TOEFL iBT independent writing, An experienced worker at a higher salary or an inexperienced worker at a lower salary? -partly rewritten-

Writing Topic 2

If you were an employer, which kind of worker would you prefer to hire: an inexperienced worker at a lower salary or an experienced worker at a higher salary? Use specific reasons and details to support your answer.

☆Let’s think

Paying less for an employee is more preferable for an employer for an obvious reason: He can cut costs. How about difference between an experienced worker and an inexperienced one? Is an experienced worker worth the extra money? Is lack of experience just a disadvantage?

☆Ideas and Expressions

♦Advantages of hiring an inexperienced worker at a lower salary

1.    Paying a lower salary will save you money. Loss of money caused by mistakes inexperienced workers make can be avoided by training and communication.

2.    He would be easier to train than an experienced worker because he is more ready to accept the company culture while an experienced worker often has difficulty in unlearning what he has already acquired in his previous work places.

3.    He would work harder because he wants to learn anything related to his job and wants to be noticed.

4.    Recruiting young people will lower unemployment rates, which is good for the economy and the aging society.

♦Advantages of hiring an experienced worker at a higher salary

1.    It lowers the risk of wasting the recruiting expenses. You would not know exactly how competent an inexperienced worker would be no matter how careful you are. He might be tardy or quit during the probation. Experienced workers are survivors. The fact that they have been in the industry for a long time shows that they have good work ethic, have no personality problems, and can do the job well enough.

2.    An experienced employee is valuable as an asset. Skills, knowledge, and the network of personal connections he has would be useful for your company.

3.    A worker with experience can teach less experienced workers.

4.    A well-seasoned worker can make fewer serious mistakes ⇔ Everyone is inexperienced at the beginning and even an experienced worker can make a huge mistake.

☆Sample short response:

I would hire an experienced worker at a higher salary because he can start work on the day he is hired. He knows what to do with his new position and can do his job without asking other workers many questions. On the other hand, an inexperienced worker takes time to be full-fledged. He needs to be trained, which costs you time and money, and he will still need to learn on the job. It is true that paying a high salary would reduce profit, but, considering the cost for training and possible losses and damages caused by mistakes the inexperienced worker makes, I think giving the job to a person who is familiar with it would cost less in the long run.

Your short response:

I would hire …

because …

On the other hand, …

It is true that …

but

☆Essay for Ideas and Expressions

nnn  (Barron’s, Writing for the TOEFL iBT, pp. 282-283