Every organisation/company has a hierarchy/structure where some members of staff are more senior, powerful or important than others. For example, a manager in a factory is more senior or powerful than a normal worker. This may seem obvious and simple, but it isn't. In the English-speaking world the job titles of positions in a corporate hierarchy/structure change not only between different countries but also between companies. It is very confusing, not only for learners of English, but also for native speakers too.
In this online exercise, you will learn and remember the business English titles of the different positions in a company hierarchy/structure and the differences in seniority (how important the different positions/job are).
Click here to see more of our free online exercises on business and work vocabulary
Read the conversation between Juan and Peter, where Peter explains the different job titles in their company hierarchy/structure.
From the context, try to guess what the meaning of the words/phrases in bold are. Then do the quiz at the end to check if you are right.
Juan:'Peter, have you seen the global email about the restructuring of the company. It says that the Board of Directors are going to make an announcement by the end of the month. What is the Board of Directors?'
Peter:'The Board of Directors or as it is often called 'The Board', is the group of people who make the big decisions about the company. About what we do and how we do it.'
Juan:'So they are the owners of the company?'
Peter:'In some companies they are, but in our case because we're a large multinational company, they aren't. Here, they are employed by the owners, the shareholders, to oversee or supervise the company for them. The board is non-executive, which means they aren't involved in the day-to-day running of the company. The most important member of The Board is called the Chairman, in some companies the Chairman is called the President.'
Juan:'So, if they don't run or manage the company, who does?'
Peter:'In our company the person responsible for the day-to-day running of the company is the Managing Director. He or she is the most senior manager in a company. In the United States this position has a different name, it is called the Chief Executive Officer.'
Juan:'So, what does a Finance Director do? Are they non-executive also?'
Peter:'No, a Finance Director is the job title for a senior manager who is responsible for the Finance Department. They are less senior than the Managing Director or Chief Executive Officer, who they have to report to. Normally, the boss or head of each department is called a Director, like Sales Director or IT Director. In America, the title of this position is Chief Financial Officer etc...'
Juan:'I think I understand. So under them in the company structure you have managers, like us. And under the managers, you have supervisors. Is that right?'
Peter:'Basically. Although today it is more common to call a supervisor, a team leader. They make sure that staff are doing what they should. Then under them, you have analysts and assistants, who don't have any management responsibilities. In theory the job title of analyst is for a position where they have to analyse information or data, for example a Business Analyst analyses data to find trends. An assistant is the general job title for a normal member of staff, like a Customer Care Assistant. But the actual title of this position depends on the company (some companies have different names for it).'
Below is a definition/description of each of the words/phrases in bold from the above text (which you can also find in the grey box below). Answer each question with one of these words/phrases in bold. Only use one word/phrase once and write it as it is in the text. Click on the "Check" button at the bottom of the quiz to check your answers.
When the answer is correct, two icons will appear below the answer. The icon contains extra information on the word/phrase. In the
icon, you can listen to the pronunciation of the word/phrase.
Now that you understand the meaning of the words/phrases and when to use them, practise using them by creating your own sentences with them in English. Also click on the icon next to each correct answer and listen how each is pronounced correctly.
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