Business English- Human Resource Vocabulary- Problems and Recommendations

HR vocabulary problems and recommendations

with giving and responding to advice practice

Choose problems from below and take turns asking for the other person’s suggestions, responding positively or negatively each time depending on what you think about their advice. Discuss that situation as long as you like, then switch roles and do the same.

Useful language for asking for advice What do you think I should do? What’s the best solution? What would you do (if you were in my place)? What do you recommend? Can you suggest anything? What can I do about it (do you reckon)? How can I solve this problem? What’s your advice? Do you have any ideas? Useful language for giving advice/ suggestions/ recommendations Strong suggestions You’d better… (or…) You really must… You must…/ You have to… If I were you, I would definitely… I strongly recommend… Weaker suggestions You should probably… Have you thought about…? Have you considered…? It’s worth thinking about… Weak suggestions You could (possibly)… It might be worth thinking about… Useful language for responding to advice Positive responses That’s a great idea. I’ll do exactly what you said. Good idea. I’ll definitely do that. Thanks for your advice. Weak and negative responses That seems like a good idea. I’ll give it a try. That might work. I’ll consider it. Actually, … already. Do you have any other ideas? I’m not sure that would work (in this case) (because…) Can you suggest anything else? Hmmm. Are you sure that’s a good idea?

Ask about any words below that you don’t understand such as the words in italics, giving and responding to advice on the problems as a class each time.

Discuss some real HR problems and solutions for business that you know about such as your own company.

• There is high staff turnover.
• There is a lot of absenteeism./ Staff take lots of sick days.
• Applicants seem to be padding their CVs (= résumés) .
• There have been complaints of sexual discrimination by managers.
• There seems to be a glass ceiling for women.
• Managers complain that their staff have inefficient working practices.
• Entertainment expenses are high and getting higher.
• There is lots of office gossip.
• Headhunters often contact our staff.
• There is a lack of job applicants.
• Applicants don’t have relevant experience, necessary skills or the right qualifications.
• New recruits don’t have the necessary skills.
• Many people resign before the end of their trial period/ probationary period.
• Most people leave soon after the end of their maternity leave.
• Fathers don’t usually take the paternity leave to which they are entitled.
• Managers lack management skills.
• Middle managers suffer from high levels of stress.
• Low-level clerical staff are demotivated.
• People are doing too much overtime.
• Top managers are overworked.
• The company pension scheme is underfunded.
• Older staff are resisting the introduction of performance-related pay.
• Staff who’ve finished three annual contracts must be let go or given permanent jobs.
• Many directors have quit since the new CEO took charge.
• The company needs to be downsized.
• Mid-career applicants have serious issues such as personality problems.
• The company has a bad reputation with potential recruits such as final-year students.
• Job satisfaction is dropping.
• The baby boomers working in the company are all at or past retirement age.
• The (trade/ labor) unions are asking for a 7% increase in basic wages.
• The company is getting bad publicity because of postings on social media by staff.
• Income tax (= payroll tax) will rise next year, making net wages
• The permanent staff don’t like working with temps.
• One section don’t work well as a team.
• Senior staff lack time management
• There are allegation of sexual harassment against a
• Experienced staff are unhappy about having to do
• Working hours are going up
• We’re struggling to find a suitable candidate for the position of
• Staff commuting times are very long
• Most staff don’t take all their paid holiday.
• We need staff to work national holidays, but no one wants to.
• Everyone wants to take their summer vacations at the same time
• The Personnel Department is short-staffed.
• No one will volunteer for voluntary redundancies.
• You need to improve staff morale.
• Pay rises will be disappear due to an increase in national insurance (= social security).

Suggested solutions

• (online) application form
• bonus
• career path
• compulsory redundancies/ compulsory…
• cut…
• delegate/ delegation
• demote
• early retirement
• (language) exam (results)
• flexitime
• free fruit/ free…
• graphology
• (panel/ second) interview
• (internal) investigation
• job ads
• job sharing
• last in, first out
• limits on…
• lounge/ time-out area/ shared spaces
• Master’s/ MBA
• pay rise
• performance management
• perks (free coffee, etc)
• personality tests
• picking names out of a hat
• (more) pleasant office
• positive discrimination/ affirmative action
• professional development
• promote/ promotion
• questionnaires
• (…) quota
• raise…
• recognition (praise, prizes, etc)
• recruitment agency
• search people’s social media accounts
• shuttle bus
• spending limits
• subsidized…
• team building (activities)
• telecommuting/ working from home
• (internal/ external/ online/ time management) training
• (official) warning
• work-life balance
• workshop

Positive and negative HR vocabulary

Are the following words positive or negative? Write “+” or “-” next to each one. If you aren’t sure, try to remember if they were in the problems section or the solutions section above (without looking above).

• staff turnover
• absenteeism
• sick days
• padding
• discrimination
• glass ceiling
• efficient
• entertainment
• expenses
• lack
• quality
• relevant
• necessary
• the right…
• skills
• qualifications
• experience
• stress
• motivated
• overworked
• underfunded
• resisting
• dismissed
• permanent contracts
• quit
• be downsized
• issues
• personality problems
• bad reputation
• job satisfaction
• leave us short of…
• bad publicity
• tax will rise
• lower net wages
• teamwork
• allegation
• sexual harassment
• against
• happy
• struggling
• suitable
• short-staffed
• voluntary
• compulsory
• redundancies
• staff morale
• demote
• promote/ promotion
• sharing
• pleasant
• perks
• praise
• prize
• subsidized…
• team building
• (official) warning
• work-life balance
• delegation
• positive discrimination

 

The language of advice error correction

Without looking above, find and correct one mistake in each line below.

Useful language for asking for advice

• What do you think should I do?
• What’s best solution?
• What will you do (if you were in my place)?
• What are you recommend?
• Can you suggesting anything?
• What can I do on it (do you reckon)?
• How can I solution this problem?
• What’s your advices?
• Do you have any idea?

 

Useful language for giving advice/ suggestions/ recommendations

Strong suggestions

• You would better… (or…)
• You very must…
• If I am you, I would definitely…
• I strong recommend…

Weaker suggestions

• You should possibly…
• Did you thought about…?
• Have you consider…?
• It’s worth think about…

Weak suggestions

• You can possibly…
• It maybe be worth thinking about…

 

Useful language for responding to advice

Positive responses

• That’s great idea. I’ll do exactly what you said.
• Good idea. I’ll definitely do that. Thanks for advice.

Weak and negative responses

• That seems like a good idea. I’ll do it a try.
• That might works. I’ll consider it.
• Actually, … already. Do you have any another ideas?
• I’m not surely that would work (in this case) (because…) Can you suggest anything else?
• Are you sure that’s good idea?

Compare with the phrases above. Other corrections are possible, so please check if you wrote something different.

Brainstorming stage

Without looking above, brainstorm suitable phrases into the gaps below. Phrases not above may also be suitable.

Useful language for asking for advice

Useful language for giving advice/ suggestions/ recommendations

Strong suggestions

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Weaker suggestions

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Weak suggestions

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Useful language for responding to advice

Positive responses

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Weak and negative responses

 

 

 

 

 

 

Use the key words to help with the brainstorming task above.

 

Key words

There is one key word for each phrase above, but some can be used in more than one place.

Useful language for asking for advice

think

solution

would

recommend

suggest

can

solve

advice

ideas

Useful language for giving advice/ suggestions/ recommendations

Strong suggestions

better

really

have

were

strongly

Weaker suggestions

should

thought

considered

worth

Weak suggestions

possibly

might

Useful language for responding to advice

Positive responses

great

definitely

Weak and negative responses

seems

consider

other

else

sure

 

Put the key words into the gaps in the mixed phrases on the next page.

Useful language for asking for advice

Can you ______________________________________________ anything?

Do you have any _________________________________________________?

How can I ____________________________________________ this problem?

What ________________________________ you do (if you were in my place)?

What ____________________________________ I do about it (do you reckon)?

What do you ____________________________________________ I should do?

What do you ______________________________________________________?

What’s the best _________________________________________________?

What’s your _____________________________________________________?

 

Useful language for giving advice/ suggestions/ recommendations

Strong suggestions

I _______________________________________________________ recommend…

If I _____________________________________________ you, I would definitely…

You ________________________________________________________ must…

You must…/ You __________________________________________________ to…

You’d ______________________________________________________ … (or…)

 

Weaker suggestions

Have you ______________________________________________________ about…?

Have you ___________________________________________________________ …?

It’s ______________________________________________________ thinking about…

You ________________________________________________________ probably…

 

Weak suggestions

It _____________________________________________ be worth thinking about…

You could (________________________________________________________)…

 

Useful language for responding to advice

Positive responses

Good idea. I’ll ______________________________ do that. Thanks for your advice.

That’s a _______________________________ idea. I’ll do exactly what you said.

 

Weak and negative responses

That __________________________________________ like a good idea. I’ll give it a try.

That might work. I’ll _____________________________________________________ it.

Actually, … already. Do you have any ___________________________________ ideas?

I’m not sure that would work (in this case) (because…) Can you suggest anything ______?

Hmmm. Are you ___________________________________________ that’s a good idea?

Check your answers above.

Do the same giving advice activity as before, but this time flipping a coin to decide your response to your partner’s advice:

• Heads = Positive reaction
• Tails = Negative reaction