Work Environment: Business English Vocabulary

A business environment is everything that affects how a company operates: all the external and internal factors that shape an organisation and that it has to respond to. It matters to employees too. Your work environment is important because it's where you spend most of your week. In this lesson you'll learn about different work environments, how they affect productivity and how they can be improved.

Choosing a work environment

There are different criteria to consider when you choose a work environment. Look at these categories.

• •Organisational surroundings: formal, relaxed, outdoor, strict
• •Type of organisation: small, large, established, new
• •Atmosphere: fast-paced, toxic, communication-focused, hard-working
• •Working hours: part-time, rotating, flexible, set
• •Location: cities or countries, near family and friends, how long a commute you'll accept, cost of living, other lifestyle factors
• •Salary: hourly wage, desired salary, benefits, incentives and bonuses, moving expenses
• •Interaction with others: working alone (from home), working with customers, working in teams, socialising with co-workers
• •Supervision: close management, independent style, team-oriented, regular feedback
• •Opportunities: promotion, training, mentors
• •Other factors: travel, the organisation's reputation, its purpose and mission

Exercise 1: Sally is thinking about changing jobs

Listen to the recording below and fill in the gaps.

Sally: Hi Alex, I've been thinking about changing my job recently.

Alex: Why? What happened? I thought you liked your …. job.

Sally: I do. But since I changed department, it all started going …. First, the atmosphere became …. There was a prevalent …. and a lot of unfair work practices.

Alex: I didn't know it was that bad! This organisation has such a good …..!

Sally: Overall, it …. to the expectations. We have lots of …., like childcare and paid holiday. But instead of …. and …. surroundings, we get …. and …. surroundings.

Alex: Okay, so what are you looking for in your next …..?

Sally: I'd like more …. working hours. Right now they're all …. at the beginning of the month and I can't do anything about it. I wish they were …. Best of all would be a remote job with …. and ….

Alex: I think I might have a job opportunity for you. My company is looking for a …. It's a small business compared with your current company, but we offer …. and ….

Sally: Amazing! Are you free tomorrow to discuss the details of the offer and go …..?

Alex: Yes. And make sure you know your …., because they'll definitely ask for it.

Sally: Thank you!

A modern work environment

Have you ever seen Google's headquarters? It's an example of a workplace full of spacious interiors, relaxation zones and even a slide. Watch a video tour of the Googleplex (you'll find several on YouTube) and then do the exercise below.

Exercise 2: complete the sentences with words from the video

evidently / purchase / acquisition / workforce / dare / chatter / the best of both worlds / paraphernalia / perk / amenities / mindfulness / kick back / inhabit / astonishing / play on words

• •The Googleplex got its name from a ….
• •The land was …. from the creators of Jurassic Park.
• •It …. has increased their productivity.
• •Google didn't simply …. ready-made headquarters buildings; instead, they took matters into their own hands.
• •The space was designed to boost creativity and ….
• •A piano room awaits those who …. to play.
• •The rooms are small enough to reduce office ….
• •Google has managed to balance ….
• •All around the office you can see Android ….
• •At Google there are spaces where you can …. and enjoy some video gaming.
• •Getting around the …. is all done on Google-coloured bikes.
• •…. spaces are planned strategically around the campus.
• •One of the best …. of the Google complex is the food.
• •The site alone cost 1 billion dollars, in the same year as the 2.4 billion dollar …. of New York's Chelsea Market.
• •Every year Google spends an …. amount of money on food, which is free for all employees.

Business environment: describing a company

A company's business environment shapes its conditions and its opportunities to grow. Let's focus on describing a company and getting to know it from the inside. Read this short description of Mercedes-Benz.

Mercedes-Benz is a German luxury and commercial vehicle automotive brand established in 1926. The company is headquartered in Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. The brand's origins lie in Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft's 1901 Mercedes and Carl Benz's 1886 Benz Patent-Motorwagen, which is widely regarded as the first internal combustion engine in a self-propelled automobile. The slogan for the brand is "the best or nothing." Today they deliver their products worldwide. From November 2019 onwards, Mercedes-Benz-badged heavy commercial vehicles (trucks and buses) have been managed by Daimler Truck, a former part of the Mercedes-Benz Group that became an independent company in late 2021. In 2018, Mercedes-Benz was the largest brand of premium vehicles in the world, having sold 2.31 million passenger cars. The number of employees reached 173,000 in 2021. Daimler AG is the parent company of Mercedes-Benz, and the group also owns Fuso, Western Star, Smart, Freightliner, BharatBenz, Setra and Thomas Built. The shareholders include institutional investors (52.7%), private shareholders (22.8%), Tenaciou3 Prospect Investment Limited (Li Shufu) (9.7%), the Kuwait Investment Authority (6.8%) and BAIC Group (9.98%), so the brand is not owned by one person.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes-Benz

Exercise 3: fill in the company profile

• •Company name:
• •Year founded:
• •Headquarters:
• •Brand slogan:
• •Number of employees (2021):
• •Brands owned / subsidiaries:
• •Shareholders:
• •Turnover (2018):

Useful expressions for describing a company

• •Headquarters: …is headquartered in… / …is based in…
• •History: …was founded in / by… / …was established in…
• •Employees: …has a workforce of … people / …employs … people
• •Size: …operates… / …subsidiaries… / …has shareholdings in… / …has a … per cent stake in… / …runs … stores worldwide
• •Market position: …is currently the world's largest… / …is the biggest … in the world / …is one of the largest companies in… / …has a … per cent market share
• •Financial results: …achieved an annual turnover of… / …made a profit of…

Today the work environment matters more and more. Employers try to make time at work more pleasant and better for wellbeing, and they have little choice: according to Gallup, more than 44% of employees in Europe are considering changing jobs. When you choose where to work, get to know the company from the inside, because that's where your success and future job satisfaction lie.