The topic of recruitment preferences between innovative individuals and team players has appeared multiple times in IELTS Writing Task 2 exams, particularly during 2019-2023. This theme reflects contemporary workplace dynamics and organizational management concerns, making it highly relevant for test-takers.
Analysis of Past Exam Questions
Based on recent IELTS exam reports, here’s a frequently tested question:
Some companies prefer to hire individuals who are creative and work independently, while others value employees who work well in teams. Which approach do you think is better for employers?
Question Analysis
- Topic: Employment/Recruitment
- Task: Opinion essay
- Key elements: Compare two hiring approaches
- Focus areas: Creativity vs. collaboration
- Required: Clear position with supporting arguments
Band 8.5 Sample Essay
In the contemporary business landscape, I firmly believe that prioritizing team players over independent creative individuals is more beneficial for most employers, although the optimal approach may vary depending on the industry and organizational goals.
Team players offer several distinct advantages in modern workplaces. Firstly, collaborative employees facilitate smoother project execution by sharing responsibilities and combining diverse skillsets. For instance, in software development companies, complex projects require seamless cooperation between developers, designers, and quality assurance specialists to create successful products. Moreover, team-oriented individuals typically demonstrate better communication skills and emotional intelligence, which helps maintain a positive work environment and reduces workplace conflicts.
However, the value of innovative individuals cannot be completely dismissed. These employees often drive breakthrough innovations and bring fresh perspectives to challenging problems. In creative industries like advertising or product design, independent thinkers can develop unique solutions that differentiate companies from their competitors. Nevertheless, even in such cases, the ability to effectively communicate and collaborate with others remains crucial for implementing these innovative ideas.
Furthermore, the modern business environment increasingly demands collective effort rather than individual brilliance. Global challenges and complex market demands require diverse expertise and perspectives that no single individual can provide. For example, successful tech companies like Google and Microsoft emphasize team collaboration while still nurturing individual creativity within their collaborative framework.
In conclusion, while both approaches have their merits, prioritizing team players generally proves more advantageous for employers in today’s interconnected business world. The ideal solution might be to seek candidates who possess both collaborative skills and creative potential, though team spirit should be the primary consideration.
Band 6.5 Sample Essay
I think companies should hire team players instead of creative individuals because teamwork is more important in most jobs today.
In modern companies, working together is very important. When people work in teams, they can share their ideas and help each other. For example, in my country, many companies need workers who can cooperate well with others to finish big projects. Also, team players usually have good communication skills which helps avoid problems in the workplace.
Creative people who work alone can be good too. They can think of new ideas and solve problems in different ways. Some jobs like artists or writers need creative people who can work independently. But these jobs are not very common in most companies.
Another reason why team players are better is that most jobs today need people to work together. Big companies like Samsung and Apple need many people to work together to make their products. One person cannot do everything alone, no matter how creative they are.
To conclude, I believe hiring team players is better for most companies because teamwork is more important than individual creativity in modern workplaces. However, some special jobs might still need creative individuals who can work independently.
Scoring Analysis
Band 8.5 Essay:
- Clear position with sophisticated arguments
- Excellent paragraph organization
- Advanced vocabulary and complex structures
- Smooth transitions between ideas
- Relevant examples
Band 6.5 Essay:
- Basic but clear position
- Simple organization
- Limited vocabulary range
- Basic examples
- Some repetition
Key Vocabulary
- collaborative (adj) /kəˈlæb.ər.ə.tɪv/ – involving two or more people working together
- innovative (adj) /ˈɪn.ə.veɪ.tɪv/ – using new methods or ideas
- breakthrough (n) /ˈbreɪk.θruː/ – important discovery
- expertise (n) /ˌek.spɜːˈtiːz/ – specialized knowledge or skill
- facilitate (v) /fəˈsɪl.ɪ.teɪt/ – to make something possible or easier
- interconnected (adj) /ˌɪn.tə.kəˈnek.tɪd/ – having different parts connected to each other
- perspective (n) /pəˈspek.tɪv/ – way of thinking about something
- differentiate (v) /ˌdɪf.əˈren.ʃi.eɪt/ – to recognize differences between things
Diverse workplace showing both individual and team work
For practice, try writing your own essay addressing how different industries might require different balances between individual creativity and teamwork. Share your essay in the comments for feedback and discussion.
