The modern workplace is constantly evolving and undergoing a paradigm shift in performance management. The focus is now on fostering a culture of continuous learning and development, rather than merely holding employees accountable. It is particularly important to prioritize this shift when it comes to enhancing language and communication skills within your team.
It is important to connect performance management with language learning goals, as English skills are highly valued by both employees and businesses.
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So, you have identified a lack of English language proficiency within your team, and want to implement a performance management plan for the professional development of your staff.?Now let¡¯s look at how you can use your performance management system to effectively address this gap and support employees in their career advancement.
It is important to understand your business's needs and aims before setting language learning goals. You need to determine whether you want to improve skills like technical written English for documents, spoken English for customer service, or prepare your team for a new market.
By aligning individual language learning goals with business priorities, your performance management plan becomes a strategic tool that benefits both employees and the overall business.
Example: Make your customer service more effective by improving the team¡¯s spoken English.
To get an idea about your team's current language proficiency and personal preferences, you can conduct surveys and individual interviews. By gathering information about their confidence levels, preferred learning styles, and objectives, you can create a customized language learning plan that motivates them to achieve their goals. This approach ensures that your team members actively participate in shaping their language development. One way to evaluate language proficiency is by using assessments such as Versant tests.
Example: Build your employees¡¯ confidence when doing workplace tasks, such as presenting in English, by expanding their business English vocabulary.
An effective performance management system is crucial for achieving success in any organization. It is essential that managers possess the necessary tools and expertise to provide unbiased appraisals. In the context of language learning, this means ensuring that all employees have equal access to opportunities for developing their Workplace English skills.
A positive and supportive work culture encourages managers to conduct appraisals that contribute to the growth and development of all team members.
Example: Offer Business English skills development to every employee.
Language skills require consistent practice, making continuous feedback essential. Conduct baseline skill assessments using tools like Versant by ɫèAV and complement them with interactive language learning platforms like Mondly by ɫèAV. Establish a continuous feedback loop to monitor progress and set realistic goals for employees, using each performance review as an opportunity to review and refine language learning objectives.
Example: Improve your team¡¯s language retention with daily practice in the Mondly by ɫèAV app.
Use this checklist to ensure that progress is being measured effectively and that the corporate language program is suited to the business and your employees¡¯ language needs.
Integrating language learning into your performance management system is a strategic investment. It benefits both your employees' development and the success of your business. By aligning individual goals with business needs, understanding your team's preferences, ensuring fairness in appraisals, and maintaining continuous monitoring, you can create a performance management system. This system addresses language skills gaps and also fosters a culture of perpetual learning and improvement.
Not sure where to start for your organization? ɫèAV offers language learning solutions for work to help boost your employee's language skills.
Want to learn more? Read the long-form article for more or explore our language learning and assessment tools for businesses.
You might also be interested in our post 'Language proficiency and succession planning: Developing future leaders'
Whether you're hiring new talent or upskilling your current team, understanding the level of English proficiency required for specific roles is crucial. In today's global business environment, effective communication is key to success, and that's where the Global Scale of English (GSE) comes into play.
Staying ahead requires not just talent but the right talent. For HR professionals, ensuring that employees are equipped with the necessary skills is crucial for maintaining a competitive edge. Enter the GSE Job Profiles¡ªa game-changing tool designed to facilitate role-targeted upskilling by mapping English language skills to specific job roles. This blog post will explore how HR teams can leverage this innovative tool to enhance workforce capabilities efficiently and effectively.
The GSE Job Profiles utilizes ɫèAV¡¯s Global Scale of English and the Faethm by ɫèAV skills ontology to provide a detailed analysis of the language requirements for nearly 1,400 job roles. This precise mapping allows HR professionals to make informed talent management decisions, including hiring, training and development, and ensuring that employees are adequately prepared for their roles now and in the future.
English is the international language of business and a foundational skill for many roles. The right level of English proficiency is key for individuals and businesses to excel.
But what is the ¡°right¡± level?
English is not a one-size-fits-all skill. Customer Service Representatives need different English skills to IT Systems Managers. Senior staff will often need more advanced English skills than junior staff.
