Welcome to English as a Second Language podcast number 380, Hiring Temp Workers.
This is English as a Second Language podcast episode 380.
I'm your host, Dr Jeff McQuillan, coming to you from the Center for Educational Development in beautiful Los Angeles, California.
Our website is eslpod.com.
Go there and download a learning guide for this episode.
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This episode is called Hiring Temp Workers.
Temp is short for temporary.
This is when companies hire people for short amounts of time to do work.
Let's get started.
I just talked to Steve about hiring replacements for Cyril, who quit last month, and for Megan, who is leaving at the end of this week.
Do you know what he told me?
He doesn't want to hire permanent replacements.
He wants to make do with temps.
I can see it from Steve's perspective.
The economy isn't so good right now and maybe he's not sure if we can afford full-time replacements.
But how am I supposed to staff the office to cover all of the work that needs to be done with temps?
Don't undervalue temps.
Many of them are very skilled, and you may be surprised at how well they do.
I should know.
I worked as a temp right after graduating from college.
You did?
I didn't know that.
But you went to a great school.
I'm surprised you had trouble landing a full-time job.
Actually I was offered a full-time job before I graduated but I turned it down.
I decided I wanted to test the waters in a few different companies before deciding on where I wanted to work.
In retrospect it was the best thing I could have done.
You didn't miss the job security?
Yeah, I did.
But there are other perks to working as a temp.
I got offered permanent jobs with two of the companies I temped for.
That's how I got my first full-time job.
Working there was the best way to get my foot in the door.
Well, thanks for the fresh perspective.
Maybe working with temps won't be so bad.
I hope not.
And if they get out of line, just tell me and I'll set them straight.
Yeah, right.
Our dialogue begins with Bethany saying to Enrique... So, one employee leaves...
The company then hires a replacement, another worker, to take that job.
Bethany says that Steve is hiring replacements for Cyril and for Megan, who is leaving at the end of this week.
She then asks, He doesn't want to hire permanent replacements.
Something or someone that is permanent is there for a long time, forever.
It's the opposite of temporary.
Bethany says, Steve wants to make do with temps.
To make do is an interesting verb combination.
It means to do the best you can with what you have available to you.
It may not be enough.
For example, if you have to plan a company party, but you only have $100 to spend.
That's not very much money.
That's not enough for a good party.
But you have to make do.
You have to do the best you can with that $100.
Steve wants to make do with temps or temporary workers.
It's popular in the United States, especially when the economy is not doing very well, to have companies hire temporary workers, not permanent workers.
There are many different companies that specialize in temporary workers, in temps.
In fact, there's a verb to temp, which means to work as a temporary worker.
I temped when I was in college.
I needed a job, but I didn't want a full-time permanent job.
So I worked for a temporary employment agency, a company that hires people to work for other companies.
I did some interesting jobs.
One job.
I had to take a mattress and take it apart, meaning I had to remove the outer part of the mattress from the metal part inside.
I also worked once as a clerk in an office doing simple tasks like copying and stapling papers.
You can temp in almost every kind of work, and it pays okay.
It pays more than you would get if you tried to work at McDonald's or some fast food restaurant.
Enrique says, I can see it from Steve's perspective.
Perspective is your point of view, your way of seeing things.
Enrique is saying, I understand Steve's viewpoint.
The economy isn't so good right now, and maybe he's not sure we can afford full-time replacements.
Afford means have enough money.
Bethany says but how am I supposed to staff the office to cover all of the work that needs to be done with temps?
To staff is another verb for to hire, to employ.
Staff has a couple of different meanings in English.
Take a look at our learning guide for some additional explanations.
To cover here means to do the necessary work, to finish or complete the work.
So Bethany is concerned how she is going to hire people to do all of the work that needs to be done if she only has temporary workers.
Enrique says, don't undervalue temps.
To think something is worth less than it really is.
The opposite would be to overvalue something.
To think it is worth more than it really is.
Enrique says many temps are very skilled.
To be skilled means that they have an ability to complete a job or a task, to be good at something.
That is to be skilled.
Many temps are very skilled, Enrique says, and you may be surprised at how well they do.
He then says that he worked as a temp right after graduating from college.
Bethany is surprised she says you did.
I didn't know that.
But you went to a great school.
I'm surprised you had trouble landing a full-time job.
To land here means to get, to win, or to acquire something.
I landed an interview with...
Google.
Google wants to talk to me and I got an interview.
We use the verb when we are talking about getting a prize or getting something that is very valuable, such as a job.
Usually it's used in talking about employment.
Enrique says, actually, I was offered a full-time job before I graduated.
To turn something down is a phrasal verb meaning to say no to something that someone is offering you not to accept something.
When I was younger, I used to ask many women out on a date to go with me for a romantic dinner.
And usually they would turn me down.
Say, you?
Come on.
Enrique says that he turned down a job because he decided he wanted to test the waters.
To test the waters means to try something before making a final decision, to do something for a little while to see if it's something you like or something that you're good at.
So Enrique decided to test the waters in a few different companies before deciding on where he wanted to work.
He says, The expression, in retrospect, means looking back at it now.
It's another way of saying, now I know something that I didn't know before.
Bethany asks, you didn't miss the job security?
Job security is knowing that you will not lose your job, knowing that the company will not fire you.
In the US most companies do not offer very much job security unless there is some sort of workers' union at the company.
Enrique says yeah, I did meaning I did miss the job security.
But there are other perks to working as a temp.
A PERK is a benefit.
It's an extra good thing that isn't part of your salary, but it's something that is nice to have.
For example, at Google, where I landed my interview, they have free food.
They have a cafeteria where you can go and eat without paying for anything.
Enrique says, I got offered permanent jobs with two of the companies I temped for.
Notice the verb temped, past tense.
That's how I got my first full-time job, he says.
Working there was the best way to get my foot in the door.
The expression to get your foot in the door means to get an opportunity to begin something such as a job.
It's the first step in working toward a goal.
Usually this is a job that is not very important, but at least it gets you into the company so they can get to know you.
It gets your foot in the door.
Bethany says, well, thanks for the fresh perspective.
Maybe working with temps won't be so bad.
Maybe it won't be as bad as I thought.
Enrique says, I hope not.
And if they get out of line, just tell me and I'll set them straight.
To get out of line is an expression that means to act inappropriately, not to do your job, to misbehave, we might say.
We don't want the employees getting out of line.
We don't want them doing things that they shouldn't be doing.
If this happens, Enrique says that he'll set them straight.
To set someone straight is a two-word phrasal verb meaning to correct wrong behavior, to tell someone that he or she is wrong.
It's a somewhat strong expression.
I'm going to set you straight.
I'm going to tell you what you're doing wrong.
Now let's listen to the dialogue, this time at a normal speed.
I just talked to Steve about hiring replacements for Cyril, who quit last month, and for Megan, who is leaving at the end of this week.
Do you know what he told me?
He doesn't want to hire permanent replacements.
He wants to make do with temps.
I can see it from Steve's perspective.
The economy isn't so good right now and maybe he's not sure if we can afford full-time replacements.
But how am I supposed to staff the office to cover all of the work that needs to be done with temps?
Don't undervalue temps.
Many of them are very skilled, and you may be surprised at how well they do.
I should know.
I worked as a temp right after graduating from college.
You did?
I didn't know that.
But you went to a great school.
I'm surprised you had trouble landing a full-time job.
Actually I was offered a full-time job before I graduated, but I turned it down.
I decided I wanted to test the waters in a few different companies before deciding on where I wanted to work.
In retrospect, it was the best thing I could have done.
You didn't miss the job security?
Yeah, I did, but there are other perks to working as a temp.
I got offered permanent jobs with two of the companies I temp for.
That's how I got my first full-time job.
Working there was the best way to get my foot in the door.
Well, thanks for the fresh perspective.
Maybe working with Thames won't be so bad.
I hope not.
And if they get out of line, just tell me and I'll set them straight.
Yeah, right.
The script for this episode was written by the very skilled Dr. Lucy Say.
From Los Angeles, California, I'm Jeff McQuillan.
Thank you for listening.
Come back and listen to us next time on ESL Podcast.
English as a Second Language Podcast is written and produced by Dr Lucy Say, hosted by Dr Jeff McQuillan.
This podcast is copyright 2008.
