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Professional English
Cambridge English for
Human
Resources
TEACHER’S NOTES
Jeremy Day
George Sandford
Professional English
Cambridge English for
Human Resources
TEACHER’S NOTES
UNIT 1HR strategy
l Linking business and HR strategies
l Developing an HR strategy
l Writing up the HR strategy
Go to page 14 for essential background information on the topic and useful
web links.
Don’t forget to use the Additional activity worksheet in the Resources section
of the Cambridge English for Human Resources website.
Technical human resources and other workplace vocabulary can be found in
the Glossary on Student’s Book pages 122–127
Refers to the Audioscript on Student’s Book pages 93–108
Linking business and HR strategies
Before you begin …
Discuss the following questions with the class.
1 What is the purpose of an HR strategy?
2 What form does it take?
3 What is your experience of companies using (or not using) HR strategies?
Suggested answers
1 The purpose of the HR strategy is to define the role of HR, its key priorities
and objectives, and describe how these will be achieved.
2 It typically takes the form of a formal written document, covering several
pages. However, a strategy could also be oral (e.g. a discussion of ‘where are
we going and what do we want to achieve’).
1 a Students discuss the three questions in pairs and then feed back to the class.
Suggested answers
1 The mission statement, business objectives, projects, and plans for completing
the objectives.
2 The direction the organisation is moving in, change issues (how the
organisation might change and what the results of the change will be),
resourcing, and the role of HR in the organisation.
3 Because the HR plan needs to respond to and meet the broader business
objectives.
b Ask students to read the background information about Maracujá to find out
what exactly the company does. You may want to ask students to suggest other
examples of vertically integrated businesses (the best-known are oil companies
such as BP).
2 Cambridge English for Human Resources Cambridge University Press 2011 PhotocoPiable
www.cambridge.org/elt/englishforhr
UNIT 1 HR strategy
Go through questions 1–4 with the class and ask students if they can suggest
different possibilities for each answer. For question 1 for example, students could
suggest that the review is necessary because the current one is out-of-date, that
the company is changing (downsizing or expanding), etc. Then play Audio 1.1 for
students to answer the questions. Ask students to work in pairs to compare their
answers then feed back to the class. During feedback, ask students to say how
close their predicted answers were to the answers according to the dialogue.
1.1 page 93
Answers
1 Because the business has grown and the current strategy is out of date.
2 The resourcing plan.
3 They are modernising the business.
4 Different strategic models.
Note
Some HR and workplace-related vocabulary items:
l A three-year plan is a popular planning period because it offers sufficient long-
range planning and continuity but is not so long that it becomes out-of-date.
l A resourcing plan is the plan that identifies the number and types of employees
needed for the business over the next few years. It also identifies issues such as
labour turnover and from where new employees will be found.
l If you outsource a business function, you contract it out to another organisation
to deliver.
l The board refers to the board of directors, to management or to the supervisory
board, depending on the organisational structure.
l EU subsidies are European Union funds available for the purpose of economic
and social development within member states.
Different approaches to creating strategies (or strategic models as mentioned in
Audio 1.1) are dealt with in Exercise 2b on Student’s Book page 7.
Extension activity
Write the following words and phrases onto the board:
three-year plan resourcing plan outsource
offshore The board strategic models
Students work in pairs to remember what was said about each of these items,
and then listen to Audio 1.1 again to check. After they have discussed their
answers, students feed back to the class.
Answers
The three-year plan is already out-of-date.
A revised resourcing plan is the main priority.
Laura and Chris need to think about whether they want to outsource or offshore
any business activities (that is, to contract the services of another organisation,
either in Portugal or abroad).
The board haven’t yet decided what to do about the old factory – some board
members want to modernise the factory but others think that will be too
expensive and would prefer to relocate.
Laura wants Chris to explore some strategic models (e.g. personnel, outsourced,
business partner).
3 Cambridge English for Human Resources Cambridge University Press 2011 PhotocoPiable
www.cambridge.org/elt/englishforhr
UNIT 1 HR strategy
2 a Ask students to check their work in pairs and to see if they know all the
highlighted words on the notepad by writing their own definitions. They then
compare their definitions with those in the Student’s Book Glossary (pages 122–
127). Students work in pairs to discuss which issues will be the most important
for the HR strategy and then feed back to the class.
Suggested answers
To effectively match corporate and HR strategies, HR will need to take account
of stakeholder expectations. In terms of areas in which HR has a direct influence,
the possible closure and relocation of the factory is important. Also, developing a
knowledgeable workforce and attracting high quality designers should form part
of the HR strategy.
b Students work alone to complete the matching exercise and then check in pairs.
When you check with the class, ask students about their experiences of the
various approaches.
Answers
2 f 3 h 4 g 5 a 6 c 7 b 8 d
Note
Some HR and workplace-related vocabulary items:
l self-service, in an HR context, means that employees access and update much
of their own employee data, such as holidays, themselves.
l devolved power, in an organisational context, involves moving power, control
and decision making away from the central bureaucracy and to managers and
departments. It can be devolved further by managers devolving power to their
staff.
l transactional HR is based on the idea of transactions, which in this context
involves the specific delivery of a core HR service such as recruitment or payroll
administration.
Extension activity
Students test each other in pairs by reading a definition to their partner
who then tries to guess the correct approach. Alternatively, they could read
an approach then ask for a definition from their partner. You could also ask
them to give examples of each approach.
c You could ask students to close their books. In small groups, students think
of the advantages and disadvantages of one of the eight approaches. Make
sure each group chooses a different approach to discuss. Afterwards, they
present their ideas to the class. Then discuss the question with the whole class.
Encourage students to justify their suggestions.
Suggested answer
Because the company wants to be modern and progressive, the approaches most
likely to meet these needs are business partner and continuous improvement.
3 a Students work alone to complete the headings. When you go through the answers
with the class, discuss any similarities and differences to the students’ own ideas.
Make sure all students have the correct answers before moving on to Exercise 3b.
Answers
a Personnel c Performance management
b Business partner d Continuous improvement
4 Cambridge English for Human Resources Cambridge University Press 2011 PhotocoPiable
www.cambridge.org/elt/englishforhr
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