Meaning trap
take on
hire someone
to employ someone to work for you or your company
Don't mix these meanings
Same phrase, different job.
to employ someone to work for you or your company
Another meaning of 'take on' is 'accept responsibility'; compare the examples to keep the meanings separate.
Hear it in context
Notice where the phrase sounds natural.
The company plans to take on five new employees next month.
Many businesses are not able to take on new workers during an economic downturn.
Fix the pattern
One small grammar move makes it sound right.
Not: They needed help, so they took on them.
Say: They needed help, so they took them on.
With a pronoun object, split the verb: 'took them on'.
Which sounds natural?
Tap the one a native speaker would say.
'Take on' is the everyday verb for hiring; 'recruit additional personnel' is HR-formal.
Build natural chunks
Words that usually travel with it.
take on + staff
- more staff
- an apprentice
- new people
- extra hands
Don't confuse it
Related
Other meanings and phrases to compare.
- take on (accept responsibility) — Another meaning of 'take on' is 'accept responsibility'; compare the examples to keep the meanings separate.