Fit-for-Hiring--翻译

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1、Fit for Hiring? Its Mind Over MatterNEW YORK - Members of Americas professional and managerial classes have always left college confident of at least one thing: they had taken their last test. From here on, they could rely on charm, cunning and/or a record of accomplishment to propel them up the cor

2、porate ladder.But thats not necessarily true any longer. A growing number of companies, from General Motors Corp to American Express Co., are no longer satisfied with traditional job interviews. Instead, they are requiring applicants for many white-collar jobs - from top executives down - to submit

3、to a series of paper-and-pencil tests, role-playing exercises, simulated decision-making exercises and brainteasers. Others put candidates through a long series of interviews by psychologists or trained interviewers.The tests are not about mathematics or grammar, nor about any of the basic technical

4、 skills for which many production, sales and clerical workers have long been tested. Rather, employers want to evaluate candidates on intangible qualities: Is she creative and entrepreneurial? Can he lead and coach? Is he flexible and capable of learning? Does she have passion and a sense of urgency

5、? How will he function under pressure? Most important, will the potential recruit fit the corporate culture?These tests, which can take from an hour to two days, are all part of a broader trend. Companies are getting much more careful about hiring, said Paul R. Ray Jr., chairman of the Association o

6、f Executive Search Consultants.Ten years ago, candidates could win a top job with the right look and the right answers to questions such as Why do you want this job?. Now, many are having to face questions and exercises intended to learn how they get things done.They may, for example, have to descri

7、be in great detail not one career accomplishment but many - so that patterns 35 of behavior emerge. They may face questions such as Who is the best manager you ever worked for and why? or What is your best friend like?. The answers, psychologists say, reveal much about a candidates management style

8、and about himself or herself.The reason for the interrogations is clear: many hires work out badly. About 35 percent of recently hired senior executives are judged failures, according to the Center for Creative Leadership in Greensboro, North Carolina, which surveyed nearly 500 chief executives.The

9、cost of bringing the wrong person on board is sometimes huge. Searching and training can cost from $5000 for a lower-level manager to $250,000 for a top executive. Years of corporate downsizing, a trend that has slashed layers of management, has also increased the 50 potential damage that one bad ex

10、ecutive can do. With the pace of change accelerating in markets and technology, companies want to know how an executive will perform, not just how he or she has performed.Years ago, employers looked for experience - has a candidate done this before? said Harold P. Weinstein, executive vice-president

11、 of Caliper, a personnel testing and consulting firm in Princeton, New Jersey. But having experience in a job does not guarantee that you can do it in a different environment.At this point, most companies have not shifted to this practice. Some do not see the need or remain unconvinced that such tes

12、ting is worth the cost. But human-resource specialists say anecdotal evidence suggests that white-collar testing is growing in popularity. What has brought so many employers around to testing is a sense of the limitations in the usual job interview. With so little information on which to base a deci

13、sion, most people hire people they like, rather than the most competent person, said Orv Owens, a psychologist in Snohomish, Washington, who sizes up executive candidates. Research has shown, he said, that most decision makers make their hiring decisions in the first five minutes of an interview and

14、 spend the rest of the time rationalizing their choice.Besides, with advice on how to land a better job about as common as a ten-dollar bill, many people are learning to play the interview game.Even companies that have not started extensive testing have toughened their hiring practices. Many now do

15、background checks, for example, looking for signs of drug use, violence or sexual harassment. But the more comprehensive testing aims to measure skills in communications, analysis and organization, attention to detail and management style; personality traits and motivations that behavioral scientist

16、s say predict performance.适合招聘吗？主要取决于精神在纽约，美国的专业和管理类的成员总是信心满满的毕业，因为他们觉得至少通过了最后的测试。从这里开始，他们可以依靠魅力，诡诈以及获得非凡的成从而推动自己攀上企业的阶梯。但是，现在不再一定是这样了。越来越多的公司，从通用汽车公司到美国运通公司，他们都不再满足于传统的工作面试。相反，他们都要求申请人做许多白领类工作，上至高层管理，下至屈从于一系列的笔试，角色扮演练习，模拟的决策练习和脑筋急转弯。有些还要求候选人需要通过一系列的心理专家或训练有素的面试官的面试才行。测试不是关于数学或语法，也不是关于那些老掉牙的生产，销售和文职

17、人员早已被测试过的基本技术技能。相反的，雇主更注重评估候选人的无形资产素质：她有创造力和创业能力吗？他能领导和辅导别人吗？他学习起来是否灵活和有能力呢？她是否有热情和紧迫感呢？在压力下，他将如何发挥作用呢？最重要的是，这个“潜力股”适应企业文化吗？这些短到一个小时，长到两天的测试已经成为现在广泛流行趋势的一部分。“公司在雇佣方面越来越小心”猎头顾问协会主席Paul R. Ray Jr说道。十年前，候选者可以凭借得体的长相或对于“你为什么想要这份工作？”这个问题准确的回答而赢得最高职位。但现在，他们必须面对一些问题和练习，旨在了解他们如何才能把事情做好。例如，他们可能需要描述不止一个而是很多职业

18、生涯的成就，从而行为准则35条就应运而生了。他们可能面临类似这样的问题，如“在你曾经的工作中，谁是最好的经理，为什么？”或“你最好的朋友是什么样的？”心理学家说，对于这些问题回答，很大程度的透露了候选者的管理方式和他（她）自己是什么样的。根据在北卡罗来纳州格林斯博罗的创意领导力中心的一项对近500名高级行政人员的调查中发现，最近雇佣的高级管理人员中有35的人是被认为为失败者的。因此询问的原因是显而易见的，那就是：许多员工工作起来很差劲。招聘一个错误的候选人的代价有时是巨大的。寻找和培训费用从5000美元的低等级经理至250,000美元的高级经理不等。一个不好的总经理的作为可以造成诸如多年的企业

19、裁员，管理层次削减的趋势等50个潜在损害。随着市场和技术变化步伐的加速，公司更想知道总经理将如何执行，不只是他或她怎样执行过。“多年以前，雇主还热衷于寻找有经验的人-这个候选人以前做过这个工作吗？”新泽西州普林斯顿一家叫Caliper的个人测试与咨询公司的执行副总裁Harold P. Weinstein这样说过。但是，在一个地方有工作经验不能保证你换一个不同的环境也可以做好。“在这一点上，大多数公司却没有改变去这样实践。一些公司仍看不到或者仍然不相信这样的测试是值得的。但人力资源专家说传闻证据表明，这种白领的测试正越来越受欢迎。正是往常工作面试的局限感才让越来越多的雇主去做这种测试。身价高达长

20、官候选人的华盛顿斯诺霍米什心理学家Orv Owens曾说过， “在获得这样少的信息而要去做决定时，大多数人会雇用他们喜欢的人，而不是最能干的人。”他说，“大多数决策者在他们面试的前5分钟就做出录用决定了，而剩下的时间则是合理化他所做的选择。”此外，就像怎样降落一张十元钞票一样，有了怎样获得一个较好工作的建议，很多人都在学着玩这个面试游戏。即使那些还没有开始广泛测试的公司也已经增强其雇用行为。许多公司现在做背景调查，例如，寻找用药，暴力或性骚扰的迹象。但更全面的测试，目的是为了衡量沟通、分析和组织、细节的注重和管理模式方面的技能；行为科学家们说，人格特质和意志可以预示人的行为表现。Proven

21、environmental commitment helps create committed customers.Jacquelyn Ottman1. When self-proclaimed Patagonics dial up Patagonia, they know they will receive more than a high-quality fleece anorak or a waterproof pair of hiking boots. Thank s to the California-based retail firms outdoor clothing catal

22、og and it exemplary method of communicating its corporate environmentalism, customers are not only knowledgeable about the companys environmental progress, they are loyal, too.2. when purchasing products from Patagonia, customers also buy into a commitment to environmental restoration. Patagonias ex

23、ample demonstrates good green-marketing strategies.Educate consumers on environmental product attributes and benefits.3) Patagonia takes pains to explain its products earth-friendliness and show customers the big picture. For example, in the mid-1990s, Patagonia began using organically-grown cotton

24、exclusively. In addition to highlighting the organic merchandise in product descriptions in catalogs, essay explained why organically-produced products are environmentally preferable.4) other essays expanded the issue beyond individual products and processes. In a 1996 catalog essay, for example, ce

25、o yvon chouinard explained the rationale behind the companys switch to organically-grown cotton, including the problems associated with producing conventional cotton, the larger long-term benefits of investing in organically-grown products and the need to think about long-term sustainability issues

26、when choosing products.5) one might assume that explaining the benefits of organic cotton in catalogs was a strategic move, since the company had to justify the $2 to $10 premium per garment. But other essays, for instance, addressed environmental issues not directly linked to company profit.6) broa

27、d environmental education teaches consumers that although thinking and buying green is more expensive, environmental is less taxing on the earth in the long run, and therefore, on individuals.Use a variety of media.7) patagonias advertising and company literature aim to educate. Instead of a catalog

28、 packed only with sales information, patagonias catalog is more like national geographic. Demonstrations in patagonias retail store engage customers with interactive displays of the earths processes. Annual reports, pamphlets and other company literature explain new ideas in environmentalism. And Pa

29、tagonia was one of the first companies to discuss sustainability in paid media.Demonstrate tangible corporate environmental progress.8)Patagonia realize that customers sometimes doubt corporate environmental claims. To avoid consumer backlash, Patagonia publishes the result of its internal environme

30、ntal assessment.9) this report reviews all office, production and merchandising activities and uncovers opportunities to cut waste and reduce energy. Readers can see how Patagonia tries t conduct business in a socially responsible manager, from choosing long-lasting efficient light bulbs to providin

31、g on-site child care for employees children. The grounds around the companys headquarters even feature edible landscaping banana trees.10) though an environmental grants programs, dubbed earth tax, Patagonia pledges 1% of its sales or 10% of its pre-tax profit, whichever is greater, to small, local

32、preservation and restoration efforts. Thought April 1997, Patagonia had contributed more that $8m to hundreds of such organizations.11) believing that grass roots efforts do the most to raise community awareness of local problems, the earth tax program targets smaller grass roots organizations commi

33、tted to issues such as biodiversity, old-growth forests, environmentally preferable methods of resource extraction, alternative energy and water, social activism and environmental education. By funding more than 350 of these efforts each year, Patagonia helps raise community awareness nationwide.Emp

34、ower consumers to take action12) an annual earth tax report invites customers to apply for grants for local projects. Participants are quick to apply and inform the company about environmental successes. One recent catalog featured a customer sporting and insulated Patagonia guide jacket as she resc

35、ued a calf born during a Colorado snow storm.13) with powerful communication, meaningful corporate environmental progress and avenues for consumer activism, it is no wonder that even skeptics become Patagonia customers and customers become Patagonics成熟的环保承诺帮助建立致力于客户。Jacquelyn奥特曼1。然后自封Patagonics拨号巴塔哥

36、尼亚，他们知道他们会得到更多的高品质的羊毛夹克或防水的登山鞋一双。谢谢s到加州的零售企业的户外服装目录和通信企业环保示范性方法，客户不仅了解公司的环保进步，他们是忠诚。2。从巴塔哥尼亚选购产品时，客户可以购买到恢复环境的承诺。巴塔哥尼亚的例子演示了良好的绿色营销战略。教育消费者对环保产品的属性和利益。3）巴塔哥尼亚需要不厌其烦地解释其产品的地球友好，并显示客户大画面。例如，在20世纪90年代中期开始，巴塔哥尼亚使用专用有机种植的棉花。除了 目录中的产品描述中突出有机商品，征文解释为什么有机生产的产品是环保优选。4）等论文扩展超越个别产品和工艺问题。在一个1996目录作文，例如，首席执行官伊冯乔

37、伊纳德解释的理由背后公司的开关，以有机种植的棉花，包括与常规棉生产相关的问题的更大的长期利益，投资于有机种植产品和需要想想长远的可持续发展问题，在选择产品时。5）人们可能会认为解释目录有机棉的好处是一个战略性的举措，因为该公司必须证明每件成衣2美元至10美元的溢价。但其他论文，例如，解决环境问题直接关系到企业利润。6）广泛的环境教育教导消费者，虽然绿色思维和购买更昂贵的，环境是在地球上少征税从长远来看，因此，对个人。使用各种媒体。7）巴塔哥尼亚的广告和公司的文学宗旨教育。巴塔哥尼亚的目录，而不是只与销售信息目录包 装，更像是国家地理。示威在巴塔哥尼亚的零售商店搞客户互动展示地球的过程。年度报告

38、，小册子和其他公司文献解释了新的环保理念。和巴塔哥尼亚是付费媒体在讨论可持续发展的首批公司之一。展示有形的企业环境进步。8）巴塔哥尼亚意识到，客户有时候也怀疑企业环境索赔。为了避免消费者的反弹，巴塔哥尼亚公布其内部环境评估的结果。9）本报告回顾了所有的办公，生产和销售活动，并发现机会，以减少浪费，降低能源。读者可以看到巴塔哥尼亚如何试图吨开展业务，以对社会负责的经理，从选择长效节能灯泡，以提供员工子女的现场儿童保育。甚至设有公司总部周围的理由食用美化-香蕉树。10），虽然环境赠款项目，被称为地球税，巴塔哥尼亚承诺其销售额的1，其税前利润的10，以较高者为准，小，地方保护和恢复力度。1997年4

39、月，思想巴塔哥尼亚作出了贡献，800万美元到数百个这样的组织。11）认为基层工作做最本地的问题，以提高市民的环保意识，地球税计划的目标更小的基层组织承诺的问题，如生物多样性，古老的森林资源开采，环境最好的方法，替代能源和水，社会活动和环境教育。巴塔哥尼亚每年资金超过350这些努力，有助于提高全国社区意识。使消费者采取行动12）每年大地税报告邀请客户申请补助地方项目。参与者快速申请，并告知该公司对环境的成功。最近的一个目录客户为特色的体育和绝缘巴塔哥尼亚指南夹克她救出牛犊出生在科罗拉多州的暴风雪。13）具有强大的通讯的，有意义的企业环境的进步和消费者行动的途径，这也难怪，即使怀疑论者成为巴塔哥尼

40、亚的客户，和客户成为“Patagonics6 WRITING A LETTER OF INVITATION AND POSSIBLE REPLIES. (Not in the SB)Read the letters, Choose the best words from the options in brackets. WRITE three letters according to the models but containing your own information:a) A letter of invitation You invite a guest of honor to th

41、e annual dinner of your work group. Address it to the Public Relations Manager of the company sponsoring your project on You know the person by name.b) A reply accepting the invitationc) A reply declining the invitation whilst suggesting alternative arrangements.a)Dear Mr. Swan,We (want, wish, would

42、 like) to invite you to our annual conference on 15 February and (wonder, ask, demand) if you would consider being one of our guests (announcers, speakers, talkers).The theme we are promoting this year is the Single European Currency, and we would (admire, like appreciate) a contribution from your f

43、ield of manufacturing how this would (afflict, affect, alter) you and your colleagues enterprises. Please, (let, leave, make) us know as soon as possible if you are able to (arrive, attend, assist).(Inside, enclosed, within) you will find a formal invitation (to, of, for) yourself and a guest. Yours

44、 sincerelyPeter HoffmanChairman See next pageb) Dear Mr. Hoffman,Thank you for your letter and invitation of 13 January (requesting, asking, inviting) Mr. Swan to your annual conference. He will be (content, overjoyed, pleased) to attend and speak about the effects that the parity of currencies will

45、 have on the costs of (crude, raw, first) materials for our industry. He (expects, awaits, forecasts) the talk to last about half an hour.I will send you a transcript next week, and Mr. Swan would (enjoy, greet, welcome) any comments or suggestions you care to (have, propose, make)He looks forward t

46、o seeing you on February 15 at the (occasion, event, function).Yours sincerelyBarbara Schneiderp.p. ( )Gunter Swan Secretaryc) Dear Mr. Hoffman,Thank you for your letter and invitation of 13 January. Mr. Swan very much regrets that he cannot attend the conference, it as you suggested. (Acknowledgeme

47、nts, expressing regret)This is due to the previous arrangements. Unfortunately, he has to .(give the reason of refusal) Its a long standing arrangement, which, he cannot alter.Can we suggest that ? (Offering a counter-proposal)If it is not convenient, please, dont hesitate to contact me on. (# tel.) Signature. Position