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Business English Phrasal Verbs for Hiring: Fill In, Turn Down, Bring In and More
- Mar 29, 2025
- 5 min read
Updated: Feb 12
In this article: Workplace scenario and quiz
Learn more phrasal verbs: take on, step in, etc. Practice these phrasal verbs
Today, we’re focusing on Business English phrasal verbs you’ll hear in real conversations about hiring and staffing.
These are the phrases people use when they’re adding someone new, covering a role, rejecting an offer, or deciding who’s not a fit. You’ll hear them in recruiter calls, team meetings, and quick Slack messages.
Start with the quick challenge below, then we’ll go through the key phrasal verbs with simple meanings and real examples you can use at work.
Today’s Challenge:
Your company is growing, and you're adding a new person to the team. She's starting next month and will lead the marketing strategy.
You tell a colleague:
We're _____ a new head of marketing next month. She'll focus on improving our online presence.
A) breaking in
B) turning in
C) bringing in
D) checking in
Choose the correct option and listen to the sentence.
Here’s why the other options don’t work here:
BREAK IN
phrasal verb
to enter a place by force, illegally
Someone tried to break in last night.
They broke in through the back door.
We need an alarm in case someone breaks in.
He heard a noise and thought someone was breaking in.
The shop was broken into over the weekend.
I locked all the windows so no one could break in.
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TURN IN
phrasal verb
to submit homework, a report, or a project
I turned in my report this morning.
Please turn in your assignment by Friday.
He forgot to turn in his homework.
You must turn in your keys before leaving.
She turned in the project late.
BRING IN
phrasal verb
to hire someone because you need their skills, experience, or help with a specific need
We're bringing in a new manager next month.
The company brought in two new designers last week.
They brought in a consultant to help with the project.
We need to bring in someone who knows social media.
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CHECK IN
phrasal verb
to let someone know you have arrived at a place like a hotel, office, airport, or event
We checked in at the hotel around 3 p.m.
Please check in at the front desk.
She checked in for her flight online.
I always check in early at the airport.
The receptionist asked me to check in.
We’ll check in when we arrive at the event.
That's right! The correct answer is C) bringing in.
Learn more Business English phrasal verbs for hiring
We're going to learn more Business English phrasal verbs professionals use when they’re staffing a team. You’ll hear them in quick updates like We’re bringing in someone new, Can you fill in tomorrow, They turned down the offer, or We can rule that candidate out. Let’s walk through what each one means.
take on
phrasal verb
1) to hire someone; 2) to accept new work
We’re taking on two more engineers this quarter.
I can’t take on another project right now.
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fill in
phrasal verb
cover for someone temporarily
I’m filling in for my manager this week.
Can you fill in for me on Friday? I have a doctor’s appointment.
He filled in for the team lead during the rollout.
rule out
phrasal verb
to decide something is not possible/allowed
We can rule out Friday - too many people are out.
I wouldn’t rule it out, but it’s not our first choice.
We ruled out that vendor after the second delay.
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turn down
phrasal verb
to refuse (offer/request)
They turned down the offer because the salary was too low.
They turned it down because the timing didn’t work.
I appreciate it, but I’m going to have to turn that down.
train up
phrasal verb
to teach someone the skills they need
We can hire someone entry-level and train them up.
She’s a quick learner - we can train her up fast.
If they have the basics, we can train them up pretty quickly.
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step in
phrasal verb
to help by doing someone’s job for a short time because they can’t do it
She stepped in and finished the meeting.
If you’re running late, just text me - I’ll step in.
Thanks for stepping in today. I really needed it.
hand off
phrasal verb
to pass work to another person/team
I can’t help with this one, but I’ll hand it off to IT.
I’ll hand this off to Megan - she’s handling the new hires.
I just handed it off to my manager, so it's with her now.
follow up
phrasal verb
to contact again to get an update
I’ll follow up tomorrow if they don’t reply today.
I followed up this morning, but I'm still waiting.
Can you follow up with the candidate and confirm the time?
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reach out
phrasal verb
to contact someone
I'll reach out to the recruiter and ask what the next step is.
I'll reach out and ask if they can start next month.
If anything changes, please reach out and let me know.
narrow down
phrasal verb
to reduce choices to a short list
We’ve narrowed it down to three people, and we're meeting them this week.
Let's narrow it down to two options and decide today.
Can you help me narrow down the list? There are too many.
Hiring isn't just about interviews. It's also the day-to-day messages that come with it - telling your team who's joining, who's covering, who's no longer being considered, and whether an offer was accepted or refused. These phrasal verbs help you say all of that in a simple, everyday way at work.
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Download the free PDF: Business English phrasal verbs with "in"
Practice the Business English phrasal verbs you've learned
Read the scenario and choose the most professional response. Listen to the correct answer.
Front desk problem
Rosa is working at the hotel front desk. Jake is supposed to come in next, but he texts her and says he can’t make it. It’s a busy time with check-outs and guest calls, so Rosa calls Devon, another front desk clerk, and asks if he can come in and cover the desk so she isn’t alone.
What does Rosa say?
A) Jake’s trying to back out of a couple of his shifts. Have you heard anything from him? B) Jake just texted. He’s not coming in for his shift. He’s asking if someone can fill in. C) I’m going to shut down the front desk until Jake shows up. Can you come in later if you feel like it?
Get more practice, scenarios, and full dialogues in Pro Vocabulary Lab.
Erin West is a Business English educator, writer, and founder of RealBusinessEnglish.com. She creates practical lessons, quizzes, and learning materials that help professionals use clear, natural, and confident English at work — with just the right amount of fun.
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