement.

base salary /ˌbeɪs 'sæləri/ We offer a base salary of $80K plus commission. sales (n pl) /seɪlz/ I provided support to drive sales and increase productivity. /'seɪlz ˌfɪgəz/

This page has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net. 5 It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages. Copyright Ó Macmillan Publishers Limited 2009. sales figures The chart shows sales figures over the past twelve months. /'seɪlz ˌmænɪʤə/ sales manager Multinational manufacturer seeking International Sales Manager to call on Europe and Latin America. /'seɪlz ˌtiːm/ As an SPC professional, my job was to offer support sales team to our sales team. sector (n) /'sektə/ We offer support to salesmen from different sectors of the company. sell (v) /sel/ sell yourself /'sel jəself/ These days you have to really sell yourself. service (v) /'sзːvɪs/ Someone services the machine every year. shortage (n) /'ʃɔːtɪʤ/ According to the survey, almost two-thirds of (opposite = excess) companies are experiencing a shortage of skilled workers. skilled worker (n) /ˌskɪld 'wзːkə/ The electronics industry has been particularly affected (opposite = unskilled worker) by the shortage of skilled workers. specific (adj) /spɪ'sɪfɪk/ Can you be more specific about your relevant experience? staffing needs (n pl) /'stɑːfɪɳ ˌniːdz/ Providing training for our existing workforce is not enough to cover our staffing needs. stakeholder (n) /'steɪkˌhəʊldə/ The decision to employ or terminate someone will influence you, the individual, your team and your stakeholders. statement (n) /'steɪtmənt/ issue a statement /ˌɪʃuː ə 'steɪtmənt/ The company issued a statement defending the action of their manager. strike (n) /straɪk/ go on strike /ˌgəʊ ɒn 'straɪk/ Workers have threatened to go on strike in reaction to the government's decision to cut unemployment benefits. superior (n) /suː'pɪərɪə/ Workers showing disrespect to superiors can be sacked. supervisor (n) /'suːpəˌvaɪzə/ Nicola Williams had already received a warning from her supervisor. team (n) /tiːm/ A bad working atmosphere can break a team.

This page has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net. 6 It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages. Copyright Ó Macmillan Publishers Limited 2009. /tiːm 'spɪrɪt/ team spirit A strong team spirit helps to motivate workers. temporary staff (n) /'tempərəri ˌstɑːf/ A lot of firms have increased their use of temporary staff due to the shortage of skilled workers. terminate (v) /'tзːmɪneɪt/ I called Ms Williams into my office and told her I had terminate sb's employment /ˌtзːmɪneɪt decided to terminate her employment. ˌsʌmbədɪz ɪm'plɔɪmənt/ time management (n) /ˌtaɪm The position required a lot of time management skills 'mænɪʤmənt/ and prioritising of tasks. unemployment (n) /ʌnɪm'plɔɪmənt/ unemployment benefit /ʌnɪm'plɔɪmənt Unions have reacted angrily to the government's ˌbenəfɪt/ attempts to cut unemployment benefit. /ʌnɪm'plɔɪmənt unemployment rate ˌreɪt/ Our current unemployment rate of 11.3% is the highest in the European Union. warning (n) /'wɔːnɪɳ/ verbal warning /ˌvзːbəl 'wɔːnɪɳ/ The first thing you have to do is give the employee a verbal warning. /ˌrɪtən 'wɔːnɪɳ/ written warning On a further occasion, Ms Williams received a written warning. work hours (n pl) /'wзːk ˌaʊəz/ Using mobile phones during work hours is against company rules. workers' rights (n pl) /'wзːkəz ˌraɪts/ Unions say that the reforms are a direct attack on workers' rights. workforce (n) /'wзːkf ɔːs/ One solution to the problem would be to provide training for your existing workforce.

This page has been downloaded from www.businessenglishonline.net. 7 It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages. Copyright Ó Macmillan Publishers Limited 2009.