to occupy / employ
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to occupy oneself with
To devote one's time and attention to a particular thing, person, or activity.
In seiner Freizeit beschäftigt er sich intensiv mit der Geschichte des Mittelalters.
In his free time, he occupies himself intensively with the history of the Middle Ages.
to employ
To give someone work; to hire someone as an employee or worker.
Das Unternehmen beschäftigt weltweit mehr als 10.000 Mitarbeiter.
The company employs more than 10,000 employees worldwide.
to occupy
To take up someone's thoughts; a topic that makes someone think or worries them.
Die Frage, ob sie die richtige Entscheidung getroffen hat, beschäftigt sie sehr.
The question of whether she made the right decision occupies her a great deal.
'Beschäftigen' (to occupy / employ) is an inseparable verb. The prefix 'be-' stays firmly attached to the verb in all sentence forms and tenses and is never placed at the end of the sentence.
Dieses Thema beschäftigt mich schon seit Tagen.
This topic has been occupying me for days.
The sentence structure reveals the meaning: when a person is the subject and 'sich mit' something beschäftigt, they are active. When a thing is the subject and 'beschäftigt' a person, the person is passive and is prompted to think.
Ich beschäftige mich mit der deutschen Grammatik.
I occupy myself with German grammar.
When you devote your time to something, 'sich beschäftigen' is always used with the preposition 'mit' and the dative.
Womit beschäftigst du dich in deiner Freizeit?
What do you occupy yourself with in your free time?
In the sense of 'einstellen' (to hire), the verb is often used in the context of work. Typical phrases are 'Mitarbeiter beschäftigen' (to employ staff), 'jemanden in Teilzeit beschäftigen' (to employ someone part-time), or 'Arbeiter beschäftigen' (to employ workers).
Die Firma beschäftigt viele Studenten als Aushilfen.
The company employs many students as temporary workers.
to hire / adjust / stop
Both verbs can mean that someone is given work in a company. einstellen usually emphasizes the beginning of the employment relationship, while beschäftigen more often describes the fact that someone has work there. einstellen therefore fits a new hiring decision, while beschäftigen fits an existing situation.
Das Unternehmen beschäftigt seit zehn Jahren zwanzig Techniker.
The company has employed twenty technicians for the past ten years.
Das Unternehmen stellt im nächsten Monat fünf weitere Techniker ein.
The company is hiring five more technicians next month.
