Business English - discussion topics

I. Recruiter: your boss told you not to hire unexperienced people. Recently a graduate brought shame on a company because of his unprofessional telephone manner

Fresh graduate: you desperately need a job. Your only job experience is being an elderly person's assistant in Germany during a holiday break

II.Recruiter: you really need an experienced team leader. You cannot offer higher salary to him/her but you're trying to convince him/her by bunch of benefits

Team leader: you already have a good job and aren't really willing to change it. The only thing that can convince you is higher remuneration.

III. Bonus for overworked, burnt-out employees:

-away day, 10 minutes  longer lunch break, free day spa ticket, hiring new person for half-time to help with the job

IV. Where to invite a business partner from foreign country:

-exclusive restaurant

- medium-price restaurant with local food (where a folk event takes place)

-your favourite café with home-made ice-cream and delicious coffee

V. Language school equipment (decide on budget and set priorities)

-air conditioning, expensive furniture, expensive, sophisticated wallpaper, laptops

VI. Can you think of some type of business or activity that might fail for sure? (Carries a risk of being unsuccessful?)

VII. You told your subordinates to get engaged in some training session which you’ve paid for. For some reason no one registered, although you’ve informed the whole team about trainings via email. What would you do?

VIII. One person working on helpdesk and supporting German-speaking clients has some communication problems while talking on the phone. His/her command of German is not sufficient, unfortunately. How would you react?

IX. One person in the team shirks his responsibilities. Other people are forced to do his job and are very dissatisfied with that fact. Would you talk to him or go directly to the supervisor?

X. Addressing all employees at all levels with their first name helps to create an atmosphere of equality in a company and reduces stress and needless distance.

XI. Dress code should be ignored at a service desk.

XII. Due to restructuring you, being a boss, need to dismiss 3 people out of your 15-person team. What criteria would you choose while picking the unlucky ones that will be fired?

XIII. Due to the fact that your service center started cooperation with Australia and the U.S. your subordinates will have to do the on-calls during the night. They strongly oppose the idea. How would you discipline them?

XIV. Your boss offers you a two-month-long delegation in Indonesia. Would you decide to go? Why yes/no? (if yes, how would you prepare to it?)