The Perfect Employee

Curriculum Area

Key Stage 3 Business Studies – Part of the UK National Curriculum’s Enterprise and Employability section.

Learning Objectives

By the end of the lesson, students will be able to:

• Identify key skills and qualities that make a ‘perfect employee’.
• Discuss why these skills are important in the workplace.
• Understand the five disciplinary steps taken in jobs when employees do not meet workplace expectations.

---

Lesson Structure – 30 Minutes

Starter Activity (5 minutes) – The Job Interview Game

Objective: Get students thinking about what makes a great employee.

1. Scenario: Tell students that they are hiring for a brand-new role at a company.
2. Question: Ask them to quickly brainstorm – What skills and qualities would you want in your ‘perfect employee’?
3. Think-Pair-Share: Students have 2 minutes to think individually, 1 minute to discuss with their partner, and then share briefly with the class.

Transition into next section:

• "Great! You’ve started thinking like an employer. But what exactly makes an employee truly great?"

---

Main Activity (15 minutes) – Creating the 'Perfect Employee'

Step 1: Build a Class Agreement (5 minutes)

• Write 'Perfect Employee' in the centre of the board.
• Ask students to come up one at a time and add a skill or quality (e.g. punctual, hardworking, problem-solver etc.).
• Ensure students explain why their word belongs there.

Step 2: The Employer’s Challenge (5 minutes)

• Divide students into six groups of four.
• Each group takes an employee scenario (given on pre-prepared job cards).
• Examples of job cards:
  • A doctor who is always late.
  • A retail assistant who is very friendly but can’t use the till properly.
  • A football coach who motivates players but is forgetful with schedules.
• Question: Would this person be a perfect employee? What skills do they need to develop?
• Groups discuss for 2 minutes and then share their thoughts.

---

Discussion (7 minutes) – The Five Disciplinary Steps

Introducing the Concept (2 minutes)

• "Sometimes, employees do not meet expectations, and businesses have a process to address issues fairly."
• Present the five disciplinary steps, explaining each one briefly:
  1. Verbal Warning – Initial, informal discussion.
  2. Written Warning – Official documentation of poor performance.
  3. Final Warning – Last chance before serious action.
  4. Suspension – Temporary leave while the issue is investigated.
  5. Dismissal – The employee is fired.

Quickfire Activity (3 minutes) – Disciplinary Decision Maker

• Read out different workplace behaviours (e.g., "Employee is late once", "Employee swears at a customer", "Employee refuses to do their job").
• Ask the class: At which stage should the employer act?
• Discuss their answers briefly.

---

Plenary (3 minutes) – Reflection & Exit Ticket

• Quickfire Questions:
  • "What is the most important quality of a perfect employee?"
  • "Why do workplaces have disciplinary steps?"
• Exit Ticket Challenge:
  • On a sticky note, students write a 'Golden Rule' they think all employees should follow.

---

Teaching Strategies & Adaptations

• Active Learning: Engaging discussions, movement, and role-play.
• Differentiation: Supporting students with pre-written sentence starters for discussion.
• Challenge Extension: More capable students could justify which skills are most important in specific industries (e.g., healthcare vs. retail).

---

Assessment & Evaluation

• Verbal Contributions: Observing engagement in discussions.
• Exit Ticket Reflection: Checking understanding of employee qualities and disciplinary steps.
• Class Agreement on the ‘Perfect Employee’: Ensuring comprehension of key skills.

---

Resources Required

• Whiteboard & markers.
• Pre-written job scenario cards.
• Sticky notes for the exit ticket challenge.

---

Teacher Reflection Post-Lesson

• Did students actively participate in discussions?
• Did the ‘Disciplinary Decision Maker’ activity demonstrate their understanding?
• Are there any students who need further support in understanding workplace expectations?

---

End of Lesson Plan. 🎯