The ultimate guide to English tests for business: Everything HR professionals need to know

Samantha Ball
A group of business people sat on a sofa together
Reading time: 8 minutes

No matter what industry you work in, effective communication is key. For many companies, this means ensuring their employees have strong English language skills. As an HR professional, you have the power to play a pivotal role in this process. English tests can be invaluable tools for improving hiring processes, assessing communication skills, and enhancing overall team productivity. This guide will provide you with everything you need to know about using English tests in your business.

For more guidance on hiring with confidence, also take a look at our simpleguide to language skill assessment.

Part 1: Understanding English tests

Types of business English tests commonly used in business

When it comes to English tests, there are several types commonly used in the corporate world:

  • General proficiency tests: These assess overall English skills, including reading, writing, speaking, and listening. Examples include the TOEIC (Test of English for International Communication), PTE (ɫèAV Test of English) and IELTS (International English Language Testing System).
  • Business English tests: These focus specifically on business-related language skills. Versant by ɫèAV and the BEC (Business English Certificate) are some main examples.
  • Skills-specific tests: These assessments evaluate specific skills, such as writing or speaking, in a business setting. Proficiency in English vocabulary is particularly important in these tests, especially for business English. It involves understanding and using business-specific terminology effectively and measures proficiency across listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills on the GSE or CEFR scale.

How these tests are designed and scored

English tests are usually created by language experts and psychometricians to ensure their reliability and validity. These tests include different types of questions, such as multiple-choice, essays, and spoken responses. Objective questions can be scored by a computer, while essays and spoken responses are typically graded by trained examiners.

Differences between various English proficiency tests

Each English proficiency test has its unique characteristics. For instance, the TOEIC focuses on everyday workplace language, making it better suited for general office environments. On the other hand, the BEC is tailored for more specific business interactions, such as negotiations and presentations. Versant by ɫèAV tests offer a distinctive approach to assessing English proficiency with a focus on communication skills that are critical in a business context. Unlike traditional tests, Versant by ɫèAV assessments assess various aspects of speech, such as pronunciation, fluency, vocabulary, and syntax for a more rounded overview. Understanding these differences can help you choose the right test for your needs.

Get in touch to find out how we can help with your testing solutions

Part 2: Benefits of English tests for businesses

Improving candidate selection processes

English tests play an important role in identifying candidates best qualified for the job, significantly enhancing your hiring process. '' by Randall L. Jones and Bernard Spolsky emphasize the importance of improving candidate selection processes through effective English proficiency tests.

The papers highlight the critical role of assessing speaking, listening, and reading skills to ensure accurate measurement of job-related language abilities. Various methods, such as oral interviews, listening comprehension tests, and contextual reading assessments, are discussed for their validity and effectiveness in evaluating communicative competence. By enhancing these testing techniques, organizations can make more informed and objective hiring decisions, ultimately leading to better job performance and reduced turnover.

Reducing employee turnover

Properly designed selection processes that incorporate English tests can also help in reducing employee turnover. When you assess language skills effectively, you are more likely to hire candidates who fit well with the job requirements and the company culture. (2009) underscores this point. 'Hiring for retention and performance' reveals that thorough selection processes can significantly decrease employee turnover. By employing these comprehensive assessments, businesses can save on the high costs associated with recruitment and training, while fostering a more stable and cohesive workforce.

Enhancing candidate experience and perception

Incorporating English tests into your hiring process not only helps in selecting the right candidates but also contributes to a fair and transparent selection procedure. Applicants often have better experiences and perceptions of the selection process when they feel the testing procedures are just and clear.

According to an analysis by Hausknecht, J. P., Day, D. V., & Thomas, S. C. (2004), fair and transparent testing procedures can greatly improve candidate reactions. found that when candidates perceive the selection process as equitable, they are more likely to view the organization positively, regardless of the outcome. This can enhance your company’s reputation and attract high-quality candidates in the future.

Assessing communication skills for specific job roles

Different job roles require different levels of English proficiency. For example, a customer service representative might need strong speaking and listening skills, while a technical writer would need excellent writing abilities. English tests allow you to assess these specific skills, ensuring you hire the best fit for each role.

Enhancing team dynamics and productivity

Language barriers can hinder team collaboration and efficiency. By ensuring all employees have a solid command of English, you can improve communication, reduce misunderstandings, and boost overall productivity.

Part 3: Implementing English tests in the hiring process

Best practices for integrating English tests into recruitment

To effectively integrate English tests into your recruitment process, follow these best practices:

  1. Identify key language skills: Determine which English skills are most important for each job role.
  2. Choose the right test: Select a test that accurately assesses these skills.
  3. Train your team: Ensure your HR team is trained to administer and interpret the tests.
  4. Provide feedback and utilize task management: Offer candidates constructive feedback based on their test results and incorporate task management to streamline the workflow, making the hiring process faster and more efficient.

Additionally, using recruitment tools like Versant by ɫèAV can significantly simplify the recruitment process, broadening your network of potential candidates and ensuring a more productive, cost-effective, and unbiased hiring process.

Legal and ethical considerations

It's important to be aware of legal and ethical considerations when implementing English tests. Ensure that your tests are fair and non-discriminatory. Provide reasonable accommodations for candidates with disabilities and be transparent about how the test results will be used in the hiring process.

Tools and platforms for administering tests

There are several tools and platforms available for administering English tests. Some popular options include:

  • Online testing platforms: These offer flexibility and convenience. Like Versant by ɫèAV testing solutions.
  • In-house testing solutions: These can be customized to your specific needs.
  • Third-party providers: Companies like ɫèAV offer comprehensive testing services.

Video interviewing has become an indispensable tool in the candidate assessment process. Recruiters can conduct both live and pre-recorded interviews, which integrate seamlessly with applicant tracking systems. This technology overcomes geographical and timezone limitations, speeds up the screening process, and leverages AI-powered features for enhanced decision-making.

Conclusion

Incorporating English tests into your hiring process can offer numerous benefits, from improving candidate selection to boosting team productivity. As the market for English assessment in the business sector continues to grow, staying ahead of the curve can give your company a competitive advantage.

Whether you’re just starting out or looking to refine your current approach, now is the perfect time to consider integrating English tests into your recruitment strategy. Enhance your recruitment process with English tests and take your business to new heights. Incorporating these assessments is crucial for making informed talent management decisions, especially in evaluating job applicants and identifying qualified candidates for promotion.

For more insights and resources on improving your hiring processes, connect with us today and discover how we can support you on this journey.

Explore Versant by ɫèAV

Contact us to find out more

Frequently asked questions

More blogs from ɫèAV

  • teenage boy studying with headphones on and with a laptop

    Why should I learn English?

    By Steffanie Zazulak

    English is the second most widely spoken language – it is estimated that nearly two billion people worldwide can speak English at a useful level. That means they can hold a conversation with other English-speaking people.

    A report by the attests the importance of the English language to the world, and says thatsecond-language English speakers far outnumber fluent English speakers. It also recognizes how being able to speak English can give individuals a competitive edge over others. If you're asking the question, "Why should I learn English?", read on to find out more...

  • A boy wearing headphones smiling listening to music

    11 great English language song lyrics

    By Steffanie Zazulak

    What is it about music that helps boost your English skills, confidence and pronunciation? A song can provide an emotional connection between the music and the listener, providing learners with new ways to express their feelings. Music and rhythm have also been shown to benefit memorization, which is a key component of learning.

    Here are some of our favorite lyrics to some of our favorite songs:

    1. The Beatles – Blackbird

    The Beatles are the best band to help you learn English. There are many Beatles songs with catchy melodies and simple lyrics, but Blackbird captures the Fab Four at their most poetic:

    Blackbird singing in the dead of night
    Take these broken wings and learn to fly
    All your life
    You were only waiting for this moment to arise

    2. The Cure – Friday I’m In Love

    This song is a great way to help learn the days of the week (that may be obvious). Love is also a very popular English word, so this one is for all the romantics out there.

    Always take a big bite
    It’s such a gorgeous sight
    To see you eat in the middle of the night

    3. Ed Sheeran – Thinking Out Loud

    Another one for the lovers, Ed’s heartfelt lyrics are huge in the mainstream pop charts. Here, he tells the sweet story of long-time love in this ballad and he’s becoming one of the world’s most sought-after songwriters.

    Take me into your loving arms
    Kiss me under the light of a thousand stars
    Place your head on my beating heart

    4. The Smiths – How Soon Is Now?

    This classic from Morrissey and co was voted runner-up in VH1’s Top Lyrics poll, for the lyrics: So you go and you stand on your own, and you leave on your own, and you go home and you cry and you want to die’ but it’s the opening lines of the song that are the most intriguing. Firstly, they’re adapted from George Eliot’s novel Middlemarch and include some rather clever double meanings – namely ‘son’ (sun) and ‘heir’ (air).

    I am the son
    And the heir
    Of a shyness that is criminally vulgar

    5. Neil Young – Heart of Gold

    This was Neil Young’s only number-one hit single from 1972’s Harvest album. He uses simple lyrics and melodies to tell his story of searching for true love.

    I’ve been in my mind
    It’s such a fine line
    That keeps me searchin’ for a heart of gold
    And I’m gettin’ old

    6. U2 – City of Blinding Lights

    U2 is the second-best band to help you learn English and frontman Bono is the second-best male artist to help you learn (edged out by Justin Timberlake). The chorus was inspired by a moment during a performance in New York City, when Bono saw the audience lit up and shouted, “Oh, you look so beautiful tonight!”

    And I miss you when you’re not around
    I’m getting ready to leave the ground
    Oh you look so beautiful tonight
    In the city of blinding lights

    7. The Police – Every Breath You Take

    These lyrics are a good use of repetition and rhyme, which is excellent for helping memorization. Most people consider this a love song, but that’s a common mistake. In 1983, Sting was interviewed for New Musical Express and explained: “I think it’s a nasty little song, really rather evil. It’s about jealousy and surveillance and ownership.”

    Every move you make and every vow you break
    Every smile you fake, every claim you stake, I’ll be watching you
    Every move you make, every step you take, I’ll be watching you

    8. Bob Dylan – Mr Tambourine Man

    Dylan’s whimsical, poetic lyrics might be difficult for an English language learner to interpret, but that doesn’t mean they’re not a pleasure to listen and sing along to.

    Hey! Mr Tambourine Man, play a song for me
    I’m not sleepy and there is no place I’m going to
    Hey! Mr Tambourine Man, play a song for me
    In the jingle jangle morning I’ll come followin’ you

    9. Madness – Our House

    This song takes you through the daily goings-on in a typical household in the 80s. This song has been around for a while now but is a story that most people can still connect with. This is an excellent song for understanding the concept of nostalgia!

    I remember way back then when
    everything was true and when
    we would have such a very good time
    such a fine time

    10. Otis Reading – (Sittin’ on) The Dock of the Bay

    Sadly, Otis Redding lost his life in a plane crash shortly after this song was recorded, and it was released after his death. His lyrics are quite reflective, provoking both contentment and sadness. You can really imagine yourself sitting on the dock with his simple yet descriptive words.

    Sittin’ in the morning sun
    I’ll be sittin’ when the evening comes
    Watching the ships roll in
    Then I watch them roll away again

    11. Leonard Cohen – Everybody Knows

    No list of standout turns of phrase would be complete without Leonard Cohen, a man whose songwriting process is so painstaking he’ll often spend years on the same song. When quizzed on his process, Cohen once said it often took so long because, “After a while, if you stick with the song long enough it will yield.” It’s interesting to note then that, even for a master of the English language, the words don’t always come easily. Everybody Knows remains a firm favorite among fans, with the majority of lines starting with the words ‘Everybody knows…’ It’s a lengthy song, but for the sheer beauty of its words and phrasing, the opening lines are a highlight:

    Everybody knows that the dice are loaded
    Everybody rolls with their fingers crossed
    Everybody knows that the war is over
    Everybody knows that the good guys lost

  • A couple laughing together while having drinks

    10 English words and slang terms you should know

    By Steffanie Zazulak

    Not everything can be taught in the classroom – that’s why we’ve put together a list of 10 English words, slang terms and figures of speech for you to sprinkle into your English conversations. Not sure how to use them? Don’t worry, we’ve included definitions and examples of how to use them in a sentence.

    Earworm

    A song or tune that, once you’ve heard it, is stuck in your head.

    Use it: “That new Taylor Swift song is such an earworm!”

    Staycation

    Spending your holiday in your hometown rather than traveling abroad. Often spent relaxing around the house or doing activities in the local area.

    Use it: “I’m having a staycation this summer, as I’m trying to save money.”

    Webisode

    An episode or series created exclusively for online viewing. This can be part of a web series or used to promote a television series.

    Use it: “There’s a new Breaking Bad webisode online, have you seen it?”

    Crowdfunding

    Funding a project or business venture by asking a large number of people (typically online) to invest a small amount of money – usually via websites such as Kickstarter and Indiegogo.

    Use it: “We raised enough money to launch our business using crowdfunding.”

    Glamping

    Glamorous camping! Avoiding any rough conditions with luxurious facilities and accommodation, such as a yurt or cabin.

    Use it: “We’re going to be glamping at Glastonbury this year.”

    Lookalike

    Something or someone that closely resembles something else, often used to describe someone who looks very similar to a celebrity.

    Use it: “Have you seen the Prince William and Kate Middleton lookalikes over there?”

    Handover

    This word has a more political significance, in terms of gaining land or ownership. However, its modern usage is commonly in the workplace: The act of passing over control or responsibility to another person while you are off work on holiday or leaving a job.

    Use it: “I’ll send my notes in a handover email so you can continue the project while I’m away.”

    Meh

    When something is a little uninspiring or dull. Also a word you could use to describe your lack of interest or indifference. It’s basically a verbal shrug.

    Use it: “The film was a bit meh.”

    Binge-watch

    Watching multiple episodes of a TV show, one after another, in a single sitting. Usually, with a DVD box set or using online streaming.

    Use it: “I’m planning to binge-watch the entire series of Game of Thrones this weekend!”

    Spill the tea

    When someone 'spills the tea' they are telling you all the latest news or gossip.

    Use it: “Please spill the tea about last week's party!"