SCENARIO A

SHOW ME THE ROPES

Practice 1. Do you remember your first day in your current job? Work with a partner.
Use the ideas in the map to talk about what you remember.

meeting with
a manager / feelings
supervisor

first day at work

tour of the introductions

building to other staff

Practice 2. Mailready Solutions is a company that sells specialist office equipment.

Today is Hannah Katima’s first day at the company. Watch video A1 and underline the
correct answers.
1. What is Hannah’s new job title? 2. Who is ill today?
A. Operations Manager A. Sonali
B. Customer Relations Manager B. Jackie
C. Sales Manager C. Alan

Practice 3. Watch the video again and answer the questions.

1. What time is Hannah’s appointment?
2. Where are Bob and Jackie at the moment?
3. Why isn’t Alan in the office?
4. What is Henry’s job?

Practice 4. Work with a partner and discuss the questions.

1. How do you think Hannah feels? Why?
2. What do you think a company should do to welcome a new employee?

Practice 5. Read the extract from a web page for managers below. Are the ideas for
welcoming employees the same as yours in Practice 4?

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 GETTING PEOPLE STARTED
Studies show that employees who make a good start in a new job are more likely to
stay with the company for a long time. The first day in a new job affects the rest of the
employee’s time at the workplace. Here are four tips for getting people started in the
best possible way.
Seeing the boss A helping hand
As the manager it’s important that you All new employees need to be told about
greet a new worker when they arrive for their tasks and how to do them. Some
the first time. Show them to their desk companies have schemes where
and have a short meeting to explain the experienced co-workers act as
first steps and schedule for the day. “buddies”. A buddy is an experienced
member of staff who helps a new starter
during the first day of work. Choose
someone you trust to act as a buddy for
the new worker.
The practical stuff Feedback
It is not a good sign if people arrive on Be there at the end of the first work day
their first day and things are not ready. to ask how things went. Again, at the
Make sure that a desk, PC, office supplies, end of the first week, make some time to
passwords, phone and access cards are get the new starter’s ideas and
all prepared. feedback.

Practice 6. The extract in Practice 5 mentions a “buddy” system. What kind of things
do you think a buddy does on the first day to help a new starter? Work with a partner
and add your ideas to the list in column A.
A. What a buddy does B. What a buddy says
1. Show the new starter around the office. The kitchen is over there.

2. Explain basic tasks.

3. Introduce the new starter to other colleagues.

4. Take the new starter to lunch.

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Practice 7. Look at the things a buddy says and add them in the correct place in
column B in Practice 6.
Can I introduce ... to you?
Enter your username here and then your password.
I’ll show you where the photocopier is.
Let’s go and have some lunch.
So you put your card in here and then type in your code.
This is ..., he/she’s starting today.
Why don’t we have lunch in the canteen?

Practice 8. For each new task you added to column A in Practice 6, try to write what
the buddy says in column B.

Practice 9. At 11 o’clock, Bob and Jackie arrive back at the office. Watch video A2.
Which of the buddy tasks from Practice 6 does Jackie do?

Practice 10. A buddy is talking to a new employee on their first day. Work with a
partner and roleplay the conversation.
Speaker A: Turn to page 137.
Speaker B: Turn to page 142.

Practice 11. Evaluate your performance using the form on page 146.