Some businesses find that their new employees lack in basic interpersonal skills such as lack of ability to work with colleagues as a team. What are the causes and suggest possible solutions. Also provide relevant examples from your experience.

( written by Sakshi in her IELTS exam dated 28th July 2011)

“A new broom sweeps well, but an old broom knows the corners.”

In today’s scenario, every student wants to do job after completing studies. Consequently, it is generally observed in the field of work that they lack basic interpersonal skills such as ability to work with colleagues due to less team spirit. This essay shall delve into the causes of this problem and I shall put forth some relevant solutions.

To begin with, only new employees are not to blame for their lack of basic skills. In fact, the new employees suffer a complete change in environment. When they are subjected to work field from the learning environment, then sometimes they fail to adjust to the new one. Moreover, the education system is also responsible to some extent. In our system, it is more important to get good marks rather than to have any other skill. Also practical education does not have much importance. In short, the system insists to learn theoretical portion rather than the practical one which is the basic requirement to do any job. What is more, nowadays competition among students is also at its peak. Consequently, there is lack of team spirit among students and so, later they find it difficult to work as a team. 

Like other problems, it also has some possible solutions. Firstly, the old employees and employers should provide friendly surroundings to their new colleagues. Secondly, the education system should be improved. Students should be made excellent in practical. Thirdly, there must be proper training session after every course completion, even for the students who want to become teachers. Finally, there must be additional classes of communication skills and debate competitions from time to time. Also, students should be given team projects as it would teach them the skills of co-operation and co-ordination.

From my experience of life, we had a mathematics teacher, who was a scholar in her school time, but she lacked the ability to present her views. Also she did not have good rapport with other teachers. So, she had to resign from her job. Inspite of her higher degrees she was unable to get a job. 

To put it a nutshell, it is undeniable fact that the new employees may lack the basic interpersonal skills but improvement in educational system and co-operative behaviour of colleagues can help to overcome the problem.

Speaking memories 29th July – Neha

1.       May I know your full name?

2.       Do you work or study?

3.       Do you like your job? Why?

4.       What is happiness according to you?

5.       Is unhappiness always a bad thing?

6.       What type of food do you like to eat?

Cue card

Where would you like to travel in future

-          Where you want to go

-          With whom you want to go

-          How you want to go

Follow up questions

1.       How is travelling different these days as compared to earlier days?

2.       What problems people face nowadays?

3.       What type of places people like to visit?

4.       What is better – travelling alone or in a group?

5.       What qualities should be there in a travelling companion?

Speaking memories – 29th July ( Navdeep )

1.       What is your full name?

2.       Where do you come from?

3.       Do you study or work?

4.       Where do you work?

5.       Who is more important – your work or the people you work with?

6.       Do people keep pet animals in your country?

7.       How many people use animals for farming nowadays?

Cue card

Talk about an expensive thing you bought?

When did you buy it

Why did you buy it

Follow up questions

1.       Why do people buy branded things?

2.       Do you think that people waste money on brands?

3.       Do people want to copy people of high status when they buy branded things?

Speaking memories 29th July (Sakshi)

1.    What is your full name?

2.    Do you work or study?

3.    What makes you happy?

4.    What do you think about happiness?

5.    Is money important for happiness?

6.    Is unhappiness always a bad thing?

Cue card

Describe the clothes you like to wear

From where you buy clothes

How often you shop for clothes

What do you consider before buying clothes

Follow up questions

1.    What is the importance of clothes?

2.    What do you think about people who wear different type of clothes?

3.    How do clothes describe a person’s personality?

4.    Do you think young generation is more concerned about fashion

5.    Why do they do so?

6.    What are the negative impacts?

Talk about a day off and how you would like to spend it. Please say - Where would you like to go? - What would you like to do? - Whom would you go with? - How do you usually feel at the end of a day off?

·         Sundays are usually my days off.

·         I spend all my Sundays differently.

·         Sometimes, I just laze around in bed.

·         Sometimes, I help my mother in household chores.

·         I also do my pending work on my days off.

·         I am very fond of sewing.

·         So, sometimes I sew my clothes on Sundays.

·         At the end of the day-off, I generally feel very relaxed and this day fills me with new energy for the rest of the week.

·         Here I would like to talk about a day off which I would like to spend with my friends.

·         I would like to go on a picnic with them

·         I would like to go to Pushpa Gujral Science City

·         It is in Kapurthala.

·         It is about 1 hour drive from my home town

·         We would go by bus

·         My cousins went with their school trip last month and they praised it a lot

·         There is so much to see and do there

·         There is an earthquake simulator over there

·         There is also a planetarium

·         There is a laser show also

·         There is a dome theatre which is the biggest in India.

·         My cousins saw a movie in that theatre.

·         The movie was on the invention of aeroplanes by the Wright Brothers

·         I would also like to see that movie.

·         The best part is the dinosaur park and the boating

·         I am sure I would enjoy all these things with my friends

·         There is a souvenir shop from which my cousins bought key chains for me.

·         I would also like to buy souvenirs for my friends

·         There is a restaurant where Indian and Chinese cuisine is available.

·         This Science City is very big.

·         It is spread over acres of land.