A Career in Personnel Management

The Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation 
Kazan National Research Technological University 

E. Volkova, V. Akaeva, M. Suntsova

A CAREER IN PERSONNEL 
MANAGEMENT 

A study guide 

Kazan 
KNRTU Press 
2021 

UDC 005.95/.96(075)

Published by the decision of the Editorial Review Board  
of the Kazan National Research Technological University 

Reviewers: 
Prof., Dr. paed. I. Galimzyanova 
Cand. of Philol. Sc., Associate Prof. E. Neliubina 

Volkova E. 
A Career in Personnel Management : A Study Guide / E. Volkova, V. Akaeva, M. Suntsova; The Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation, Kazan National Research Technological University. – Kazan : KNRTU Press, 2021. – 244 p. 

ISBN 978-5-7882-3099-3

This study guide presents practical assignments and vocabularies aimed at developing 
the speaking and critical thinking skills based on elaborating the information perceived from 
authentic texts, as well as a system of training exercises. 
The book is intended for undergraduate students majoring in are-as, such as 38.03.02 
Management, 38.03.01 Economics; for students majoring in 38.03.04 Public Administration, 
37.03.02 Conflictology; for attendees of courses providing the qualifications of Translator in 
Professional Communication; and for a broader audience interested in improving their English. 
It has been developed at the Department of Foreign Languages in Professional Communication. 

Responsible for the publication Y. Zyatdinova 

Елена Вячеславовна Волкова 
Вероника Роммилевна Акаева 
Мария Станиславовна Сунцова 

К А Р Ь Е Р А  В  У П Р А В Л Е Н И И  П Е Р С О Н А Л О М 

Signed in print 30.12.2021
Sheet size 60×84 1/16

Offset paper 
Digital print 
14,64  conv. pr. sh. 

15,25 publ. sh.
Edition 100 copies 
Order 187/21

Kazan National Research Technological University Press 

Offset laboratory of Kazan National Research Technological University 

420015, Kazan, Karl Marx street, 68

ISBN 978-5-7882-3099-3
© E. Volkova, V. Akaeva, M. Suntsova, 2021
© Kazan National Research Technological  
University, 2021 

UDC 005.95/.96(075) 

INTRODUCTION 

This study guide aims at developing professional language skills in 
students majoring in the above areas of studies, based on doing lexical, grammatical, and communicative exercises that contribute to their in-depth study 
of personnel management and to training competent professionals who can 
comprehensively solve problems at hand, considering the special features of 
their future vocational activities. 
Structurally, the book consists of seven thematic sections (units) that 
are interrelated by their professional focus. 

UNIT I. INTRODUCTION TO PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT 
UNIT II. PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM 
UNIT III. METHODS OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT 
UNIT IV. ОRGANIZATION DESIGN OF PERSONNEL 

MANAGEMENT 

UNIT V. STRATEGIES IN ORGANIZATION OF PERSONNEL 

MANAGEMENT 
UNIT VI. PERSONNEL MARKETING 
UNIT VII. JOB DESIGN WITH STAFF 
GRAMMAR 

Each unit begins with exercises focusing on understanding and comprehending the essence of the personnel management issues, a vocabulary, 
and lexical and grammatical exercises aimed at solving the situational problems relating to the scope of this study guide. 
The units also include listening comprehension tasks that allow a better consolidation of materials studied, based on listening → understanding → pronouncing → memorizing. 
Tasks and exercises are based on authentic texts containing many profession-related words, since the information presented in the texts, such as 
interviewing and being interviewed, conducting business negotiations, giving presentations and reports, etc., will be helpful for the vocational training 
of students. 

UNIT I 

INTRODUCTION TO PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT 

1. Present, Future and Past Simple Tenses
2. Vocabulary: Words on This Topic

1A. READING AND COMPREHENSION: INTRODUCTION 
TO PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT 

Exercise 1. Read the quotations below and give your opinion: What 
does personnel management mean for you? 

Dear ladies and gentlemen, 
We are the authoring team who would like to tell you about your future profession “Personnel management”. There are different definitions of 
“Personnel management”. Here, we offer three of them: 

– Personnel management is a method of developing potentials of employees so that they get maximum satisfaction out of their work and give 
their best efforts to the organization. – (P. Pigors and Charles Myers). 

– Personnel Management is that part of management process, which
is primarily concerned with the human constitution of an organization. – 
(E. F. L. Brech). 
– The personnel management is concerned with the procurement, development, compensation, integration, and maintenance of the personnel of 
an organization for the purpose of contributing towards the accomplishment 
of that organization’s major goals and objectives. Therefore, personnel management is planning, organizing, directing, and controlling of performance 
of those operative functions. – (Edwin B. Flippo). 

We know that a person who studies personnel management is not 
afraid of being unemployed. As a rule, such a person is optimistic and orients 
very well in the labor market. We hope that you are on the right path and will 
not be disappointed about your future profession. 
We wish you every success in your efforts! 

Your Elena, Veronika and Maria 

Exercise 2. Work with the vocabulary. 
1. Read aloud the words and word combinations below.
2. Try to learn them by heart, closing each column by turns.
3. Which ones are the most important:
a) for an employee;
b) for job hunting; and
c) for a company?

Future profession 
[ˈfjuːʧə] [prəˈfeʃn]
Будущая профессия 

Method of developing potentials of 
employees 

[ˈmeθəd] [ɒv] 
[dɪˈveləpɪŋ] 

[pəˈtenʃ(ə)l] [ɒv] 

[emplɔɪˈiːz]

Метод развития потенциала 
персонала 

сотрудников 

Satisfaction 
[sætɪsˈfækʃn]
Удовлетворенность 

Effort
[ˈefət] 
Усилие, 
старание, 

стремление. 

Constitution 
[kɔnstɪˈtjuːʃn]
Конституция 

Maintenance 
[ˈmeɪntənəns] 
1) (сущ.): обслуживание, поддержка, обеспечение, сопровождение 
2) (прил.): ремонтный,
технический, эксплуатационный, 
сервис
ный 
3) (прич.): обслуживающий, поддерживающий 

Labor market
[ˈleɪbə][ˈmɑːkɪt]
Рынок труда

Be disappointed 
[biː][dɪsəˈpɔɪntɪd]
Разочароваться 

Choose 
[ʧuːz] 
Выбирать, принимать 
решение 

Independent life 
[ɪndɪˈpendənt][laɪf] Самостоятельная 

жизнь 

Film star 
[fɪlm stɑː]
Кинозвезда 

Highly paid jobs
[ˈhaɪlɪ][peɪd][ʤɒb]
Высокооплачиваемые 
должности 

Condition 
[kənˈdɪʃn] 
1)
(сущ.): состояние,
положение, условие

2)
(гл.): обусловить,
обуславливать
3) (прил.): условный

Nurse
[nɜːs]
Медсестра.

More suitable 
[mɔː ˈs(j)uːtəb(ə)l] 
более подходящий, более 
удобный; 
более 
приемлемый 

Lifeguard 
[ˈlaɪfgɑːd]
Спасатель 

Work indoors 
[tuː] [wɜːk] [ɪnˈdɔːz]
Работать в помещении

Work outdoors
[tuː] [wɜːk] 
[aʊtˈdɔːz]

Работать на улице

Сhoice 
[ʧɔɪs] 
1) (сущ.): выбор, отбор, подбор
2) (прил.): отборный

Preference 
[ˈprefərəns] 
1) (сущ.): предпочтение 
2) (прил.): привилегированный, предпочтительный 

Maths 
[mæθs] 
Математика 

Uncertainty
[ʌnˈsɜːtntɪ] 
Неопределенность, неясность, неизвестность 

Exercise 3. Work with the text. 
1. Read the thoughts of one of our former students, Alena, and compare her ideas with the other students’ ideas. 
2. Repeat the Present Simple, Past Simple, and Present Perfect Tenses
and find sentences in each of these tenses in the text below. 

CHOOSING MY FUTURE PROFESSION 

Question “What do you want to be?” worries everyone from their 
childhood. It is not easy to answer this question immediately. The profession 
chosen determines the whole future life path. Today, young people get their 
first working experiences beginning from their early student days. Therefore, 
they always have an opportunity to prove themselves in different jobs. 

When choosing a profession, it is particularly important to have a great 

deal of personality and some purpose to achieve what you want. You have 
just left school, and now it is time to decide on the matter of your future 
career. Today, there is a shortage of jobs all over the world. Graduates of 
universities, colleges or technical schools should be competitive in the labor 
market. Everyone wants to have a well-paid position and social guarantees. 
But it is necessary to consider work as an opportunity for self-realization, 
career growth and satisfaction with their results. 

Our dearest and nearest ones affect how we choose our profession very 

often because they know our capabilities and our character very well. 

My parents and I were a far cry from the profession titled Human Re
source Management. I always wanted to be a doctor. But one day, something 
was wrong with my arm at school and I had to come to the doctor. He gave 
me a wrong diagnosis and prescribed inappropriate medicines. As a result, 
I developed a new allergy and was on sick leave for two months. I was disappointed at medical professions, really. At that moment, my aunt advised 
me to enter the Kazan National Research Technological University.  

My choice was fortuitous! Management, as an area of study, was very 

promising at those times. I had always been interested in economics, and I 
was good at Maths. I had the ability for working with people, and I thought 
I was rather communicative and had good social skills. So, I became a student at the Department of Management and Entrepreneurship and later 
a postgraduate student. I defended my dissertation in 2003 and got the PhD 
in economics. 

By now, I have worked on myself to develop my advantages as a man
ager and I think, I can realize my potential in problem-solving. Besides that, 
I have already been developing my communicative competence by studying 
English for several years. English is the language for all kinds of international and business communications. Knowing English today is an absolute 
standard, a must-do for everything and for everybody because our society 
has become multicultural. Manager is a person who directly manages the 
people’s activities in a company or organization. Managers spend a lot of 
time communicating, coordinating practical arrangements, and making decisions that increase the effectiveness of their company. Almost everything a 
manager does is associated with risks because agreements and arrangements 
can be cancelled at any time. So, managing is a very promising vocation, in 
which everybody can show themselves in the best light. 

 
Alena Efremova, Professor at the Department of Management and En
trepreneurship 

Exercise 4. Work with the vocabulary. 
Ask your friend about the choice of your future profession in the Present and Past Simple tenses using words and word combinations from exercises 2 and 5 in the boxes. 

For example: 
1. What did you want to be when you were a schoolboy/schoolgirl?
2. Who influenced your choice?

Exercise 5. Work with the vocabulary. 
Make your own story about choosing your future profession using new 
combinations of words both in Russian and English. This vocabulary and 
a substitution table below will help you. 

Job
[ʤəʊb]
1) (сущ.): работа, труд, место
работы, трудоустройство
2) (гл.): работать

Earn a good 
salary 

[ɜːn] [eɪ] [gʊd] 

[ˈsælərɪ]

Получать 
хорошую 
зарплату, зарабатывать 

Employees 
[emplɔɪˈiː]
Сотрудники, персонал 

Work in a leading 
organization 

[wɜːk (гл.)] [ɪn] 
[eɪ] [ˈledɪŋ] 

[ɔːgənaɪˈzeɪʃn]

Работать в лидирующей 
организации 

Office 
[ˈɒfɪs] 
1) (сущ.): офис
2) (прил.): офисный, служебный, канцелярский 

Work with papers 

[wɜːk (сущ.)] 
[wɪð] [ˈpeɪpəz]

Работа с бумагами 

Have
addi
tional skills 

[hæv] [əˈdɪʃnəl] 

[skɪl] 

Иметь 
дополнительные 

навыки 

Know foreign 
languages 

[nəʊ] [ˈfɒrɪn] 
[ˈlæŋgwɪʤ]

Знать иностранные языки 

Recruitment 
Отбор, наем 

Job vacancy 
[ʤəʊb] 

[ˈveɪkənsɪ]

Вакантное рабочее место. 

Advertisement 
[ədˈvɜːtɪsmənt] 
1) (сущ.): объявление, реклама 
2) (прил.): рекламный

Previous experience 

[ˈpriːvɪəs] 

[ɪksˈpɪərɪəns]

Предыдущий опыт 

Worthy profession 

[ˈwɜːðɪ] [prəˈfeʃn] Достойная профессия 

Future career 
[ˈfjuːʧə] [kəˈrɪə]
Будущая карьера 

 
 

Dealing
with 

people 

[ˈdiːlɪŋ] [wɪð] 

[piːpl]

Работа с людьми

Communication skills 

[kəmjuːnɪˈkeɪʃn] 
[skɪlz]

Коммуникативные навыки 

It is not an easy 
thing to make 
the right choice 
[32] 

[ɪt] [ɪs] [nɒt]an 
[ˈiːzɪ] [θɪŋ] [tuː] 
[meɪk] [ðə] [raɪt] 

[ʧɔɪs]

Нелегко сделать правильный выбор 

We should consider different 
factors 

[wiː] 

[ʃʊd][kənˈsɪdə] 

[ˈdɪfrənt] 
[ˈfæktəz]

Мы должны учитывать разные факторы 

Highly 
paid 

jobs 

[ˈhaɪlɪ peɪd  

ʤɒbz] 

Высокооплачиваемые рабочие места 

Get satisfaction 
from your job 

[get sætɪsˈfækʃn] 

[frɒm] [jɔː] 

[ʤəʊb]

Получать удовлетворение от 
своей работы 

A job should be 
interesting and 
socially 
im
portant 

[ʤəʊb] [ʃʊd] [biː] 
[ˈɪntrɪstɪŋ] [ænd] 

[ˈsəʊʃəlɪ] 

[ɪmˈpɔːtənt]

Работа должна быть интересной и социально значимой 

Influence 
the 

choice of profession 

[tuː] [ˈɪnflʊəns] 
[ðə] [ʧɔɪs] [ɒv] 

[prəˈfeʃn]

Влиять на выбор профессии 

My choice 
[maɪ] [ʧɔɪs] 
Мой выбор 

A lot of opportunities 

[eɪ] [lɒt] [ɒv] 
[ɒpəˈtjuːnɪtɪs] 

Много возможностей 

I have an aptitude for working with people 

[aɪ hæv] an 

[ˈæptɪtjuːd] [fɔː] 
[ˈwɜːkɪŋ] [wɪð] 

[piːpl]

У меня есть склонность к работе с людьми 

Have good social skills 

[hæv][gʊd][ˈsəʊ
ʃəl] [skɪlz] 

Иметь хорошие социальные 
навыки 

I would like to tell you about… выборе своей профессии. 
Make the right choice of profession – это значит... 
Правильный выбор профессии allows you to realize ...  
Избранная профессия should be interesting to its owner и вызывать … 
Неправильный выбор профессии leads to the fact that многие 
люди… 
Выбранная профессия should be in demand на рынке труда. 
In the world there are множество профессий и each has its достоинства и недостатки, свои требования и особенности.  
After studies, I will be able управлять персоналом, контролировать процесс работы определенного предприятия.  
It seems to me that эта профессия очень важна. After all, it depends on your … 

Exercise 6. Work with vocabulary. 
Look at Fig. 1. Study objectives of personnel management and enumerate them for your future (Fig. 1). Vocabulary will help you. 

For example: 
The first objective of personnel management is ______________. 
The second ______________. 
The third ______________. 

Induction 
[ɪnˈdʌkʃn] 
Введение в должность 

Incentives
[ɪnˈsentɪvz] 
Средства поощрения, 

стимулы