B1 Collocation Formal 2 min de leitura

employ staff

Hire workers

Use `employ staff` when discussing the professional responsibility of managing and paying a team of workers.

Em 15 segundos

  • To provide people with regular jobs and pay them.
  • A professional way to say you have a team of workers.
  • Used mainly in business, interviews, and formal planning contexts.

Significado

This phrase describes the act of a business or person giving someone a job and paying them for their work. It is about the ongoing relationship of having people work for you.

Exemplos-chave

3 de 6
1

Talking about business growth

As our sales grow, we will need to employ staff to handle the extra work.

As our sales grow, we will need to hire workers to handle the extra work.

💼
2

Describing a local business

That small bakery manages to employ staff from the local neighborhood.

That small bakery manages to give jobs to people from the local neighborhood.

🤝
3

A formal business meeting

We currently employ staff across three different continents.

We currently have workers in three different continents.

👔
🌍

Contexto cultural

The term 'staff' originally referred to a stick used for support. In a business context, it implies that the workers are the support system of the company. In the UK and Australia, 'staff' is almost always used as a collective group, whereas in the US, people might say 'employees' more frequently in formal documents.

💡

Staff is a group

Remember that `staff` is usually a collective noun. You don't say 'employ a staff' for one person; you say 'employ a staff member' or just 'employ staff' for the whole group.

⚠️

Don't use it for chores

If you pay a teenager to mow your lawn, don't say you `employ staff`. It sounds like you think you're the CEO of your backyard. Just say you 'hired someone'.

Em 15 segundos

  • To provide people with regular jobs and pay them.
  • A professional way to say you have a team of workers.
  • Used mainly in business, interviews, and formal planning contexts.

What It Means

To employ staff means you are the boss. You give people jobs. You pay them a salary. It is more than just hiring someone once. It describes the state of having people work for your company. Think of it as the 'professional' way to say you have a team.

How To Use It

You use this phrase when talking about business growth. It usually follows a verb like need to, plan to, or continue to. For example, 'We need to employ staff who speak Spanish.' It sounds polished and organized. It is great for business plans or talking to a bank manager. You can also use it when complaining about how expensive it is to be a boss!

When To Use It

Use it in professional settings. It is perfect for job interviews. Use it when writing a business email. It works well when discussing the economy. If you are starting a small cafe, tell your friends you need to employ staff. It makes your little cafe sound like a real, serious business. It shows you are taking responsibility for others.

When NOT To Use It

Do not use it for quick, one-time tasks. If someone fixes your sink, you do not employ staff. You just 'hired a plumber.' Avoid it in very casual slang-heavy chats. Don't say it to your toddler about cleaning their room. It sounds too corporate for a messy bedroom! Also, do not use it if you are the one getting the job. You are the 'staff,' not the one 'employing.'

Cultural Background

In English-speaking cultures, 'staff' is a collective noun. It feels like a unified team. Using the word employ suggests a legal and stable relationship. It implies you are following the rules and paying taxes. In places like the UK or USA, 'employing staff' is seen as a big milestone for a small business. It means you have 'made it.' It is a sign of success and stress all at once!

Common Variations

You will often hear hire staff or recruit staff. Hire is a bit more common in daily speech. Recruit sounds like you are searching for experts. Take on staff is a very common British English variation. It sounds a bit more active and physical. All of them mean you are growing your team.

Notas de uso

This is a neutral-to-formal collocation. It is most common in business writing, news reports, and professional discussions about the labor market.

💡

Staff is a group

Remember that `staff` is usually a collective noun. You don't say 'employ a staff' for one person; you say 'employ a staff member' or just 'employ staff' for the whole group.

⚠️

Don't use it for chores

If you pay a teenager to mow your lawn, don't say you `employ staff`. It sounds like you think you're the CEO of your backyard. Just say you 'hired someone'.

💬

The 'Team' Vibe

In modern tech companies, people often avoid `staff` and use `team members` to sound more friendly, but `employ staff` remains the gold standard for official talk.

Exemplos

6
#1 Talking about business growth
💼

As our sales grow, we will need to employ staff to handle the extra work.

As our sales grow, we will need to hire workers to handle the extra work.

Shows the phrase used for future planning.

#2 Describing a local business
🤝

That small bakery manages to employ staff from the local neighborhood.

That small bakery manages to give jobs to people from the local neighborhood.

Highlights the community aspect of giving jobs.

#3 A formal business meeting
👔

We currently employ staff across three different continents.

We currently have workers in three different continents.

Used to show the scale of a large company.

#4 Texting a business partner
😊

Is it time to employ staff for the new office?

Is it time to hire people for the new office?

A slightly formal phrase used in a casual medium.

#5 A humorous complaint about being a boss
😄

I thought it would be easy to employ staff, but now I'm just a full-time babysitter!

I thought hiring people would be easy, but now I'm just a babysitter!

Uses the formal phrase to contrast with a funny reality.

#6 Expressing worry during a recession
💭

We want to continue to employ staff, but the budget is very tight this year.

We want to keep our workers, but we have very little money this year.

Shows the emotional weight of being responsible for people's jobs.

Teste-se

Choose the best word to complete the professional sentence.

The company plans to ___ staff for the new marketing department next month.

✓ Correto! ✗ Quase. Resposta certa: employ

`Employ` is the standard formal verb used with `staff` to describe giving people jobs.

Complete the sentence about a small business owner.

It is a big responsibility to ___ staff when you are a small business owner.

✓ Correto! ✗ Quase. Resposta certa: employ

The phrase `employ staff` fits the context of business responsibility.

🎉 Pontuação: /2

Recursos visuais

Ways to say you are giving someone a job

Casual

Used with friends or for quick tasks.

Get someone to help

Neutral

Common everyday business talk.

Hire people

Formal

Professional, legal, or corporate contexts.

Employ staff

Where to use 'Employ Staff'

Employ Staff
📈

Business Plan

We aim to employ staff by Q3.

📰

News Report

The factory employs staff from the city.

🤝

Job Interview

How many staff do you employ?

⚖️

Legal Contract

The right to employ staff.

Perguntas frequentes

10 perguntas

Usually, no. Staff is a collective group. You should say employ staff (plural/group) or employ a member of staff (one person).

Yes, the meaning is the same. However, employ staff sounds more formal and permanent, while hire workers can sound more casual or temporary.

Yes, you can. If you have a professional contract with them, saying you employ staff is perfectly fine, though it sounds quite grand.

In almost all cases, use staff. For example, 'The company has 50 staff.' Using staffs is very rare and usually refers to different groups of people in different organizations.

Hire is the act of starting the job. Employ is the ongoing state of giving someone work. You hire them on Monday, and you employ them for the next three years.

It is used in both! It is very common in British English, while Americans might slightly prefer the phrase employ people or hire employees.

Only if you actually pay other people to work for you. If you work alone, you are 'self-employed'.

It can be both! In the UK, people often say 'The staff are happy' (plural). In the US, people often say 'The staff is happy' (singular).

Technically, no. Employing staff usually refers to 'W2' or 'PAYE' employees who get benefits, not independent contractors.

Yes, if you are talking about business. 'Hey, do we have the budget to employ staff for the summer?' is a normal professional text.

Frases relacionadas

Recruit employees

The process of finding and hiring new people.

Take on personnel

A very formal way to say you are adding people to the company.

Onboard new hires

The process of training someone after they are employed.

Expand the team

A friendly, modern way to say you are employing more staff.

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