BEP 312 - Doing Business by Phone 2: Discussing Staffing Issues

Hello and welcome back to Business English Pod. My name’s Edwin, and I’ll be your
host for today’s lesson about discussing staffing issues over the phone.

One of a company’s most valuable assets is its staff. A good staff can mean the
difference between success and failure. But even with an excellent staff, every
manager knows there will be challenges. I don’t mean big problems, just the
regular, ongoing challenges of planning, hiring, training, and support.

Everyone knows the importance of communication skills in business, especially

when it comes to HR and staffing. But effective communication is even more
important on the phone, because everything depends on technique and your choice
of words.

Discussing any sort of issue on the phone might start with informing someone, like
your boss, of a problem or challenge. And when you do that, you should also be
sure to show how you’ve taken ownership of the challenge. Of course, staffing costs
money, which means dealing with issues might involve asking for budget approval.
And, if you’re discussing turnover of staff, you might also have to outline retention
strategies, or ways of keeping good people around. Finally, any time you present an
idea, you’ll probably want to want to gauge support for that idea.

In today’s dialog, we’ll hear Cam and Annette. Cam is a production manager for
Boston Vintage, an American clothing company with an office in China. Annette
works in the China office, and she’s calling Cam to discuss some staffing issues. As
you’ll hear, she’s dealing with the resignation of an important company employee.

As you listen to the dialog, try to answer the following questions:

1. What does Annette say she could have done to avoid the issue?
2. What are Annette’s ideas about retention, or how to keep good people at the
company?
3. Why does Annette ask about “head office” near the end of the dialog?

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Vocabulary

To get to the point: to start talking about the most important or relevant topic or
issue; “All right, enough about the weather folks; let’s get to the point of the
meeting.”

To call it quits: to stop doing something or leave a job; “After a 35-year career in
advertising, I’ve finally decide to call it quits.”

“That sucks:” that’s terrible, informally; “Your laptop won’t start up? That really
sucks. Did you call tech support?”

“If memory serves:” when you say something that you’re almost sure you
remember correctly, you can add “if memory serves” or “if memory serves me
well;” “I think we set the next meeting for Thursday the 12th, if memory serves.”

Offer: an invitation to be an employee, or offer of a job; “I’ve applied at hundreds

of companies and had a dozen interviews but still haven’t had a single offer.”

Overworked: made to work too hard; “Listen Tamara, I’m sensing you’re feeling
pretty overworked, so why not take this Friday off.”

To split: to divide or break into two or more parts; “This new regional manager
position means I’ll be splitting my time between five different states.”

To push someone: to encourage or make someone work hard; “I think Allan is

capable of so much more, if you just learn to push him a bit as his manager.”

Going forward: in the future; “Okay, let’s forget about this misunderstanding, but
going forward just make sure you cc everyone on the team, all right?”

Departure: someone or something’s leaving from a place or position at a company;

“With the departure of our senior engineer, everyone’s wondering who will be
promoted to fill his position.”

Budget approval: official permission to spend money; “The director needs budget
approval from the board for any expense over $20,000.”

Reasonable: fair and having good reasons; “Management has decided that a 2%
salary increase is reasonable, but we’ll see if the union agrees.”

To commit: to agree or promise something; “Come on Sandy, I can’t really commit

to your new product idea until I’ve seen a good business case.”

Rationale: explanation of reasons; “Before she agrees, Vera will need to see the
rationale for moving the operation to Pasadena.”

To keep someone around: keep someone nearby, at a place, or in a company; “It’s

very difficult to keep good programmers around when there are so many
opportunities.”

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Wellness program: policies, activities, and programs designed to help workers be
healthier; “The wellness program we introduced last year has reduced the average
number of sick days by 50%”

Loyalty bonus: a reward of money or other benefit given to an employee for staying
with a company for a long time; “After 10 years at Arcan, all employees receive a
loyalty bonus of one extra week vacation and $2,000.”

To go over: to produce a response or reaction; “I told the plant staff that we are
moving from 3 daily shifts to 2, and it really didn’t go over well.”

Pitch: something you say to persuade people to support or buy something; “Before
you meet with potential investors, you need to create and practice a really great,
short pitch for your business.”

To give the green light: to officially approve or say that something can begin; “After
a month-long delay, management has finally given the green light to our
construction project.”

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Dialog

Cam: Well Annette, it certainly sounds like you’ve been pretty busy.

Annette: For sure. Lots of exciting changes. And a few challenges as well. But
getting to the point, I just wanted to let you know about something that’s come
up… It looks like Kevin has decided to call it quits.

Cam: Kevin? Well, that kinda sucks. He was quite the hard worker, if memory
serves. And so… tell me, is this somehow connected to the new strategy?

Annette: Uh, no, I don’t think so... He had some pretty good offers. But I think
the main thing was that we might have expected a bit too much of him. I think he
felt overworked. And to be honest, I should have recognized that sooner. I mean,
the signs were there, and we could have actually split his position into two.

Cam: Well, you can only push people so far. In any case… do you have a plan
going forward? I guess his departure will leave a pretty big hole.

Annette: It certainly will. And that’s why I really think we need to split that position
now. That would mean we’d need budget approval on a new position here though.

Cam: Well… from what you’ve explained it seems reasonable. But I’ll need a bit
more info before I can commit. I’d love to see two distinct job descriptions, and
some written rationale for this.

Annette: Of course. I can have that to you by Friday.

Cam: Great… and I guess I’d also like to know how we can prevent things like this
down the road. I mean, we want to keep good people around, right?

Annette: For sure. And I think there are a few different ways we can improve
retention. For one, like you said, we need to pay attention to workload. But I’m
also thinking about a wellness program and loyalty bonuses.

Cam: Okay, interesting. Although of course, these kinds of things would have to be
part of a larger budget discussion.

Annette: Right. And I’d be happy to discuss these ideas at any time. But I’m curious…
what’s your sense of how something like this would go over at head office?

Cam: I want to say yes, because I’m open to these ideas. But the best I can do is a
firm “maybe.” It would require a good pitch, and the right timing. Anyway, let’s
come back to this another time. I’d like to talk a bit about some of the overtime if
we can… [Fade out]

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Debrief

Now let’s go through the dialog again and take a look at the language and
techniques Annette used to discuss the staffing issues. We join the conversation
after a bit of initial small talk.

Cam: Well Annette, it certainly sounds like you’ve been pretty busy.

Annette: For sure. Lots of exciting changes. And a few challenges as well. But
getting to the point, I just wanted to let you know about something that’s come
up… It looks like Kevin has decided to call it quits.

Annette wants to “get to the point,” or discuss the real reason she’s calling, which
is that Kevin has resigned. But she doesn’t just come out and say it too directly.
Instead, she sets it up for Cam. She starts by telling him she “just wants to let him
know” about something. That’s a signal to Cam to listen carefully, because she’s
about to present an issue.

When you discuss challenges or problems, or just inform someone of an important

situation, it’s a good idea to introduce it gently. Don’t shock or confuse the person
just by stating it too suddenly. Let the person know you need to tell them
something, then tell them what it is.

Let’s practice some more ways of informing someone of a challenge in this way:

§ One thing we’ve been dealing with lately is problems with scheduling.
§ Just so you know, it’s been quite challenging to find someone suitable for the position.
§ Here’s the thing: it looks like we’ll be short-staffed for the holiday season.
§ I should let you know that Henry will only be with us for another three months.

How does Cam react to the news?

Cam: Kevin? Well, that kinda sucks. He was quite the hard worker, if memory
serves. And so… tell me, is this somehow connected to the new strategy?

Annette: Uh, no, I don’t think so... He had some pretty good offers. But I think
the main thing was that we might have expected a bit too much of him. I think he
felt overworked. And to be honest, I should have recognized that sooner. I mean,
the signs were there, and we could have actually split his position into two.

Cam wants to know if Kevin quitting is related to the company’s new strategy. If
you studied our lessons on taking an overseas business trip, you might have heard
these characters talk about a change in strategy for Asia.

Cam’s question is a chance for Annette to explain the reasons behind the issue,
which she says is that he was overworked. In other words, they asked him to do
too much. But Annette does more than just explain the reason. She also explains
how she is responsible, saying she should have recognized the problem and done
something about it.

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We can’t always prevent a problem from happening. But we can take ownership of
the problem and admit responsibility. So let’s run through some more ways of
taking ownership of a problem.

§ I know I’ll just have to work harder with the new staff to help them understand.
§ It’s up to me to figure out how to work around this.
§ I really should have had a plan in place before all this happened.
§ It’s my own fault for not dealing with this sooner.

Next, Cam wants to know about a plan “going forward,” or for the future.

Cam: Well, you can only push people so far. In any case… do you have a plan
going forward? I guess his departure will leave a pretty big hole.

Annette: It certainly will. And that’s why I really think we need to split that
position now. That would mean we’d need budget approval on a new position
here though.

Annette already explained that Kevin’s position involves so much work that it
should have been made into two separate positions. Now she mentions that idea
again, as a way to “go forward” after Kevin’s departure.

But people and positions cost money. And when things cost money, we often have
to ask for budget approval. In other words, we need someone to say “yes” to the
idea of spending the money.

Notice that when Annette asks for approval, she’s a bit indirect. She doesn’t say
“can I have the money” or “I need money.” Instead, she says “that would mean”
that “we would need” money. Words such as “would” and “could” helps us to be
more diplomatic, which is important when we ask for budget approval. Let’s try
some more ways of doing this.

§ I’d like to know if we have room in the budget for another junior engineer.
§ So, could you approve the funds for additional staff training?
§ I’ll need you to give the green light for the extra costs for recruiting.
§ Would you be willing to authorize changing Debbie from part-time to full-time?

So can Cam give the budget approval for a new position?

Cam: Well… from what you’ve explained it seems reasonable. But I’ll need a bit
more info before I can commit. I’d love to see two distinct job descriptions, and
some written rationale for this.

Annette: Of course. I can have that to you by Friday.

Cam seems supportive of the idea. But a new position is a big cost, and he wants to see
some more detail and an explanation in writing before he can “commit,” or say yes.

Annette’s office is losing a good employee. And surely they don’t want that to happen
too often, so Cam wants to know how they can avoid this situation in future.
© 2017 All rights reserved: www.businessenglishpod.com 6
Cam: Great… and I guess I’d also like to know how we can prevent things like this
down the road. I mean, we want to keep good people around, right?

Annette: For sure. And I think there are a few different ways we can improve
retention. For one, like you said, we need to pay attention to workload. But I’m
also thinking about a wellness program and loyalty bonuses.

Cam has asked how to “keep people around,” which is also known as “retention.” When
it comes to staffing, retention is always an important issue. And this is Annette’s chance
to outline what she thinks the company can do to improve retention.

You’ll notice that Annette now uses more direct language, rather than the “could”
and “would” she used to ask for budget approval. In this situation, she wants to
present her ideas confidently and firmly. She doesn’t want to sound like she’s only
thought casually about retention. That’s why she says “there are a few different
ways” – rather than “there might be” or “maybe we could.”

What are some other ways we can outline our ideas about strategy? Let’s practice
some more examples.

§ One thing I think we should do is improve our benefits package.

§ If we want to keep people here, we need to pay them well and reward loyalty.
§ What staff really want are opportunities for promotion and professional development.
§ The keys to retention are a positive workplace culture and respect from
management.

Now let’s get back to the dialog.

Cam: Okay, interesting. Although of course, these kinds of things would have to be
part of a larger budget discussion.

Annette: Right. And I’d be happy to discuss these ideas at any time. But I’m curious…
what’s your sense of how something like this would go over at head office?

Cam can’t adopt Annette’s ideas on the spot, of course, but she really wants to
know if he thinks there would be support for these ideas. Or, as she says, she
wants to know how they would “go over” – or be received – at head office.

We’ve all got ideas for how to improve our companies. But knowing which ones to
actively pursue depends on how much support there is from others. So when you
present an idea, it’s wise to gauge support for that idea.

Let’s run through some more ways to do this.

§ So, how do you think management would respond to this?

§ Is this something you think people would consider reasonable?
§ What’s your sense of how others would think of this idea?
§ Do you think there would be support for something like this?

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How does Cam respond to Annette’s question about support for her ideas?

Cam: I want to say yes, because I’m open to these ideas. But the best I can do is a firm
“maybe.” It would require a good pitch, and the right timing. Anyway, let’s come back
to this another time. I’d like to talk a bit about some of the overtime if we can…

Cam certainly seems to like Annette’s ideas, but he can’t really say what head office
might think. As he says, it would require a good “pitch,” or an effective presentation.
But Annette will have to save that idea for later, because Cam wants to talk about
another topic. In any case, she’s not only done a good job of explaining the issue of
Kevin’s resignation, but also of demonstrating a proactive approach to dealing with it.

Now let’s practice some of the language we learned in today’s lesson. Imagine you
are a manager at a large store. You’re talking with your boss about staffing issues.
You’ll hear a statement by your boss, then I’ll give you a suggestion for what you
can say in response. We’ll guide you through each step in the practice and provide
an example answer for each response.

Ready? Let’s give it a go.

Cue 1: So, do you think we’re ready for the holiday season?
Start by letting him know that you might not have enough staff.
Answer:

Cue 2: Not enough? But the holiday season is almost here.

Now say you understand and you should have noticed the problem sooner.
Answer:

Cue 3: All right, so how do we move forward then?

Now say that you’d like to know if you can get approval for three new staff.
Answer:

A little later in the conversation, you are talking about ways to retain employees.

Cue 4: I think we need to look at some ways of keeping people around longer.
Respond by saying that you believe training and development would help with
retention.
Answer:

Cue 5: Better training and development, huh? Not a bad idea.

Finally, ask if he thinks senior management would support the idea as well.
Answer:

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Answer 1: Well, here’s the thing: we might not have enough staff for busy times.
Answer 2: Yes I understand, and I really should have noticed the problem sooner.
Answer 3: Well, I’d like to know if I could have approval for three new staff.
Answer 4: Definitely, and I believe that better training and development would
help with retention.
Answer 5: Great, and is that something you think senior management would
support as well?

Now let’s practice some of the vocabulary we’ve covered in this lesson. In a
moment, you’ll hear a series of sentences with a word replaced with a beep. Repeat
each sentence, including the missing word.

For example, if you hear:

Example Cue: You’re going to need budget <beep> from finance for this.

You can say:

Example Answer: You’re going to need budget approval from finance for this.

After each response, we’ll provide the correct answer. Let’s begin.

Cue 1: I think we hired ten students last summer, if memory <beep>.

Answer:

Cue 2: We don’t have much time John, so could you please get to the <beep>?
Answer:

Cue 3: I’ve had three interviews, but I haven’t had a single job <beep> yet.
Answer:

Cue 4: After 25 years with the company, Carla has decided to call it <beep>.
Answer:

Answer 1: I think we hired ten students last summer, if memory serves.

Answer 2 We don’t have much time John, so could you please get to the point?
Answer 3: I’ve had three interviews, but I haven’t had a single job offer yet.
Answer 4: After 25 years with the company, Carla has decided to call it quits.

We’ve reached the end of this lesson, the second in our series on doing business on
the phone. Today we’ve looked at discussing staffing issues, including how to
inform someone of an issue and take ownership of that issue. We’ve also covered
how to ask for budget approval, how to outline retention strategies, and how to
gauge support for an idea.

Thanks for listening and see you again soon!

© 2017 All rights reserved: www.businessenglishpod.com 9

Language Review

A. Review Quiz

For each question, you must choose the sentence that best fulfills the given
language function or purpose.

1. Which of the following is a good way to inform someone of a challenge?

a) David’s really sick, so he won’t be here for a while.

b) Have you heard that David’s sick and will be gone for three months?
c) I should let you know that David will have to take three months sick leave.

2. How might you take ownership of a problem?

a) I’m not sure there was any way that we could have avoided this.
b) I’ve talked to Sandra and let her know exactly what she should have done
differently.
c) I realize that I should have done more to avoid this situation.

3. What would be a good way to ask for budget approval for new staffing?

a) So, I’d like to know if it’s possible to find the money for another staff person.
b) Do you think we really need another new staff person?
c) There’s really no way around it: I need a budget increase for new hiring.

4. Which of the following is an example of outlining retention strategies?

a) Well, people wouldn’t be so upset if we actually paid them a decent salary.

b) Two things we might consider are medical benefits and longer vacation.
c) What we should be doing is asking employees what they want to see in terms of
benefits.

5. How might you gauge support for an idea you’ve just suggested?

a) What’s your sense of how this would be seen by management?

b) I really don’t see any reason why management wouldn’t support this, do you?
c) So, will you support me as I push management on this idea?

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B. Vocabulary and Idioms

Fill in the blanks with words from the box below. Be sure to put any verbs in the
right tense.

push point forward

give serve call

1. We just need to figure out how we can avoid this type of problem going
_____________.

2. Come on Harold, we don’t have all day so could you just get to the
_____________?

3. I really can’t _____________ the green light to your idea until the budget is
approved.

4. Why have I decided to _____________ it quits? Well, I guess I’m just feeling
much too tired and stressed.

5. You just need to _____________ Ronaldo a bit and he’ll do a much better job
for you.

6. If memory _____________, this is the third time you’ve been late with a big
proposal.

Study Strategy

In many industries, there’s tough competition for talented and experienced

employees. Every company has to think about ways of reducing turnover and
keeping good people around. Together, these ways are called “retention strategies.”
You probably have lots of ideas how your company can retain good people.

Think about several different ways that your company might improve retention.
This might include both financial and non-financial rewards and benefits. Consider
some of the retention strategies you’ve heard being used at other companies. Write
down three good strategies that you think your company could implement.

Now, with a colleague or friend, imagine you have the opportunity to suggest your
retention strategies to decision-makers in the company. Start by outlining your
ideas. Next, either ask for budget approval or gauge support for the idea. When
you’re done, switch roles and let your partner try.

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Answers

Listening Questions

1. Annette says she should have recognized that Kevin was overworked.
2. Annette thinks that a wellness program and loyalty bonuses would help with
retention.
3. Annette wants to know what people at head office might think about her
suggestions.

A. Review Quiz

1. c; 2. c; 3. a; 4. b; 5. a

B. Vocabulary and Idioms

1. We just need to figure out how we can avoid this type of problem going
forward.

2. Come on Harold, we don’t have all day so could you just get to the point?

3. I really can’t give the green light to your idea until the budget is approved.

4. Why have I decided to call it quits? Well, I guess I’m just feeling much too tired
and stressed.

5. You just need to push Ronaldo a bit and he’ll do a much better job for you.

6. If memory serves, this is the third time you’ve been late with a big proposal.

© 2017 All rights reserved: www.businessenglishpod.com 12