"These days, most job advertisements seem to emphasise the importance of being a team player almost regardless of what the job actually involves." | A team player is someone who works well with other people and is not selfish. Actuellement, la plupart des offres d’emploi semblent accorder beaucoup d’importance à l’esprit d’équipe presque sans considérer ce que le travail requiert réellement. |
"Julien has just had his final written warning. He has to keep a clean sheet from now on because if he gets into trouble again, then he will be fired." | You keep a clean sheet when you do not make any mistakes or avoid getting yourself into trouble. Julien vient de recevoir sa dernière mise en garde écrite. Il doit se tenir à carreaux à partir de maintenant, car s’il cause à nouveau des problèmes, il sera licencié. |
"Jeremy was in such a strong position and so confident of getting the promotion that he cried foul when they gave it to his new colleague who had just started with the company." | You cry foul when you complain that someone, especially a rival, has acted unfairly. Jeremy était dans une telle position de force et si sûr d’obtenir une promotion qu’il s’est répandu en jérémiades lorsqu’ils l’ont donné à son nouveau collègue qui venait juste de commencer dans l’entreprise. |
"Preparation is the key to a successful job interview. Research the company and predict likely questions so that nothing you are asked wrong foots you." | You wrong foot someone when you throw them off balance and surprise them. La préparation est la clef d’un entretien d’embauche réussi comme faire des recherches sur l’entreprise de même que prévoir les questions. Ainsi, rien de ce qu’on vous demandera vous prendra à contre-pied. |
"Management are playing for time_by refusing to meet the union to discuss the strike. They are hoping that if they wait long enough, the striking employees will have to go back to work." | You play for time when you try to delay something happening, either because you don't want it to happen or because you need more time to decide what to do if it happens. L’équipe managériale joue la montre en refusant de rencontrer le syndicat pour discuter de la grève. Elle espère que si elle attend suffisamment, les grévistes voudront retourner au travail. |
"Before signing an employment contract, it's important that you know the score for things like your basic working hours, holiday entitlement and if overtime is paid or seen as being part of the job." | You know the score when you understand what the real facts of a situation are – either positive or negative - and how they could affect you. Avant de signer un contrat de travail, il est important que tu en connaisses les tenants et les aboutissants comme ton horaire de travail de base, ton droit aux vacances et si les heures supplémentaires sont payées ou considérées comme faisant partie du travail. |
"The Government has scored an own goal with its new law giving temporary workers the same rights as permanent staff. All that's happened is that short-term jobs have gone abroad!" | You score an own goal when you make a mistake which has a negative effect on you, your team or your company, for example. Le gouvernement s’est mis un auto-goal avec sa nouvelle loi en donnant aux travailleurs temporaires les mêmes droits qu’aux employés fixes. Les emplois à court terme vont par conséquent se développer à l’étranger. |
"The worst thing about job hunting for me is when I seem to fulfil all the requirements for the job, have an interview and then find that they have moved the goalposts and want something else instead!" | You say someone has moved the goalposts when you accuse them of changing the rules or requirements in such a way as to make the situation or activity more difficult. Pour moi, la pire chose dans la recherche de travail c’est lorsque je parais remplir tous les critères pour le job, que j’obtiens un entretien et qu’ensuite je découvre qu’ils ont changé les règles du jeu et veulent en fait autre chose! |
"To achieve an objective you need a game plan and, just as importantly, you need to stick to it." | A game plan is the action which a person or company intends to take in order to achieve something. Pour atteindre un objectif, tu as besoin d'un plan d’action que tu dois suivre. |
"Melanie was a good worker but in the end we had to give her the boot as the financial crisis meant we just couldn't afford her anymore." | To give someone the boot is an informal expression which means to tell someone they are no longer needed in their job (or in a relationship). Mélanie était une bonne employée, mais nous avons du finalement lui signifier son congé lorsque nous n’avions plus le budget pour la garder à cause la crise. |
"Although anyone could have theoretically applied for the job vacancy, it was never really a level playing field as the woman who got the job is a close personal friend of the boss." | A level playing field means a situation in which no competing party has an unfair advantage over another. Bien que quelqu’un aurait pu théoriquement postuler pour la place de travail vacante, cela était gagné d’avance puisque la femme qui a obtenu le job est une amie très proche du chef. |
"Companies have a duty to protect employees who blow the whistle on dishonest colleagues." | You blow the whistle on something or someone which has been a secret – possibly because it is illegal – when you inform someone in authority what is happening. Les entreprises ont le devoir de protéger les employés qui dénoncent leurs collègues malhonnêtes. |
"The project wasn't a success because I took my eye off the ball when it mattered most and as a result, we missed the deadline." | To take one's eye off the ball means to lose your concentration and be distracted. Le projet n'était pas assez bon, car j'ai relâché ma concentration au moment le plus important. Par conséquent, nous n'avons pas réussit à respecter le délai. |
"Everyone thinks that Guy will get the post of Managing Director. Personally, I think the great reviews that Roselyn has been getting recently have really raised her profile and mean she's a dark horse to get the job." | A dark horse is someone about whom very little is known, although it is possible that they have just had or are about to have some success. Tout le monde pense que Guy obtiendra le poste de directeur général. Je pense que les excellents résultats que Roselyn a obtenus récemment ont vraiment mis sa candidature en avant. Elle est une candidate-surprise pour le poste. |
"I am a little worried about the boss' new secretary. He seems to be completely under her spell and it is starting to affect his decision-making." | To be under one's spell To be so fascinated by someone that you cannot think about anything else. Je suis un peu inquiet au sujet de la nouvelle secrétaire du chef. Il semble être complètement sous son charme et cela commence à influencer ses [prises de] décisions. |
"When you start a new job, you need to be realistic with yourself – don't expect to get on top of all your responsibilities immediately. It's going to take some time." | Someone is on top of something when they successfully manage it. Quand on commence un nouveau travail, il faut être lucide et ne pas s'attendre à pouvoir maîtriser toutes ses responsabilités immédiatement. Cela va prendre un peu de temps. |
"When applying for a job, it's important not to put all your eggs in one basket. Make sure you have several applications ongoing at any one time" | To put all one's eggs in the same basket To invest all your effort and resources in one thing meaning that if it fails, you have no alternatives left. Quand on cherche un travail, il est important de ne pas mettre tous ses oeufs dans le même panier. Il faut s'assurer d'avoir plusieurs demandes (de travail) en cours à la fois. |
"Our boss was beside himself with rage when he heard that our competitors had managed to launch their product before us – especially as we had spent so much time and money developing it." | To be beside oneself (with anger or excitement) to be extremely angry or excited about something. Notre chef était hors de lui quand il a entendu que nos concurrents ont lancé leur produit avant nous, d'autant plus que nous avions passé beaucoup de temps et dépensé beaucoup d'argent pour le développer. |
"Making a list of priority tasks to do is the first step in getting to grips with a heavy workload." | Someone gets to grips with a problem or situation when they consider it seriously and start taking action to deal with it. Faire une liste des tâches prioritaires est la première étape pour s'attaquer à une lourde charge de travail. |
"Despite sending an anonymous letter of complaint to the press about her company, it was obvious it was Melinda who wrote it. She really shot herself in the foot and it was no surprise when she was formally disciplined." | To shoot oneself in the foot To do something unintentionally which makes a situation worse for oneself. Malgré le fait qu'elle ait envoyé à la presse une lettre anonyme de plaintes au sujet de son entreprise, il était évident que c'était Melinda qui l'avait écrite. Elle s'est vraiment tiré une balle dans le pied et, sans surprise, elle a été formellement sanctionnée. |
"The Government are getting cold feet about their plans to announce the public spending cuts before the election." | You get cold feet about something if you become nervous or frightened about it because you believe it will fail. Le gouvernement craint d'annoncer son plan de coupe des dépenses publiques avant les élections. |
"As a manager, it's important to give your staff credit: for doing a good job so they feel that their efforts are appreciated." | To give someone credit for something To praise someone for doing something well because they are responsible for it, or are thought to be responsible. En tant que manager, il est important d'attribuer à l'équipe le mérite d'avoir fait du bon travail, afin qu'elle sente que ses efforts sont appréciés. |
"Now the economy is improving, it is hard to believe that it was only 6 months ago that the company was struggling to pay its bills and make ends meet." | To make ends meet To manage financially by having enough money to pay for the things which are necessary. Maintenant que l'économie s'améliore, il est difficile de croire qu'il y a encore 6 mois, l'entreprise n'arrivait pas à payer ses factures et à joindre les deux bouts. |
"This opportunity to work abroad is too important for your career prospects to let it slip through your fingers. Make sure you speak to the boss about it tomorrow!" | Someone or something slips through your fingers if you just fail to get it, catch it or keep it. Cette occasion de travailler à l'étranger est trop importante pour ta carrière pour la laisser filer entre les doigts. Assure-toi d'en parler avec ton chef demain! |
"This week has been terrible. I have had so many meetings and deadlines to meet that I'm glad it's Friday as I am really on my last legs." | Someone or something is on their last legs when you want to say that the time when it was strong or successful is ending. Cette semaine a été horrible. J'ai eu tellement de réunions et d'échéances à tenir que je suis content que cela soit vendredi, je suis sur les rotules. |
"There is no point making a decision based upon rumours and office gossip. We need to wait until we meet the boss on Monday to hear it from the horse's mouth." | You hear something from the horse's mouth when the information comes from someone who knows it is definitely true. Il n'y a aucun intérêt à prendre une décision basée sur des rumeurs et des bruits de couloirs. Nous devons attendre jusqu'à ce que nous rencontrions le chef lundi pour l'entendre de source sûre. |
"One of the most important qualities to have as a manager is to be thick-skinned enough to deal with the criticisms which you are going to get when you need to take tough, unpopular decisions." | Someone is thick skinned if they are not easily upset by criticism or negative feedback. Une des qualités les plus importantes d'un manager est d'avoir la peau dure pour assumer les critiques quand on prend des décisions difficiles et impopulaires. |
"I really fell on my feet when I got this new job - I have got more responsibility, a better salary, longer holidays and less pressure!" | To fall on one's feet To be successful or lucky, although not necessarily through one's own efforts Je suis vraiment tombé des nues quand j'ai obtenu ce nouveau travail. J'ai plus de responsabilité, un meilleur salaire, des vacances plus longues et moins de pression! |
"This new computer system is a white elephant – it was supposed to be an improvement on the old one but keeps breaking down." | Something is a white elephant if it is a waste of money because it is completely useless. L'achat de ce nouveau système informatique est une dépense coûteuse et peu rentable. Alors qu'il était supposé être meilleur que l'ancien, il ne fait que planter. |
"In a job interview it is very important that you never beat around the bush when it comes to describing your skills – these are the things which justify the salary you are asking for." | Someone beats around the bush when they tell something in a complicated, indirect way Lors d'un entretien d'embauche, il est important de ne pas tourner autour du pot lorsque vous décrivez vos compétences, car ce sont les éléments qui justifient le salaire que vous demandez. |
"Avoid post-holiday blues by putting your house in order before you go – plan ahead by checking your deadlines, check your 'out of office' messages and take an extra day off before you go back to work." | To put one's house in order When someone arranges their affairs and solves their problems. Evitez de perdre le moral au retour des vacances en mettant en ordre vos affaires – vérifiez vos échéances, mettez en place vos messages d'absence et rentrez un jour avant la reprise du travail. |
"We are flogging a dead horse with this project proposal. There is no way that the management are going to accept it." | To flog a dead horse To try to achieve something which is impossible. Tout a été dit avec cette proposition de projet. Il n'y aucune chance que le management l'accepte. |
"The worst kind of employee is one who expects everyone else to be at their beck and call whenever they want. They never consider other peoples feelings or workload." | To be at someone's beck and call When you have to be constantly available to someone else and ready to do what they ask; this usually seems unfair or undesirable to you Le pire employé est celui qui s'attend à ce que tous les autres soient constamment à sa disposition quand il le désire. Il n'a aucune estime pour les sentiments ou la charge de travail des autres. |
"In any job interview you need to ensure that any past mistakes you have made in the same situation are at the back of your mind so you can focus on what is happening in front of you." | To be at the back of one's mind When you are aware of something but you are not thinking about it very much. Lors de tout entretien d'embauche, il faut s'assurer de garder à l'esprit les erreurs que l'on a faites auparavant dans la même situation, afin de pouvoir se concentrer sur ce qu'il se passe devant soi. |
"He really let the cat out of the bag when he sent that email to everybody!" | To let the cat out of the bag To tell people something that was being kept secret; often by mistake. Il a vraiment vendu la mèche quand il a envoyé ce mail à tout le monde. |
"At first glance, this proposal doesn't seem very promising, but if you read it carefully, it has a lot of potential." | At first glance Your first impression of something. Au premier abord cette proposition ne semble pas prometteuse, mais si vous la lisez attentivement elle a un grand potentiel. |
"The government announcement that unemployment had fallen for the first time in 18 months completely wrong-footed the opposition political parties." | You wrong foot someone when you surprise them as you put them in an unexpected or difficult situation. Le gouvernement a annoncé que le taux de chômage avait baissé pour la première fois en 18 mois prenant complètement à contre-pied l'opposition. |
"Time and again, governments have failed to tackle the issue of companies discriminating against employing senior workers." | Time and again emphasises that something happens many times. Les gouvernements échouent encore et toujours, à prendre des mesures contre les entreprises qui discriminent les seniors. |
"Instead of staying in the here and now during meetings, Christine always goes back to talking about what happened in the past. We really need to get her to focus more." | Here and now is used to stress that something is happening in the present, rather than the future or past. Au lieu de se concentrer sur l'instant présent pendant les réunions, Christine en revient toujours à parler de ce qui est arrivé dans le passé. Nous avons vraiment besoin qu'elle se concentre davantage. |
"I think you should stay in the Paris office for the time being, but next year we'll probably transfer you to New York." | For the time being Something is the case or will happen now, but only until something else happens or becomes possible Je pense que vous devriez pour l'instant rester dans les bureaux de Paris, par contre nous vous transférerons probablement l'an prochain à New York. |
"Restricting bankers bonuses goes against the grain of the government's principle of non-interference in the free market." | An idea or action goes against the grain if it is very difficult for you to accept or do as it conflicts with your ideas, beliefs or principles. Réduire les bonus des banquiers va à l'encontre de leur principe de ne pas intervenir dans le marché libre. |
"If I don't get promoted after all my hard work, success and overtime, I have a good mind to resign" | To have a good mind to do something To threaten or announce that you have a strong desire to do something, although you probably will not do it. Si je ne suis pas promu après tous mes efforts, (réussites) et heures supplémentaires, j'aurais bien envie de démissionner. |
"Doing this HR management course now will stand me in good stead for my future with the company." | Something will stand one in good stead if it will be very useful to them in the future. Faire ce cours de management en RH maintenant me sera fort utile pour mon avenir dans l'entreprise. |
"I haven't got enough information to decide now, so I need to speak to HR before I can make my mind up how many people we will recruit." | To make one's mind up To decide which of a number of things you will have or do Je n'ai pas encore suffisamment d'informations pour prendre une décision maintenant; je dois donc parler aux RH pour pouvoir me faire une idée du nombre de personnes que nous engagerons. |
"It's as plain as day that this is the best plan – none of the other ideas come close in terms of effectiveness." | To be as plain as day To be easy to understand. C'est clair comme de l'eau de roche, il s'agit du meilleur projet. Aucune des autres idées ne s’en approche avec autant d'efficacité. |
"I think we have to give David a formal written warning as it is the umpteenth time I have had to speak to him about arriving late for work." | To say/do something for the umpteenth time We use this to say that an occasion, thing or person happens or comes after many others. Je pense que nous allons devoir donner un avertissement écrit à David, car c'est la énième fois qu'on le convoque concernant ses retards au travail. |
"In any recession, it's important for companies to maintain their training programme and avoid the temptation to put it on the backburner." | To put something on the backburner To leave a project to deal with later on as it is considered less urgent or important. En temps de crise, il est important que les compagnies maintiennent leurs cours de formation et ne soient pas tenté de les mettre de côté. |
"He never listens properly, so it's no surprise he is always getting the wrong end of the stick." | To get the wrong end of the stick To completely misunderstand something Il n'écoute jamais attentivement. Ce n'est donc pas une surprise s'il ne comprend jamais rien. |
"We are completely in the dark about these rumours that we are going to cut more jobs." | You are in the dark about something when you do not know anything about it. Nous sommes dans l'ignorance totale concernant les rumeurs sur de nouvelles suppressions de postes de travail. |
"Google has a history of being ahead of the game when it comes to new, innovative working practices." | To be ahead of the game Someone or something has made more progress and is more advanced than their competitors Google est réputé être en avance sur son temps quand il s'agit d'appliquer des méthodes innovantes sur le lieu du travail. |
"David couldn't quite put his finger on what was responsible for the loss of the contract." | To (not) put one's finger on something To be (not) able to identify a reason or problem. David n'a pu mettre le doigt sur ce qui a causé la perte du contrat. |
"With all the changes in the company we have had recently, this project is finished. Any more investment would be like throwing money down the drain." | Someone is throwing money down the drain when you believe that they are wasting the money they have to try and resolve a problem, instead of more thoughtful/practical things which could improve it. Avec tous les changements que nous avons eu récemment dans la compagnie, ce projet est terminé. D'autres investissements équivaudraient à jeter de l'argent par les fenêtres. |
"We'll get the contract, no problem. It's in the bag!" | Something is in the bag when you are certain that you will get it or achieve it. Nous allons avoir le contrat. C'est dans la poche. |
"Our recruitment agency is really scraping the bottom of the barrel. They haven’t sent us any quality candidates at all as the best people have already found jobs." | To scrape the bottom of the barrel To use the worst/least satisfactory ideas, things or people as you have no choice. L'agence de recrutement en est réduite à ratisser large. Ils ne nous ont pas envoyé un seul candidat de qualité car les meilleurs ont déjà trouvé du travail. |
"There are no two ways about it. We have to make some people redundant if we want to survive this recession." | There are no two ways about something if there is only one suitable way to deal with it. Nous n'irons pas par quatre chemins. Nous devons licencier du personnel si nous voulons survivre à cette récession. |
"Although results are bad at the moment, it’s important to avoid any knee jerk reaction like dismissing people. Let’s take some time to analyse what the real cause of the problem is. " | A knee-jerk reaction A very predictable response to a problem indicating the person responding hasn't thought about it; used to show disapproval. Bien que les résultats soient mauvais en ce moment, il est important d'éviter certaines réactions impulsives. |
"He's a great negotiator. He always drives a hard bargain and that is why he's so successful at being the Sales Manager." | To drive a hard bargain To argue with determination to get a deal which is favourable to oneself. C'est un remarquable négociateur. Ces affaires sont toujours conduitent avec détermination. |
"What really annoys me is when we interview candidates who have no idea what our company does because they haven’t taken the time to do some research. They drive me up the wall." | To drive someone up the wall To make them feel annoyed and irritated. Ce qui m'agace vraiment c'est lorsque l'on interview des candidats qui n'ont pas pris le temps de faire de recherche sur notre société et qui n'ont donc aucune connaissance de ce que nous faisons. Cela me fait grimper aux murs. |
"They spent a long time discussing unimportant issues before they got down to the nitty-gritty of the problem." | To get down to the nitty-gritty To discuss the most important, basic parts or facts (of a matter, situation, activity). Ils ont passé beaucoup de temps à discuter de points sans importances avant d'aborder le vif du sujet. |
"As she has just reached her 65th birthday, the HR Director has decided to call it a day." | To call it a day To decide to stop what you're doing, possibly because you are tired with it or because it is not successful. Etant donné qu'elle vient d'atteindre ses 65 ans, la directrice des RH a décidé de mettre la clé sous le paillasson. |
"The main idea behind the new Chief Executive's decision to have a meeting with all the staff on his first day was to break the ice." | To break the ice To say or do something to make people feel relaxed and comfortable (at a party, meeting or new situation). L'idée principale du directeur général de tenir une réunion avec tout le personnel dès son premier jour était de briser la glace. |
"This product launch is so big and so important that it's going to be difficult to keep it under wraps until October." | To keep something under wraps To keep something secret, often until you are ready to announce it in the future. Le lancement de ce produit est tellement énorme qu'il sera difficile d’en garder la confidentialité |
"If people are going to lose their jobs, a good HR manager should put their cards on the table so everyone is aware of the reasons for the decisions taken." | To put one's cards on the table To deal with a situation by speaking openly about one's feelings, ideas or plans. Si des employés venaient à perdre leur travail, un bon responsable RH devrait jouer cartes sur table afin que chacun soit informé des décisions prises et de leurs raisons. |
"I’m in a quandary about what to do. The job with Smith Industries is more interesting, but the salary is less." | To be in a quandary about something To find it difficult to decide what to do. Je suis face à un dilemme, par rapport au choix que je dois faire, le travail avec Smith Industries est plus intéressant mais le salaire est moindre. |
"We won’t be able to solve the problem without getting to the bottom of it." | To get to the bottom of a problem To solve a problem by finding out its real cause. Il ne nous sera pas possible de résoudre le problème sans aller au fond des choses. |
"He was disciplined for trying to go over his boss’s head." | To do something over someone’s head To do something without consulting this person. Il a été remis à l'ordre pour avoir tenté de passer outre son supérieur. |
"All the problems at work really came to a head when half of the Marketing department lost their jobs." | To come to a head A problem or disagreement comes to a head when it reaches the point when you have to take some action about it. Les problèmes au travail ont atteint leur point critique lorsque la moitié du département marketing à été licencié. |
"Only time will tell if we did the right thing by deciding to outsource our recruitment process." | Time will tell means that it will not be known until some point in the future if something is/was right or correct. Seul l’avenir nous dira si nous avons fait le bon choix en faisant sous-traiter notre processus de recrutement. |
"There was so much conflict in the office that they had to appoint a new manager to stop the rot." | To stop the rot To stop a situation from getting worse, especially in business or politics. Il y avait tant de conflits dans le bureau qu'ils ont dû nommer un nouveau responsable pour endiguer les problèmes. |
"After interviewing all the candidates, I think Alex is the pick of the bunch. Let’s offer him the job." | The pick of the bunch Someone or something that is the best of a group of people or things. Après avoir rencontré tous les candidats, je pense qu'Alex sort du lot. Offrons-lui ce job. |
"There is no quick fix to our problems. We will have to completely restructure the company." | Quick fix A simple/easy/quick solution to a problem. Il n'y a pas de solution miracle à notre problème. Nous devrons complètement restructurer notre compagnie. |
"Sales were very bad last year but we are starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel." | To see light at the end of the tunnel To see signs of hope after a long period of difficulty. L'an dernier, les ventes étaient très mauvaises, mais nous voyons enfin le bout du tunnel. |
"We are still fine-tuning the website so it won’t be online for another week." | To fine-tune something To make small changes to something to improve it or make it work better. Nous sommes encore en train d'optimiser le site internet, il ne sera donc pas en ligne avant une semaine. |
"The boss will go through the roof when he hears that Sam left without finishing that report." | To go through the roof To become very angry; usually expressed by shouting at someone. Le chef va sauter au plafond quand il apprendra que Sam est parti sans terminer son rapport. |
"My business partner is holding the fort while I am on holiday." | To hold the fort for someone To look after things for them while they are away or busy with something else. Mon collègue assurera la transition pendant mes vacances. |
"She is accusing some of the directors of trying to undermine her position in the company." | To undermine someone's position or authority To make their authority or position less secure, often by indirect methods. Elle accuse certains directeurs d'essayer de saper sa position dans la compagnie. |
"By and large, our new HR policy document has been well received by everyone." | By and large Used to mean that something is mostly, but not completely true. Dans l'ensemble, la nouvelle politique RH a été bien reçue et comprise par chacun. |
"The worst of the recession is over now. It's only a matter of time before things start improving for us." | A matter of time It's only a matter of time before something happens if you believe it is unavoidable and will definitely happen. Le pire de la récession est passé. Ce n'est maintenant qu'une question de temps avant que les choses ne s'améliorent enfin pour nous. |
"Sandra's such a quick learner that she'll be able to do her job alone in next to no time." | In next to no time Something can happen in next to no time if it happens almost immediately or very quickly. Sandra apprend si rapidement qu'elle sera bientôt capable de faire son travail seule en un rien de temps. |
"It wasn't a spur of the moment decision. We discussed it in detail beforehand." | To be (not) on the spur of the moment To (not) do something suddenly, without planning it, on impulse. Cette décision n'a pas été prise sur un coup de tête. Nous en avions discuté en détail préalablement. |
"We're going to put this new pay offer on the table when we see them next week." | To put something on the table To present an idea/policy/proposal for discussion. Nous présenterons cette nouvelle offre lors de notre rencontre la semaine prochaine |
"I can’t get a job without a valid work permit and I can’t get a work permit without a job. It’s Catch-22!" | (A) catch-22 (situation) An impossible situation as you cannot do one thing until you do another, but you cannot do the second thing until you have done the first. Je ne peux pas obtenir d'emploi sans permis de travail valide et je ne peux pas avoir un permis de travail sans emploi. C’est une spirale infernale. |
"It's as plain as day that this is the best plan – none of the other ideas come close in terms of effectiveness." | To be as plain as day To be easy to understand. C'est clair comme de l'eau de roche que ce projet est le meilleur. Aucunes des autres idées ne s’en approchent avec autant d'efficacité. |
"With the responsibility and projects I have been given, I have finally found a job I can really get my teeth into." | To get one's teeth into something To be interested and engaged by something, especially because the potential result is worthwhile. Grâce aux responsabilités et aux projets qui m’ont été confiés, j’ai finalement trouvé un travail qui me motive vraiment. |
"Sarah hasn't found a job yet but, she's going to stick at it, despite her lack of interviews." | To stick at something To continue doing an activity/task, even if it is difficult. Sarah n’a pas encore obtenu un travail, mais elle persévère malgré le manque d’entretiens. |
"I hate having to chase other people up to make sure that they have done what they promised to do." | To chase someone up To find out from someone what is being done about something which is necessary. Je déteste devoir être derrière les gens afin de vérifier qu’ils ont bien fait ce qu’ils ont promis de faire. |
"If no problems turn up once we have looked at Josephine's references, we'll offer her the job." | Something or someone can turn up To arrive unexpectedly or perhaps after a long time. Si aucun problème ne survient après que nous ayons vérifié les références de Joséphine, nous lui offrirons le poste. |
"We don't have the knowledge to make an informed decision so we'll have to bring in management consultants." | To bring in To invite someone to do a job or participate in an activity/discussion from outside a team or organisation. Nous n’avons pas les compétences pour prendre une décision avertie, c’est pourquoi nous allons consulter des experts en management. |
"In an interview, you need to make sure that you ask the candidate all the questions you need to ask before you run out of time and you only have a partial idea of their skills and experience." | To run out of something (eg ideas, time, patience, money, resources etc) To have no more of something left. Lors d’un entretien, vous devez vous assurer de poser au candidat toutes les questions que vous avez à lui poser avant de manquer de temps/d’être pris par le temps et d’avoir seulement une idée partielle des ses compétences et de son expérience. |
"We asked our employees to accept a pay cut but they turned down our request. This means that we are going to have to consider other options to reduce costs." | To turn down a request or offer To refuse a request or offer. Nous avons demandé à nos employés d’accepter une diminution de salaire mais ils ont refusé notre proposition. Cela signifie que nous devrons prendre en considération d’autres alternatives afin de réduire les coûts. |
"Business has really taken off since last year, so we are planning to hire new people for 1 January." | A career, a product, an activity can take off To suddenly become successful. Les affaires ont littéralement décollé depuis l’année dernière, donc nous projetons d’engager du personnel au 1er janvier. |
"Once we have selected the right candidate for the job, we need to look into their background and check their references before we offer them the job." | To look into To examine carefully. Après avoir sélectionné le bon candidat pour le poste, nous devons regarder attentivement son expérience et vérifier ses références avant de lui offrir le travail. |
"Since the beginning of the recession, a lot of people have been laid off as companies have reduced their numbers of staff." | To be laid off To lose one's job/to be made redundant/to be sacked/to be fired. Depuis le début de la récession, beaucoup de personnes ont été licenciées puisque les compagnies ont réduit leurs effectifs. |
"The CEO wants to have a meeting tomorrow to fill us in on all the organisational changes which were agreed at the Meeting of Directors." | To fill someone in on something To give/inform someone of the information they need to do something. The CEO souhaite organiser une réunion demain afin de nous informer/mettre au courant de tous les changements organisationnels qui ont été décidés à la réunion de la Direction. |
"Philippe needs to delegate more responsibility to his staff – he should try handing over some of his projects to his team." | To hand over something to someone To give responsibility or control for something to someone else. Philippe doit confier plus de responsabilités à ses collaborateurs- il doit essayer de déléguer certains de ses projets à son équipe. |
"As the Head of Finance has too much work to do, he has decided to step down from some of the committees which he chairs so he can concentrate on his principal tasks." | To step down from a job/position To leave one's job/position, particularly so someone else can do it. Le directeur du Département des finances étant surchargé, il a décidé de se décharger de la présidence de certains comités pour se concentrer sur ses activité principales. |
"We're not going to take on any new people until business improves. We can't take the risk of not being able to afford an increased wage bill." | To take people on To begin to employ people. Nous n’engagerons aucun nouvel employé jusqu’à la reprise des affaires. Nous ne pouvons pas prendre le risque de ne pas être en mesure de payer plus de salaires. |
"I really need to find a Personal Assistant to help me. I have so much to do and the work just keeps on piling up." | To pile up To become more and more (usually of something unpleasant e.g. work, bills, debts). Je dois vraiment trouver un assistant personnel pour m’aider. J’ai tellement à faire et le travail s’amoncèle/s’entasse. |
"I'm sorry I haven't be able to see you for ages. I've been tied up at work." | To be tied up with someone or something To be so busy that one is unable to see/speak to anyone else or go anywhere. Je m’excuse, je n’ai pas pu te voir depuis des lustres. J’ai été débordé au travail. |
"As the project manager explained, there are still some teething problems to overcome before we can launch the project." | To have teething problems/troubles The problems which occur in the early stages of a project or when a product is first made available. Comme le chef de projet l’a expliqué, il y a encore quelques problèmes de rodage à résoudre avant de pouvoir lancer le projet. |
"We haven't got the space to keep all our records. We'll have to decide which ones to keep and which ones to get rid of." | To get rid of something To take action so one no longer has something or suffer from its effects, for example, by disposing of it. Nous n’avons pas la place pour garder tous nos dossiers. Nous devons décider lesquels conserver et desquels nous débarrasser. |
"This team-building exercise will be a great way for everyone to let off steam and relax." | To let off steam To use up one's energy, anger or strong emotions by engaging in physical activity or acting noisily/violently. Cet exercice de cohésion d’équipe sera une bonne façon pour chacun de se défouler et se relaxer. |
"With all her experience in HR, I think Alexandra has the edge over the other candidates for this position." | To have an edge/give an edge To have an advantage over/give an advantage to something or someone to make them more likely to be successful than another thing/person. Avec sa solide expérience dans les RH, je pense qu’Alexandra est plus qualifiée que les autres candidats pour cette fonction. |
"In the current crisis, managers need to make a point of explaining the reasons for their decisions to the staff to try and maintain a positive atmosphere." | To make a point of something/of doing something To do something in a very deliberate or obvious way. Dans la crise actuelle, les responsables doivent justifier les raisons de leurs décisions au personnel afin d’essayer de maintenir une atmosphère positive. |
"The decision over how many people to recruit is still up in the air, although we know we have to tell Head Office by the end of the quarter." | To be up in the air A decision or situation has not been completely settled or planned. La décision concernant le nombre de personnes à engager est toujours en suspens bien que nous sachions que nous devons en informer la direction à la fin du trimestre. |
"There's a lot of mistrust and bad feeling amongst the staff at the moment. We should organise a meeting to clear the air." | To clear the air To resolve differences or misunderstandings – perhaps by discussing them with the affected parties. Il y a beaucoup de méfiance et une mauvaise ambiance au sein du personnel actuellement. Nous devrions organiser une réunion afin d’assainir la situation. |
"Now he has explained the reasons for his unacceptable behaviour, we can wipe the slate clean so on Monday he can be treated the same as everyone else ." | To wipe the slate clean To forget previous mistakes, failures or debts and start again. Maintenant qu’il a expliqué les raisons de son comportement inacceptable, nous pouvons effacer l’ardoise/faire table rase et repartir à zéro le considérer dès lundi comme n’importe quelle autre personne. |
"The training course was very interesting but the acid test will come when I start my new job." | The acid test The test to prove how effective or useful something is. Le cours était très intéressant mais le vrai test sera le jour où je commence mon nouvel emploi. |
"She is a great manager and organiser. Everything runs like clockwork when she is in charge." | To go, run or behave like clockwork Someone or something goes, runs or behaves exactly as expected. C'est une excellente manager et organisatrice. Tout marche comme sur des roulettes sous sa responsabilité. |
"We can't say it's impossible until we've explored all avenues." | To explore all avenues To try every possibility to obtain a result or find a solution. 1. Impossible n'est pas français. |
"Our great financial results this quarter show that since we restructured the company last year, we have really got our act together." | To get one's act together To organise one's affairs better than one has done previously and manage to deal with things more efficiently. Nos excellents résultats financiers de ce trimestre prouvent qu'en restructurant la société nous avons remis de l'ordre, nous sommes en bonne voie. |
"A good manager needs to be able to think on their feet so they can reacte to changing circumstances." | To think on one's feet To be capable of making good decisions without needing time to plan them. Un bon manager a une dynamique de réflexion. |
"The management left no stone unturned in their efforts to find a solution to the crisis." | To leave no stone unturned To try everything possible in order to achieve something. La direction a remué ciel et terre pour trouver une solution à la crise. Elle n'y ai pas allée par quatre chemins. |
"The new HR director is not wasting any time reorganising the department. He really means business." | To mean business To be serious about what you do. Le responsable RH ne perd pas son temps à restructurer le département. Il le fait de manière très sérieuse, il compte obtenir des résultats. |
"He didn't get the job because his English wasn't up to par." | To (not) be up to par To (not) meet the required standard. Il n'a pas eu le poste car son anglais n'était pas à la hauteur. |
"My application didn't arrive in time so I missed the boat when it came to the job in Zürich." | To miss the boat To fail to take advantage of an opportunity because you don't act quickly enough. Ma candidature n'est pas arrivée à temps et j'ai raté le coche pour le poste à Zürich. |
"Paul is the front runner to get promotion" | To be the front-runner To be the favourite. Dans la course à la promotion, Paul devance nettement ses collègues. |
"Despite this credit crunch, our great results show that we have managed to rise to the occasion." | To rise to the occasion To manage to do something successfully in difficult circumstances. Malgré la crise du crédit, nos excellents résultats montrent que nous nous sommes montrés à la hauteur. |
"This person is by far (and away) the best candidate. The others are out of the picture." | To be out of the picture To be eliminated through a contest or tournament. Cette personne est de loin le meilleur candidat. Les autres sont hors concours. |
"If we go with this version of the contract, it's a win-win situation for everybody!" | A win-win situation Both or all parties benefit from the situation. Si nous signons ce contrat, ce sera du gagnant-gagnant pour tous ! |
"We need to work out what our employee needs will be for next year before deciding if we are going to recruit or not." | To work out To calculate, to find the answer to a problem. Nous devons chiffrer nos besoins en personnel pour l'année à venir avant de décider si nous recrutons ou pas. |
"The best way to get an interview is if you know someone who works there so you already have a foot in the door." | A foot in the door A small plus which may produce future success. La meilleure façon d'avoir un entretien c'est de connaître quelqu'un dans l'entreprise afin d'avoir déjà un pied dedans. |
"Although we have had some problems, I think this new idea will really turn the business around. From now on, things are going to get better!" | To turn a business around To make a business profitable again; to go from not making profits to being profitable again. Malgré nos difficultés, je pense que cette nouvelle idée va vraiment relancer les affaires. Les choses vont s'arranger maintenant. |
"I'm sorry. I can't see you today as I'm too busy. We'll have to put the meeting off until next week." | To put something off To postpone something. Désolé, je ne peux pas te voir aujourd'hui, je suis trop occupé. Nous devons reporter la réunion à la semaine prochaine. |
"The current economic crisis means we need to save money. If we don't do some belt-tightening, we'll have to ask some people to leave." | To do some belt-tightening/to tighten one's belt To reduce expenses. La crise énonomique actuelle nous encourage à épargner. Si nous ne nous serrons pas la ceinture nous devrons licencier des gens. |
"Our team needs to get this project off the ground now. We have done the feasibility study and it's time to implement it." | To get a project, proposal, idea off the ground To implement a project, proposal, idea. Notre équipe doit démarrer ce projet maintenant. Nous avons effectué l'étude de faisabilité et il est temps de le mettre en oeuvre. |
"Why don't we pencil the meeting in for next week. We can confirm it later." | To pencil something in To make a provisional plan. On fixe déjà le rendez-vous pour la semaine prochaine. On le confirmera plus tard. |
"We have no time to prepare him for his new role. We have to throw him in at the deep end." | To throw someone in at the deep end To start someone working with no specific training. Nous n'avons pas le temps de le préparer à ses nouvelles fonctions. Il doit se débrouiller. |
"We were all completely in the dark about the proposal. We had no idea what was happening." | To have no knowledge of 1. A court terme les perspectives ne sont pas bonnes, mais à long terme je pense que le projet sera un succès. |
"The short term prospects are not good, but in the long-run I think the project will be a success." | In the long-run Over a long period of time. 1. A court terme les perspectives ne sont pas bonnes, mais à long terme je pense que le projet sera un succès. |
"The news of the factory closure came out of the blue. It was a complete surprise to everybody." | To come out of the blue To be unexpected. On est tombé des nues d’apprendre que l’usine allait fermer. |
