BUSINESS ENGLISH

Intermediate

LC3 (1)
Have you ever worked
at an MNC?
 Think: How do you respond?

Good afternoon. My name is • Transparency

Keith Wilson. I am a career
• Compensation
consultant. Today, we are
conducting a job survey and I
package
have a few questions for you. • Diversity
All of your answers will be
kept confidential.

2
 1. company culture (n)

New words 2. employee/ staff turnover (n)

3. transparency (n)
-> transparent (a)
4. diversity (n)
-> diverse (a)
5. mission (n)
6. perk (n)
7. job satisfaction (n)
8. work-life balance (n)
9. compensation package (n)
10. multinational (a)
-> multinational (n)

3
 Read the text and fill in the blanks with the given words

employee turnover, mission, job satisfaction, diversity, company culture , transparency, perks
11 Signs of a Good Company Culture
Whether you’re deciding to accept a job offer or you’ve just started a new job, one of the most important factors to be considered
will be the workplace culture. Of course, everyone wants to work for a company with a good culture. But what are the characteristics
of a positive (1) ....................? What makes a place great to work for?
Here are the most important things to look for:
Long-term employees: (2) .................... is a strong sign of company culture. Simply put, happy, engaged employees who are
offered continued opportunities for growth are more likely to stay put.
Clear mission and values: A great company culture doesn’t just come out of nowhere. A positive company culture has values
that every employee knows by heart. It has to be obvious throughout the organization, and then it can be lived out by leaders
and employees at every level.
Not just colleagues, but friends: A great work environment is a breeding ground for great friendships. When coworkers
choose to spend time with each other, even outside of the office, you know that the professional environment is going to be
just as positive.
Employees being involved: Great company cultures support and provide positive, fun ways for their employees to get
together for personal and professional development activities, both within and outside normal company hours.
(3) ....................: Secrets and in general a lack of communication from the top down creates a culture of doubt and
uncertainty. Workplaces with positive cultures support a philosophy of transparency so that every team member feels they
know where they stand, where the company is headed, and in general they feel included. 4
 Read the text and fill in the blanks with the given words

employee turnover, mission, job satisfaction, diversity, company culture , transparency, perks

11 Signs of a Good Company Culture

(4) ....................: If everyone is generally similar, that should be a red flag in terms of culture. Great companies look for
employees who are different from others to add more colours to their culture.
Wins are celebrated: Great companies have clear and frequent processes in place to recognize the achievements of its
employees, at least monthly or weekly. This shows that the company knows it is important to recognize performance and
celebrating the value its employees bring.
Leaders are visible and accessible: Employees support leaders who are fair, honest, and possible to approach. When an
organization’s leaders are front and center and make themselves available to everyone, it creates a sense that “we’re all in
this together,” and employees are much more likely to feel good about the goals they’re working towards and the
company’s (5) ..................... .
Comfortable workspaces: The type of environment -- i.e., the physical space -- that employees work in each day can affect
how people feel about their jobs and their boss. Comfortable offices with facilities and (6) .................. that people actually
care about affect the level of happiness about workplace greatly.
No gossip: Positive workspaces and successful company cultures where each employee feels heard, respected and
recognized have little room for unkind conversations and backbiting.
Opportunities to develop professionally: (7) .................... is closely tied to opportunities employees have to grow, learn, get
promoted, and improve their skills.
5
Conversation
Keith: Good afternoon. My name is Keith Wilson. I am a career
consultant. Today, we are conducting a jobs survey and I have a
few questions for you. All of your answers will be kept
confidential.
Ellen: Sure, please go ahead.
Keith: That’s great. First of all, have you ever worked at a
multinational company?
Ellen: I have! I worked at EY, a multinational accounting firm.
What I like best about working at this international company is
its diversity. It always values different opinions, ideas, and
cultural backgrounds, making the employees feel that they
matter and they are heard.
Keith: Okay, diversity and inclusion. That's lovely. Let's move on
to the next question. What do you think about compensation
package?
Ellen: I think that compensation package plays an important
role in an employee's job satisfaction. Firstly, work-life balance
can be achieved through benefits and perks. When an employer
offers paid time-off and a flexible work schedule, it's easier to
balance our job with our personal life. Also, a decent
compensation package can offer opportunities for growth and
development, which are closely related to job satisfaction.
Ellen: For instance, some employers organize free
in-house workshops or pay for external courses to
help employees sharpen skills and gain additional
knowledge for professional development as well
as personal growth.
Keith: I see. You do think that a good
compensation package leads to a high level of job
satisfaction. And how about company's culture?
Ellen: As for me, transparency is at the heart of a
good company culture. With transparency,
employees can fully understand the mission of the
company and be able to share ideas and make
efforts to help achieve the common goal of the
company.
Keith: I see. Now, how important is
superior-subordinate relationships?
Ellen: In my opinion, relationships between a
superior and a subordinate can decide whether an
employee will stay. This is because great
managers can create a dynamic and positive
environment where a person feels connected and
supported, hence willing to commit long-term. 6
Structures

1. Have/ Has + S + ever + Vpp?

- Yes, S + have/ has.
- No, S + haven't/ hasn't.
2. What + do/does + S + think about + something? /
How + important + is/are + S ?
- S + think/ thinks...

Phrases to express your own opinion:

In my opinion/ As for me/ Personally, I / I do think that….

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Listen to the statements and choose the best response for each statement

Example: 1. 2.
Keith: Have you ever Keith:_______________________. Keith: ____________________________.
worked at a MNC? Ellen: Yes, I have. In my previous job, Ellen: Personally, I think that
Ellen: _________________ team-building activities were organized opportunities for continued growth are
A. Yes, I have. every quarter. indicators of a good company culture.
B. I am a software A. Do you have time for team-building A. Have you ever experienced a good
engineer. activities? company culture?
C. Yes, I think so. B. What do you think about team-building B. What do you think about professional
activities? development opportunities?
C. Have you ever participated in C. How important is company culture?
team-building activities?
3.
Keith: How important is employee recognition?
Ellen: ___________________________________.
A. In my opinion, it plays an essential role in encouraging high performance.
B. What I mean is that it can encourage high performance.
C. I completely agree that it can encourage high performance.
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Shall we role play?

You are A, an employee and B is a career consultant in your company. Both of you are now in a job survey. B will ask you
some questions related to jobs and company cultures.
Useful vocab: multinational, diversity, work-life balance, job
satisfaction, transparency, compensation package, perks,
employee turnover, mission, job satisfaction
Useful structures:
1. Have/ Has + S + ever + Vpp?
- Yes, S + have/ has.
Sample role play:
Keith: .................... a multinational company?
Ellen: No, I haven't. But I think that multinational
companies ................. .
Keith: ..................... compensation package?
Ellen: I think that compensation package should
................. .

- No, S + haven't/ hasn't. Keith: What do you think about .................?

2. What + do/does + S + think about + something? /
How + important + is/are + S ?
- S + think/ thinks...
Phrases to express your own opinion:
- In my opinion/ As for me/ Personally, I / I do think that …
Ellen: .................. an ideal company culture would
................... .
Keith: ......................... superior-subordinate
relationships?
Ellen: I think ............................. .

9
A hallmark of Amazon's company culture: Success, even at the cost of others

Some employees continue to report a cutthroat work environment

Although Amazon says that it has made efforts to alter its "Hunger Games" review process, employees have
said otherwise.

"Ultimately, you are going to fill your warehouses not

with the best employees, but with the most cunning,"
said a sortation associate in Philadelphia.
A former designer in Seattle posted that "many
people there are very driven and will do whatever it
takes to get ahead, including stomping on others."

But this has not been the case for everyone. One
employee reported that Amazon has the "best work
culture environment, friendly management, space to
grow." It appears the employee experience differs
based on the surrounding team members and
relevant managerial staff.
10
Debate

Is a success-driven mindset
good or bad?

POSITIVE NEGATIVE
- Creating focus - Facing high expectations and pressure
- Setting a good example for others to - Achieving goals at the expense of
strive to succeed others
- Being innovative, think big, and create - Cutthroat work environment
something new

11
TOEIC Listening - Part 1

You will hear four statements about

a picture. When you hear the
statements, you must select the
one statement that best describes
what you see in the picture. The
statements will not be shown on
the screen and will be spoken only
one time.

A.
B.
C.
D.

12
TOEIC Listening - Part 2 You will hear a question or a
statement about a picture. You
will be given three responses
spoken in English. Select the
best response to the question
or statement. The question or
statement will not be shown
on the screen and will be
spoken only one time.

A. I think a cutthroat culture is

very stressful.
B. No, I didn't. In fact, they were
very supportive.
C. Yes, I have. I think such
culture has made me tougher.

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TOEIC Listening - Part 3

You will hear a conversation between two people. You will be asked to answer two questions.
When you hear the conversation, you must select the best response to each question. The
conversation will not be shown on the screen and will be spoken only one time.

1. What does the woman think about working at multinational companies?

A. She thinks MNCs offer great career opportunities.
B. She thinks MNCs offer good retirement savings plan for employees' future.
C. She thinks people who work for MNCs make great colleagues.

2. Which question is NOT asked in this excerpt?

A. What do you think about superior-subordinate relationship?
B. What do you think about face-to-face interaction in the workplace?
C. What do you think about company culture?

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TOEIC Listening - Part 4

You will hear a talk given by a single speaker. You will be asked to answer two questions. When
you hear the talk, you must select the best response to each question. The talk will not be
shown on the screen and will be spoken only one time.

1. According to the talk, which opinion is NOT true about gender diversity in the workplace?
A. Gender diversity is all about having the right mix of males and females in an organization.
B. Gender diversity requires a strong policy to tackle bullying and harassment.
C. Gender diversity involves maintaining an equal balance of power in high-ranking positions.

2. What are required to achieve gender diversity?

A. Employers should consider hiring the right number of women, transgender, or non-binary
people into their workplace.
B. Employers should consider hiring the right number of men and women into their workplace.
C. Employers should empower their staff not only to reach but exceed their full potential.

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 A word or a phrase is missing in each of the sentences below.
TOEIC Reading - Part 5
Select the best answer to complete the sentence.

1. Have you ........ suffered from work-life imbalance?

A. never
B. ever
C. every
D. any

2. A company car and a mobile phone are some of the ....................that come with the job.
A. missions
B. multinationals
C. perks
D. company culture

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TOEIC Reading - Part 6 Read the text below. A word, phrase, or sentence is missing in
parts of the text. Select the best answers to complete the text.

(1) ................ you ever wondered how job satisfaction affects your
organization? 1. A. Do
It's obvious that great employees are an organization’s valuable B. Would
assets. Keeping workers happy helps a company flourish in many C. Had
ways, including: D. Have
Lower (2) ..................– The rate of employees leaving an
organization can be one of the highest costs attributed to the HR 2. A. Job satisfaction
department. Retaining workers not only helps build a good B. Turnover
reputation for the company, making recruiting quality talent easier C. Work-life balance
but also helps save money for an organization. D. Diversity
Higher Productivity – Regardless of job title and salary, employees
who report high (3) ..................... tend to achieve higher productivity. 3. A. perks
Loyalty – When employees feel that they are valued and B. job satisfaction
appreciated, they often support their company's mission and work C. transparency
hard to help achieve its objectives. D. mission
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 You will read a newspaper advertisement. You will be asked to
TOEIC Reading - Part 7
answer three questions. Select the best answer for each question.
The Peke corporate recently conducted an
organizational culture survey. The purpose of the
survey was to assess the current work environment and
obtain feedback from employees on workplace
challenges and opportunities in order to make the
organization a more desirable place to work. More than
700 employees responded to the survey. 98% feel
sexual harassment is not a problem, 92% feel age
discrimination is not a problem and 86% feel that
racial and ethnic discrimination is not a problem. The
Peke corporate now plans to improve its workplace
condition and policies regarding discrimination will be
introduced to all employees and supervisors. Overall,
95% of the surveyed employees expressed satisfaction
with the work environment.
1. Who did the Peke corporate recently survey?
A. Ethnic minorities
B. Victims of sexual assault
C. Peke workers
D. Peke employers
2. What is the purpose of the survey?
A. To evaluate the current work environment and
improve it
B. To get feedback from employers on workplace
challenge
C. To introduce policies regarding discrimination
D. To assess how weather can affect workers' productivity
3. Which of the following does the survey indicate?
A. Employees want more mandatory training.
B. The harassment policies are too strict.
C. Sexual harassment is very prevalent.
D. The Peke workplace is pleasant.
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Reflect!

In this lesson, I have learnt

☐ vocabulary to talk about jobs and company cultures
☐ 3 structures:
✔ Have you ever....?
✔ What do you think about......?
✔ How important is/ are ...........?
and I have also practiced
☐ four skills in a TOEIC test

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 GOODBYE!
Homework

Do speaking practice 3A