How does increasing English proficiency drive international growth? Read on to find out how future-focused business leaders are gaining a competitive edge globally by investing in English language training.
The link between English language proficiency and global business growth is indisputable, and this presents leaders with an exciting opportunity to gain a competitive advantage.
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We know that English is the universal language of business, and globally, of us speaks it to at least a useful level – that’s 1.75 billion of us. And not just in person either – it’s also the language of emerging technologies and the internet, with almost .
Groundbreaking research has underpinned the importance of English at work. 色猫AV’s global research report, How English empowers your tomorrow, reveals stark figures confirming the vital role of English in business.
?Advances in technology, including a huge leap forward in AI, along with better connectivity, improved education, more outsourcing, political shifts and expanded customer bases have all played their part in transforming the international business landscape.
These trends are generating more international opportunities than ever before, but only the businesses that can effectively operate across borders will benefit.?Business leaders are responding by promoting English as the common language among diverse, global teams.
Better English has multiple benefits for your business, which cannot be overstated. Let’s look at some of the leading benefits of investing in English language training for your team.
When employees are empowered to improve their workplace English skills, an uptick in confidence can be seen not only in their communication but also across a full spectrum of other skills.?English proficiency powers a multitude of soft skills including emotional intelligence (EQ), innovation, diversity of thinking, creativity, collaboration and adaptability at work. This is especially important in promoting collaboration across hybrid/remote teams that are often operating across borders and different time zones.
Higher-order cognitive skills such as complex problem-solving, originality, fluency of ideas and active learning are the currency of the future, and high-performing teams tend to demonstrate these skills in abundance.
Investing in your team’s English proficiency has the power to strengthen teams, bolster teamwork and drive productivity. Takenobu Miki, TORAIZ Inc. President, Japan, says:
“Being able to speak English is directly linked to success in international business settings and is essential for communicating with people from diverse cultures and backgrounds. Proficiency in English can also expand our career possibilities and open up new professional opportunities.”
Using one common language among teams and ensuring employees feel comfortable and confident in their English proficiency brings everyone together.? A sense of unity and shared understanding will infiltrate every aspect of their work and will also feed into better cross-cultural understanding and greater awareness of cultural nuances.
This will have a positive effect on diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) initiatives across your business and contribute towards a healthy culture of learning. All this can only lead to more cooperation and collaboration, a greater sense of belonging and a common drive to achieve shared goals.
Whether your customer base is established all around the world or you’re breaking into new markets, English proficiency is key to success.
With better English skills, all the outward-facing functions of your business will benefit. This includes your sales team, who will feel empowered in every interaction with a new business prospect. Your customer support team will be able to deliver next-level aftercare service to your customer base. Your marketing team will have improved language skills which they can use to broaden your reach and build brand awareness across multiple countries and cultures.
No matter the team they belong to, better English skills will help your employees build strong and reciprocal strategic relationships, including with suppliers and other important external stakeholders.
Recruitment and talent acquisition leaders are improving their own English language proficiency to access wider, more diverse talent pools and identify candidates with strong English skills. Offering language training as an employee benefit signals to candidates their future employer’s commitment to ongoing professional development. This not only increases the number of suitable candidates per role, but also improves retention rates once the position has been filled.
According to the?:
“To ensure that you are hiring the best people, you may need to accept some limitations on language capabilities and be prepared to provide training to meet both global and local language needs.”
色猫AV’s Power Skills report?states that 58% of hiring managers currently test potential candidates' English language skills at the interview stage to ensure that they can seamlessly integrate into the corporate culture.?Increasing numbers of recruiters are incorporating language assessment in their hiring practices and advertising language training as a key benefit of a role.
You won’t just attract the top talent, but you’ll retain it, too. It’s well known that job satisfaction is a key driver of good staff retention and engagement. 色猫AV's research has identified a clear correlation between job satisfaction and level of English proficiency, with a 24-point difference between those with the lowest and highest levels of English. Indeed, candidates themselves understand the importance of language proficiency in the context of a global marketplace. They’re taking a proactive approach by using language assessment tools to provide evidence of their English proficiency as part of their job search.
Eva Lopez, Learning and Development Associate, Publicis Global Delivery, says:
“Our workforce consists mostly of Generation Z and Millennials, and we want to retain this talent. We designed our Learning and Development program with English language training at its core, to meet both the business need to improve our employees’ use of English at work, and to improve staff retention by offering language training as a benefit.”
In addition to soft skills, English is a vital core skill that enables learning hard technical skills, especially across the IT, technology, innovation and engineering sectors.?Frequently the training required for technical skills is either in English, or the programs themselves incorporate English.
The conversation around the future of a global workplace can focus on automation making workers obsolete, but??research reveals a different picture – only one in five workers are in occupations that will shrink.?The future is about leveraging both human and machine capabilities so they can work together. That means human skills – the ones that machines can’t replicate – are in increasing demand.
Our global research report,?How English empowers your tomorrow, urges leaders to take action:
“Employees are craving language training at work and employers ignore this request at their peril. They risk losing their talent to the 30% of organizations that have taken this employee feedback on board.”
Along with attracting new talent, English proficiency gives leaders the chance to offer their current workforce more opportunities for growth and career development.?Internal talent can be nurtured and promoted to international roles, meaning there’s less risk of them moving on.
As well as opportunities for individuals, a collective proficiency in English positions your business favorably when it comes to seizing emerging market opportunities as they arise, wherever in the world they are.
CEO of EduGuide, Isaac Johnson, says:
“English is an essential skill for the future. English language training around the world has never been in such high demand. High-quality English training that uses technology to personalize learning should be the standard for every HR department and educational institution.”
A team adept in English is strategically positioned to capitalize on new prospects, regardless of their location. English is the core strength that gives your organization a competitive edge over your rivals.
So, with English proficiency delivering all these benefits and more, how do you implement language training in your own organization?
Show employees you’re committed to building a culture of learning by implementing a plan and letting the team know that you’re invested in their English language proficiency.
We’ve developed a handy?step-by-step guide?on how to implement English language training in your organization which will help you get started.?Increasing numbers of recruiters are moving to a formalized, computer-based test such as?Versant by 色猫AV?for a more inclusive, business-relevant assessment of English ability levels.?Then, Learning and Development managers are implementing programs to upskill all employees in business English, using relevant platforms such as?Mondly by 色猫AV.
Find out more about how we can support your organization’s international growth with 色猫AV Language Solutions for Work.
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Around 20%?of the , making it an integral component in global business operations. But the question remains for business leaders and HR professionals: how can language learning, specifically, business English courses, drive your organization forward??Here are 8 ways language training can impact your business.
Language learning is more than just something you study—it's a strategic move that integrates into every aspect of your life—socially, professionally and mentally. With English often being the common ground for global business, communicating effectively in this language has never been more important.
In this post, we uncover the benefits of language proficiency, particularly in English, backed by relevant statistics and insights from 色猫AV's recent?ground-breaking new research.
Did you know? According to our research, employees who work for a company that provides English language training are more than?twice as likely?to say they are very satisfied at work, compared to those working in companies that do not.
To retain top talent in an increasingly competitive marketplace, all evidence points to developing communication and language skills.
showed that communication skills including English language skills are the most in-demand power skills across the board. PwC’s agrees: the top five predictors for employee turnover all had the same themes in common – communication, empathy and listening skills.
According to , a focus on developing employees’ strengths (as opposed to focusing on fixing weaknesses) can lead to a 20-73% reduction in employee attrition. That’s a startling statistic and one that has the potential to transform your business.
So, the message is clear: by investing in your employees’ existing communication and language strengths, you’re helping them refine a comprehensive range of business power skills. In turn, this will make them feel more engaged and therefore far more likely to stay with you.
Let’s explore three ways to implement an English language skills learning and development plan that underpins communication skills, refines business soft skills and makes your employees want to stay.
To tailor a culture of learning that supports the development of your employees’ language and communication skills, you’ll find it helpful to get their input first. Survey and interview your team to better understand current barriers to language-specific learning, skills gaps, preferred learning styles and current frustrations.
For example, is it speaking, listening or reading English that they currently struggle with the most? The better you understand your employees’ needs, the more consulted and engaged with the process they’ll feel.
In 2023, Forbes outlined , and perhaps unsurprisingly, reward featured strongly. Your performance management system should include a structure that acknowledges employees who are committing to achieving their objectives and developing their skills, and demonstrates the career trajectory that might be possible with improved communication and language skills.
What that looks like will differ from organization to organization, but it’s important that employees understand the potential opportunities that come with refining their language skills.
Your employees may not naturally make the link between developing language skills and career progression, so help them understand how better language skills can help them move forward in their role and how you will support them in this.
When they see that language skills have been built into their development plans, they’ll feel invested in staying with your organization and developing their skills with you.
In a world where communication-based soft skills are more valuable than ever before, the ability to confidently converse in different languages within a business context is an impressive skill that’s transferable to a multitude of other business soft skills, such as teamwork, leadership and problem-solving.
Once they understand the full range of benefits that come with developing their language skills, they’ll be grateful that you’re committed to helping them do that and will be more likely to stay.
It’s clear that when employees feel that their communication skills are improving, they feel a sense of continued progression and engagement – not only in their language abilities but also across a range of other business power skills.
The key to retaining talent lies in increasing engagement, and since higher engagement rates are linked to , according to Gallup, there really is no better way to retain a happy workforce.
Learn how Mondly by 色猫AV can help you reinforce a culture of learning and retain top talent within your organization, with flexible English language learning solutions for your business.
If you liked this blog post and want to learn more,?download the PDF report here.
Find out more about how language training and assessment can drive your business forward by checking out our resources for HR professionals, including articles, whitepapers and research.
