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BEP 114 ADV: Job Interviews - HR Review of Candidates
As part of our series on job interviews, in this Business English Pod episode we’ll be taking a closer look at the process from the HR perspective. Specifically, we’ll be studying the language of reaching a decision about whom to hire.
A Brazilian business unit of fast moving consumer goods company Fun Beverages has recently interviewed several people for an HR manager position. Now the regional HR director, Ted, and the business unit general manager, George, are meeting to discuss the short-listed, or final, candidates.
As you listen, pay attention to the language they use to compare the two interviewees and to decide which one is the best fit. In addition, we’ll study how they support a candidate, emphasize priorities, express reservations (or second thoughts), and suggest action.
Listening Questions:
1) Which candidate do they prefer and why?
2) What are the relative strengths and weaknesses of the two main candidates, Ronaldo and Yala?
3) What are the main reservations about Yala?
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(8 votes, average: 4.63 out of 5)
Loading ...BEP 113 ADV - Job Interviews: Second Round Interviews
Congratulations! You were successful in your first job round interview, and you have been called back for a second interview. What should you expect? The key word is more - there will be more questions, more pressure - and, of course, more likelihood that you will get the job.
An important function of second-round job interviews is to find out whether we fit with the employer’s company culture.
In this episode, we’ll study how to demonstrate that we are a good match with an organization. In addition, we’ll review some other useful second-round interview skills, such as summarizing the previous discussion and referring to something you forgot to mention earlier.
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(7 votes, average: 5 out of 5) Loading ...BEP 112 ADV - Negotiations: Getting Started
This is part of an ongoing series on negotiations. In this Business English Podcast episode, we’ll study how to open a traditional commercial negotiation between buyer and seller. We’ll focus on creating goodwill, starting off, setting ground rules, suggesting an agenda and exploring possibilities.
We’ll be listening to a telephone conversation between Tony, a supplier of building materials, and Paul, a purchasing manager for a large construction company in Canada. Paul is buying materials for a harbor project. A harbor is a protected area of water where boats dock, or park. For this project, Paul needs to buy anchor bolts. These bolts are the thick steel screws that are embedded or buried in concrete to support or anchor structural steel columns. Structural columns refer to the steel frameworks that hold buildings up.
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(5 votes, average: 4.8 out of 5) Loading ...BEP 111 ADV - Negotiations: Relationship Building
This Business English Podcast episode on relationship building is part of an ongoing series on negotiation skills.
In negotiation, establishing a good relationship based on trust makes it possible to jointly search for creative solutions, to overcome blockage and even to turn conflict into a productive force.
Both Peter and Maxine are owners of local telecommunication services that provide mobile phone users with ring tones and games. Peter’s company, Textacular, has a significant presence in Denmark; meanwhile, Maxine’s company, Gamester, is based in northern Germany.
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(9 votes, average: 4.67 out of 5) Loading ...Job Interviews e-Book for ESL Now Available
This is a preview of our new Business English e-book on job interviews: Successful Job Interviews for ESL.
Successful Interviews takes you through each stage of the interview process: from discussing your previous experience and accomplishments, to handling tougher questions on your weaknesses and on to the second round interview and salary negotiations. In each lesson we demonstrate useful language and skills you can use to present yourself successfully in English to potential employers.
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(6 votes, average: 4.67 out of 5) Loading ...BEP 110 ADV - Job Interviews: Stress Questions
As we’ve discussed in other episodes on job interviews, one goal of the person conducting the interview is to get you to “let your guard down.” Often, after a series of “warm-up questions,” the interviewer will give you a tough question. This will likely come “out of the blue,” that is, unexpectedly. We call these types of questions “stress questions” because part of the intention is to see how you react under pressure.
Common types of stress questions range from problems, such as how to solve a business case study or even a mathematics question, to “behavioral questions,” such as how to deal with imaginary work situation involving conflict or communication.
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(20 votes, average: 4.5 out of 5) Loading ...
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