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BUSINESS ENGLISH · BUSINESS ENGLISH IN VIDEO · UPPER-INTERMEDIATE (B2-C1)

HIRING
CHOICES
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1 Warm-up

Do you think it’s better to hire someone with a privileged education and background or someone who
had difficult early life experiences?

2 Key words and phrases

What do you think the words and phrases mean? Match them to their correct definitions:

1. flawless a. a condition affecting the brain that makes it difficult for

someone to read and write
2. job hopping b. an extremely difficult situation

3. odd jobs c. a problem or fault in a person or machine

4. manual labour d. a short period when a person stays in a particular place

5. hardships e. perfect, without any imperfections

6. dysfunction f. problems or situations that make you suffer a lot, especially

because you are very poor
7. adversity g. small jobs, especially those that involve repairing or cleaning

8. a sojourn h. the type of work that needs a lot of physical effort

9. dyslexia i. working briefly in one position after another rather than staying
at any one job or organisation for a long-term period

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UPPER-INTERMEDIATE (B2-C1)

HIRING CHOICES

3 Watching and listening

You are going to watch a talk by Regina Hartley, Human Resources Manager at UPS. She is going to
explain why those who don’t always look good on paper may be the best people to hire for a position.
Guess the answers to the questions on the next page and then watch the first part of the talk to check.
1. What is a ‘Silver Spoon’?

a. someone who had a lot of advantages in life from an early age

b. somebody who had to struggle to achieve success
c. somebody who has a very good CV

2. What is a ‘Scrapper’?

a. someone who had a lot of advantages in life from an early age

b. somebody who had to struggle to achieve success
c. somebody who has a very good CV

3. What does a series of odd jobs on a person’s CV usually mean?

a. They can’t focus on a job. b. They’ve had struggles. c. Either of the above.

4. What is Post Traumatic Growth?

a. the ability to lead a healthy and successful life after experiencing a difficult situation
b. the ability to grow a business after a crisis

5. How many of the children in a recent study led healthy and productive lives after experiencing
adversity?

a. one tenth b. a quarter c. a third

Now guess the answers to the questions below and watch the second part of the talk to check.
1. Which entrepreneur never finished college and was diagnosed with dyslexia?

a. Bill Gates b. Steve Jobs c. Donald Trump

2. What percentage of American entrepreneurs have dyslexia?

a. 5% b. 10% c. 35%

3. According to the speaker, why do Scrappers succeed?

a. They have a sense of purpose and don’t give up easily.

b. They are more ambitious.
c. They are able to focus more on their studies and training.

4. What job did the speaker do to help pay for her studies?

a. a nightclub dancer b. a singing waitress c. a factory worker

5. What did a recent study reveal about companies that tend to support Scrappers?

a. They outperform companies that are less inclusive.

b. They are better places to work.
c. They tend to have a more loyal workforce.

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UPPER-INTERMEDIATE (B2-C1)

HIRING CHOICES

4 Speaking

Work in pairs. Summarise the talk in your own words.

5 Words and phrases from the talk

Choose the best word to complete each definition below. Read the transcript to check your answers.

beneath brings fend hold (x2) odds

revoked rolling toss unwavering upended

1. If you do or achieve something against tremendous , you succeed although it was

extremely unlikely that this would happen.
2. If you something away, you throw it in the trash can carelessly.
3. If you something (e.g. a mistake) against someone, you like them less or treat
them worse because of it.
4. If your certification or license gets , you no longer have official permission to do
something.
5. If a task is you, you feel that you are too good to do it.
6. If you can’t a job, you are unable to keep it.
7. If your life is , something has completely changed it.
8. If you can’t for yourself, you are unable to take care of yourself without help.
9. If something (money, job applications, etc.) starts in, it starts arriving in large
numbers.
10. If your belief in something or support for someone is , it never changes and always
stays strong.
11. If somebody out the best in you, they cause your best qualities to show.

Choose five of the words/phrases and make your own sentences.

6 Talking point

Discuss any of the questions below.

1. Do you agree with the speaker?

2. Is it easy to get a good job in your country without the right background?

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