Lesson 1 — Managing Talent (Unit 7)
Warm-up → Vocabulary → Exercises → Discussion
Warm-up · 10 min
What do you think? 🧠
Click all statements you agree with, then discuss with a partner for 3 minutes.
Key Vocabulary · 10 min
Click a word to see its definition
talent pool
candidates
induction
capabilities
criteria
job rotation
360-degree analysis
succession planning
business model
commitment
mobility
coaching
Exercise 1 · Fill in the Blanks · 10 min
Click a word from the bank, then click the gap
👆 Step 1: Click a word below to select it (it highlights green). Step 2: Click the dotted gap in the sentence to place it. Use Reset to start over.
induction
talent pool
criteria
succession planning
coaching
mobility
capabilities
1. The HR manager oversees the click here and ensures the company always has skilled people ready.
2. During click here, employees learn about the company's culture and key success factors.
3. All managers use the same click here when conducting performance assessments.
4. The CHRO is responsible for click here to ensure continuity when key leaders retire.
5. She received personal click here from the CEO to improve her leadership skills.
6. Employees with high click here are often the first to be promoted.
7. Training ensures employees have the click here needed to perform their roles.
Exercise 2 · Grammar in Context · 8 min
Countable or Uncountable? (Exercise 7.1)
Decide if "talent" is countable (C) or uncountable (U) in each sentence.
SENTENCE 01
"I believe we have the talent available to grow and become a better business."
✅ Correct! Here "talent" refers to the general capability in the company — uncountable.
SENTENCE 02
"Young talents have started to question old assumptions about how work is done."
✅ Correct! "Talents" here means talented individuals — countable.
SENTENCE 03
"She has a talent for identifying potential problems."
✅ Correct! "A talent for..." = a specific natural ability — countable.
SENTENCE 04
"An organization must make maximum use of the talent available in the labour pool."
✅ Correct! "The talent available" = overall pool of skill — uncountable.
Exercise 3 · Matching · 10 min
Match examples to topics (Exercise 7.2)
Click an example on the left, then click the matching topic on the right.
Workers are told what their job entails and how it fits the company's strategy.
The CHRO must explain to employees "Here's what's in it for you."
Sales leaders go through 360-degree feedback and leadership training.
A low-cost airline carefully selects new people to fit its team-based culture.
b. Induction — Educating recruits on the business system
h. Compensation — The exchange deal between person and firm
e. Performance improvement — Experiences to increase capabilities
f. Culture/fit intervention — Adapting or selecting for culture
Discussion · 12 min
Speaking Activity — Talent in Your World
🗣️ Pair Discussion (5 min)
- What is the most important step in managing talent — recruitment, training, or retention?
- How does performance assessment work in a company or school you know?
- What is the biggest challenge with 360-degree analysis?
🏢 Role Play — HR Meeting (7 min)
- Student A: You are the CHRO. Present a talent challenge your company faces.
- Student B: You are a consultant. Suggest which of the 8 approaches (a–h) would help.
- Use at least 5 vocabulary words from the unit in your conversation.
Lesson 2 — Managing Talent (Unit 8)
Warm-up → ABC Approach → Mentoring → Exercises → Role Play
Warm-up · 8 min
Quick Poll — What type of worker are you?
In the ABC approach, employees fall into one category. Click the one that best describes you:
Reading · 10 min
The ABC Approach — A Closer Look
Step 1 — Identify
Organizations identify key people — called super-talents or core competents — in their talent pool. One tech company found 100 core competents out of 16,000 staff.
Step 2 — Classify
Using the ABC approach (Microsoft, McKinsey): A = top 10–20%, B = solid middle, C = bottom 10%.
Step 3 — Act
C-performers are encouraged to improve or leave. Executives making these judgements are talent managers. High-potential staff are informally called high fliers.
Step 4 — Develop
Some businesses split between creatives (idea people) and suits (managers). Workers may form virtual organizations for a project and then disband.
Step 5 — Sustain
Mentoring (mentor → mentee) and coaching (coach → coachee) support long-term growth. Reverse mentoring: younger employees inform senior managers about technology and trends.
Exercise 8.1 · Fill in the Article · 12 min
Complete the article with the correct expressions
Word bank: ABC approach · core competents · super-talent · talent management · talent manager · talent pool
If the makes sure it is operated consistently with motivation, the
seems to offer a way to identify those with
(1) :
the (2) . It might be useful for the
(3) to periodically review the
(4) . On the other hand,
(5) is essentially about identifying talented people and finding out what they want. The idea of identifying the top
(6) suffers from the problem of "top 10% of what?" So the
(8) does not seem generally applicable.
Exercise 8.2 · Classification · 6 min
Creatives or Suits? Magazine Staff
For each magazine role, decide: Creative (generates ideas) or Suit (manages/administers)?
Exercise 8.3 · Mentoring & Coaching · 10 min
Complete the sentences
SENTENCE 01
Harriet Green has regular breakfasts with her ___________. She also tracks when she hasn't heard from her ___________ in a long time.
✅ Correct! Harriet is the mentor — the people she advises are her mentees.
SENTENCE 02
Well-designed ___________ programs produce three times more behavioural change than traditional training.
✅ Correct! Behavioural change through personal guidance = mentoring or coaching.
SENTENCE 03
In this innovative scheme, leaders engage with younger individuals who lead the ___________ relationship, providing insight from lower down the firm.
✅ Correct! When younger employees mentor senior ones — that's reverse mentoring.
SENTENCE 04
To establish trust, the ___________ can speak with the ___________ — but not with the coachee's boss.
✅ Correct! In coaching, the coach works with the coachee in confidence.
Role Play · 14 min
Scenario: The Talent Review Meeting
📋 Situation
You work at GlobalTech, a software company with 500 employees. The CHRO has asked all department heads to attend a talent review. Apply the ABC approach to your team of 10 and present your findings.
🎭 Student A (CHRO): Run the meeting. Ask managers about their top and bottom performers. Discuss job rotation, coaching, or culture interventions.
🎭 Student B (Sales Manager): You have 2 high fliers, 6 solid B performers, and 2 C performers who resist change. Prepare a development plan.
🎭 Student C (HR Consultant): Recommend a mentoring or reverse mentoring scheme. Explain how it would work at GlobalTech.
📝 Target vocabulary: talent pool, ABC approach, core competents, high fliers, succession planning, coaching, reverse mentoring, performance assessment, business model, commitment, disband, virtual organization.
Wrap-up Quiz · 5 min
Units 7 & 8 — Final Knowledge Check
QUESTION 01
What do you call employees seen as having potential for senior management? (slightly informal)
✅ High fliers — the slightly informal term for people with potential for senior roles.
QUESTION 02
In advertising, what are "creatives"?
✅ Correct! Creatives are the idea people — those who devise the campaigns.
QUESTION 03
What is "reverse mentoring"?
✅ Junior staff mentor seniors — often about technology or social trends.
QUESTION 04
What does CHRO stand for?
✅ CHRO — Chief Human Resources Officer, responsible for staffing, talent, and compensation.
QUESTION 05
When a project team comes together and then separates after the project, they…
✅ Teams formed for specific projects then disband — they form a virtual organization.
Vocabulary Bank
All key terms from Units 7 & 8 in one place
Unit 7 — Recruiting & Managing Talent
Core Terms
talent poolAll skilled people available within an organization
candidatesPeople being considered for a job or position
cultureThe way a company does things; its values and norms
inductionIntroduction process for new employees
capabilitiesThe skills needed to perform a job effectively
criteriaStandards used to judge or evaluate employees
job rotationSystem where employees move between different jobs
executive educationManagement training for senior staff
360-degree analysisMutual assessment between employees and managers
feedbackInformation given to an employee on how they're doing
succession planningPlanning who will fill key roles in the future
staffingProviding a company with the people it needs
business modelThe way a company generates revenue
rewardsSalary, bonuses, and other compensation
commitmentBelief in and support for the organization
mobilityWillingness to move between roles or locations
Unit 8 — Managing Talent 2
Core Terms
key peopleSpecially talented individuals in the talent pool
super-talents / core competentsMission-critical employees essential to firm success
mission-criticalEssential to the success of the firm
ABC approachClassifying staff into top (A), middle (B), and bottom (C)
top performersThe best 10–20% of employees (A-group)
talent managerExecutive who makes performance judgements
high fliersInformal: people with high potential for senior roles
creativesPeople who generate ideas (e.g. in advertising)
suitsInformal: managers who manage the creatives
disbandWhen a team separates after completing a project
virtual organizationTemporary team formed for a specific project
mentor / menteeSenior person advising / junior person receiving advice
reverse mentoringYounger employee mentoring a senior manager
coach / coacheeSenior trainer / employee receiving one-to-one coaching
Speaking Practice
Useful Sentence Starters
"In terms of succession planning…"Use this to talk about future leadership needs
"The ABC approach suggests that…"Use this to reference the classification system
"From a talent management perspective…"Useful for presenting an HR viewpoint
"One way to improve performance is through…"Lead into coaching, mentoring, or job rotation
"The challenge with 360-degree analysis is that…"Open a discussion on the limitations of assessment