Working for Johnson Jones

👂️ Audio and questions

What does Mark say first attracts people to working for Johnson Jones?

the pay

the staff discount

the working hours

Mark says the company is one of the country's most successful retailers because it

is focused on long term planning.

provides excellent customer service.

offers value for money.

Mark says that because Johnson Jones is a partnership, the staff

are better trained.

have better job security.

are given more responsibility.

What is the typical annual bonus that partners receive?

8%

15%

20%

To qualify for the leisure and holiday facilities, partners must have worked for the company for

one year.

six months.

three months

List of Findings

available for celebrations and parties

suitable for families with children

regularly used by senior management

also supplies food to the company's supermarkets

spa facilities available

similar to being in someone's home

good for short breaks

The Grange

Meadow House

Coombe Manor

The Barn

The Stable

❓ Transcript

Working for Johnson Jones

Good morning.

My name's Mark Bergin.

I'm a Human Resources Manager at Johnson Jones, and I'm here to tell you about what it's like working for one of the country's best employers.

The company has 225 department stores and owns a further 150 supermarkets.

At our latest store opening, we had over 9,000 applicants for 750 posts.

So why do so many people want to work for us?

Well, the first thing that attracts them isn't so much the salary, although that is a little above average, it's the idea of getting a massive 25% off everything from washing machines to designer handbags.

People are prepared to put in long hours to get those kinds of perks.

Johnson Jones has been going strong for nearly 150 years and has outlived many of its strongest competitors.

Of course, this has something to do with the high-quality products that we sell and our motto, better for less, which means customers know they're getting good value for money.

But we're not alone in that.

Where we are different is in our approach to making a profit.

Other companies think in the short term, whereas we always take a more strategic view, looking three or five years ahead.

The company isn't owned by a family or shareholders.

It's a partnership, which means it's owned by its full-time employees who are all partners and have a share in the company.

In return for the very generous benefits they get, they're expected to put in extra effort and take an active role in running the company.

This means they're involved in things like making decisions about pension contributions, for example.

Another very attractive reason for working for us is the annual bonus, which we get as a percentage of our salary.

Last year it was 15%, about two months' salary, which is pretty standard.

It can go down to 8%, but that's unusual, and a couple of times it's even been above 20%.

Some people use it to pay off loans.

Others save it for a deposit on a house.

The most popular benefit for partners are the subsidised holiday centres, which are owned by the company.

Once a year, partners can book in for up to two weeks.

It's for anyone, from cleaners to directors, with a minimum of three months' service.

After six months' service, partners are entitled to a further subsidy on the cost of their stay.

Let me just give you an idea of what's on offer at the holiday centres.

The Grange, which is the largest of the holiday centres, is used for conferences by the company, and the board of directors always have their annual meeting there.

It's all very informal, not like a normal conference centre.

Meadow House is located in Kent, which is famous for its apples and other fruit, and it's a large country house.

What's unusual about it is that, unlike other hotels, you have access to the kitchen, so it feels more like staying with a friend.

Coombe Manor is a working farm.

There are loads of cows and sheep, none of which actually end up on our supermarket shelves.

It's a paradise for kids, as there's plenty of space to run wild and also an indoor pool.

You can choose to stay in cottages or camp by the lake.

The Barn is where I recently celebrated my 25th wedding anniversary.

You can rent the whole place out for a large group of up to 40 friends.

We got all our food delivered from the nearest Johnson Jones supermarket, so there was no cooking to be done.

Perfect.

All that was missing was the spa, which should be opening next year.

The Stable is often hard to get into because it's so popular.

That's partly because it's right on the beach with beautiful sea views and only an hour by train from London.

Ideal for weekends.

The company Sailing Club is located there, which was started by the company's founder in 1885.

So I'm sure you'll all agree that there is...

🔥 Answer key (đáp án và giải thích)

Giải thích chi tiết

❓Câu hỏi: What does Mark say first attracts people to working for Johnson Jones? ✅ Đáp án đúng: B. the staff discount ▶️ Bắt đầu nghe ở: Đoạn Mark bắt đầu giải thích lý do nhiều người muốn làm ở công ty và nói rõ “the first thing that attracts them…”: “Well, the first thing that attracts them isn’t so much the salary … it’s the idea of getting a massive 25% off …”

☺️ Giải thích đáp án:

Đọc câu hỏi và gạch chân từ khóa: first attracts (= điều đầu tiên thu hút), people (ứng viên/người lao động), working for Johnson Jones.
Khi nghe, chú ý cấu trúc so sánh/loại trừ: “isn’t so much the salary … it’s …” → Mark đang bác bỏ lý do 1 và chốt lý do đúng ngay sau đó.
Mark nói điểm thu hút đầu tiên là “getting a massive 25% off” → đây chính là staff discount (giảm giá cho nhân viên) → chọn B.

🧐 Lưu ý: ❌ A. the pay => Mark nói không phải lương: “isn’t so much the salary, although that is a little above average” (lương chỉ “nhỉnh hơn trung bình”, không phải điểm thu hút đầu tiên). ❌ C. the working hours => Mark nhắc long hours sau đó: “People are prepared to put in long hours to get those kinds of perks” → giờ làm dài là điều họ chấp nhận để có lợi ích, không phải thứ “thu hút” ban đầu.

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