Study the following information about Recruiting and Small Business Advantage. Match each heading with a suitable text.

 

(a) Great Timing (b) Perception is Everything (c) Jack Of All Trades (d) Direct Relationship to the Outcome (e) Monster Business Coach (f) Flexibility (g) Direct Influence on Polices and Direction (h) Personal Relationships

 

Text 1: ______________________

The success of any company is largely dependent on its people. Although no one can argue with the fact that a great product or service is essential, and great marketing is also vital, it is the people in our organizations that drive the sales, create the plans and execute those plans. Big companies seem to have all the resources in the world to attract and hire the best people. Smaller sized companies tend to worry that they can’t compete with the attractiveness of working for a large corporation. There is a huge advantage, however, to being a small business and those advantages can help get you some great candidates.

Text 2: ______________________

If you don’t believe that you have a great thing going on in your company to sell to a prospective candidate, how can you expect them to believe it? Do you know what your advantages are? Having a clear idea of what you have going for you, makes it a lot easier to figure out whom to sell those advantages to. If you think a candidate will do better at a big company, chances are they will. If you think that you have a lot to offer, and that your company has the capacity to attract and retain great people, then that message will come across.

Text 3: ______________________

According to a BusinessWeek.com article, “Why Small Businesses Won’t be Hiring” by Amy Barret small business are the first to start hiring after an economic downturn because it is the entrepreneurs that drive economic recovery. They are the ones whose businesses are small enough and flexible enough to change directions quickly. It is this quick response time that has them hiring before anyone else.

If that is the case, then in this current economic climate, small businesses have the ability to pick from a vast pool of job candidates that they may not otherwise have access to. But even if the landscape changes, there are small business advantages that make it easy to compete against the big boys. Even when times are good, there is no reason why a small business can’t attract fantastic people if they know how to sell what they have going for them.

Text 4: ______________________

Small businesses tend to offer their employees the ability to do a lot of different things. Because they are less bureaucratic, and tend to have less people working in the organization, employees are often able to challenge themselves with doing work that isn’t necessarily in their job description. Great job candidates love challenges. Sell them on the ability to really stretch themselves and the ability to get very diverse experience.

Text 5: ______________________

Working for a small business allows you to have a direct effect on how the company performs. Unlike large companies that have lots of people making very little impact, in a small company, the job that you do can easily be correlated to the performance of the company. Great job candidates love knowing that the work that they do matters.

Text 6: ______________________

Working for a small business means that everyone in the company has a voice that is easily heard. Unlike working for a large company where you can figuratively scream your head off and no one will take heed, small companies can’t ignore the feedback that they get from their people. Great job candidates love knowing that they can influence direction.

Text 7: ______________________

Small businesses have the advantage of being able to offer more tailored packages to their employees. Because there is a more intimate knowledge of the lives of the people in the company, owners can offer perks that will make a difference. Some companies allow employees to take extra vacation days instead of extra pay for the overtime that they work. Another company makes sure that their health benefits plan has maximum coverage. Other companies also make sure to provide great retirement savings plans for their employees. Great job candidates will love the idea of getting special packages that really impact their lives. Small businesses also have a tendency to do whatever they have in their power to keep their people employed. When things get rough for the company, they will most often take other measures first before letting people go.

Text 8: ______________________

Small businesses have amazing advantages for job candidates. Small companies tend to have more flexibility to the way work life is structured. Because they don’t typically have rigid H.R. departments, people are often able to work from home or work flexible hours.

Great job candidates love the idea of having the ability to structure work their way. (by Cheryl Stein, Coaching and Consulting)

1.4. Critical Thinking & Discussion Questions:

1.4.1. Discuss the following sayings:

v I hire people brighter than me and I get out of their way. – Lee Iacocca

v The competition to hire the best will increase in the years ahead. Companies that give extra flexibility to their employees will have the edge in this area. – Bill Gates

v Recruiting is hard. It’s just finding the needles in the haystack. You can’t know enough in a one-hour interview. So, in the end, it’s ultimately based on your gut. How do I feel about this person? What are they like when they're challenged? I ask everybody that: “Why are you here?” The answers themselves are not what you’re looking for. It’s the meta-data. – Steve Jobs

1.5. Internet Practice:

1.5.1. Web Activities:

I. The World’s Ten Most Wanted Companies. Search the Web to find the world’s ten most wanted companies to work for. Then make notes about each company’s brand name, company’s reputation, company’s field of operation, company’s main competitors and about company’s profit margin. Explain your choice.

II. Writing Activity. Choose one of the companies listed. Write a paragraph or essay under the title “ A Story of Success ”. Include as many interesting details as possible.

 

Unit 2 Business Portfolio

“ Whenever you are asked if you can do a job,

tell them, ‘Certainly I can!’ Then get busy and find out how to do it.”

Theodore Roosevelt [2]

2.1. While analysing the Unit and reading the Text please pay attention to the following words and word-combinations, explore their Ukrainian equivalents:

Nouns:

abilities accomplishments ad aid application form attachment blue-collar citizenship congery of options counselor

correctness cover letter credentials employment expectations family name female interview male qualifications

peculiarities position preferences ramble requirements resume status (for ex. marital) tips typeface zip code

Verbs:

to address to anticipate to apply to assume to back up to compile to conger to curriculum vitae to evaluate

to fill out to foresee to fret to gain to illustrate to match to notify to overhaul to practice

to provide to quit to sift to sign up to spark to stand out to stick to to summarise to review

Adjectives & Adverbs:

anticipated available brief concise continually critiqued

experienced full-time hired marketing tool ongoing optional

on-the-spot overwhelming part-time tough uniquely worth

2.2. Read and analyse the following text: