personnel
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
the group of people who work for a company, the military, or an organization.
the collective body of persons employed in a service, business, or military context.
Simple“The company is looking for new personnel to join the marketing team.”
In context“All military personnel were ordered to return to their bases immediately following the security breach.”
UsageUsually treated as a plural noun; it takes a plural verb and no 's' at the end.
Teacher's tipLearners often confuse this with 'personal'. Remind them that 'personnel' has two 'n's and the stress is on the final syllable.
PitfallThe personnels are unhappy. The personnel are unhappy.Personnel is a collective noun and does not take an 's'. It is usually followed by a plural verb.
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
the department in a company that deals with hiring, training, and helping employees.
the department within an organization concerned with the administration and management of employees.
Simple“If you have a problem with your contract, you should speak to personnel.”
In context“The personnel department is currently reviewing the benefits package to ensure it remains competitive within the industry.”
UsageOften used as a proper noun or with 'the' to refer to a specific office.
Teacher's tipIn modern business, 'Human Resources' or 'HR' is more common, but 'Personnel' is still frequently used in older or more traditional organizations.
Synonymshuman resourcesHR
personnel vs personal — Personal is an adjective for private matters, while personnel is a noun for a group of employees.
“Bradley’s command, which has about 80,000 personnel and is based at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida, undertakes the US military’s most sensitive and dangerous covert operations.”
“Ambrey said it was working with Omani authorities and that its services had been engaged as part of a “significant international response” that included salvage vessels, aircraft and specialist personnel.”
Unadapted borrowing from French personnel. Doublet of personal.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.