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  • Business people sat together smiling around a laptop
    • Business and employability

    Global English proficiency insights for business leaders

    By Samantha Ball
    Reading time: 2 minutes

    Are you ready to harness the power of English to drive your business forward? At app, we are proud to announce the release of the app Global English Proficiency Report 2024, drawing upon extensive data to illuminate the state of English language skills worldwide. This report is meticulously crafted to equip business leaders with essential insights for informed decision-making.

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    • The Global Scale of English

    Understanding your GSE score

    By Samantha Ball
    Reading time: 3 minutes

    For many students, navigating the world of English language proficiency tests can be a daunting experience. Whether you're preparing for university, looking to enhance your career prospects, or simply aiming to improve your communication skills, understanding what your Global Scale of English (GSE) score means is crucial.

    In this blog post, we'll break down the GSE, explain what your score represents and provide you with actionable steps to improve it.

  • Two business men looking at a laptop
    • Business and employability

    Making the case for English language training and assessment in your organization

    By Samantha Ball
    Reading time: 4 minutes

    You’ve done your research and you know that a greater focus on language skills could help you and your organization reach your goals faster and more effectively. The next stage? Getting buy-in from your key stakeholders.

    Securing budgets and implementing new initiatives is a real challenge for HR professionals. That’s why building a strong business case is essential. Reliable language testing tools can accurately measure a candidate's ability to use a language in real-life contexts. Assessing language proficiency is crucial for tracking employee fluency levels and ensuring effective communication within the organization.

  • Image of two business women in a office talking together over a document
    • Business and employability

    Global perspectives: International experience as the ultimate preparation for today’s leaders

    By Samantha Ball
    Reading time: 4 minutes

    From global marketplaces shipping goods between countries to fast-paced remote teams combining talent from all corners of the world, business has never been more international.

    This multinational, multicultural nature of today’s companies demands more from business leaders. It’s not enough to build a global team, you need to pre-empt and mitigate the challenges that team will face, from overcoming language barriers to navigating new opportunities, and nurturing their differences while creating cohesion.

    We talked to five leaders about how international experience gave them a global perspective that enhanced their leadership abilities, defined their careers, and shaped their personal lives.

  • Business people sat at a table with papers smiling together
    • Business and employability

    Improve your strategic workforce planning with English language testing

    By Samantha Ball
    Reading time: 3 minutes

    Companies constantly seek methods to optimize workforce productivity and effectiveness. A powerful approach to achieving this goal is through strategic workforce planning bolstered by English language testing. This tactic not only identifies and addresses skills gaps but also reduces attrition and strengthens your workforce for both short-term and long-term success.

  • Business people sat and waiting in a row
    • Business and employability

    Boost the quality of your hires with English proficiency testing

    By Samantha Ball
    Reading time: 6.5 minutes

    Hire quality is top of the agenda for recruiters and talent acquisition leaders. Discover the impact of English skill testing on hiring fit-for-role employees.

    The results are in… thousands of recruiting professionals and top talent acquisition leaders say that sourcing high-quality candidates is their number one objective in 2024 and beyond.

    54% of recruiters are now prioritizing quality of hire above all else, according to LinkedIn’s Talent Solutions report . The report also highlights that 73% are using a skills-based approach to find top-quality hires, faster, with skills that fit the business both now and in future.

    Getting recruitment right can drastically impact productivity. In the UK alone, r, according to the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC). Conversely, the direct and indirect costs of mistake hires are a constant concern to organizations, not just in the UK but around the world. According to a survey of 400 hiring decision-makers by , 75% have hired the wrong person and say that one bad hire costs them nearly $17,000 on average. It’s no surprise then that skills-based quality hiring is such a top priority for recruiters.

    It’s harder than it might seem to systematically increase the quality of your hires, especially when you’re recruiting at scale. But the rewards are high when you get it right and a skills-first approach increases your chances of success – particularly when you focus on core skills like English proficiency that underpin communication. As an added bonus, skills-based testing can speed up the recruitment process significantly.

  • Two coworkers discussing some sticky notes on a class window
    • Business and employability

    Local to global: How English skills unlock a career in leadership

    By Samantha Ball
    Reading time: 4 minutes

    Of the 1.5 billion English speakers in the world, over half learned it as a second or additional language.

    The “language of business”, English has become a foundational skill for anyone looking to work in an international business or at a leadership level, and many English as a Second Language (ESL) speakers find themselves working in English on a daily basis.

    But working in your second or third language comes with a unique set of challenges and opportunities.

    We spoke to five global leaders about the role English has played in their careers, the challenges of being an ESL speaker, and how businesses can create a culture where everyone has a voice.

  • A business woman and man sat at a long table discussing with eachother
    • Business and employability

    Improving employee engagement: The crucial role of language learning in business

    By Samantha Ball
    Reading time: 8 minutes

    The ways we approach employee engagement are rapidly evolving and changing. For HR professionals and global business leaders, understanding these trends is essential to encourage a motivated, productive, and loyal workforce. A key yet often overlooked aspect of this engagement is the role of language learning and cultural understanding. Failure to adapt to the international market doesn’t just hinder growth—it can lead to significant financial losses.

    This blog post will delve into current employee engagement trends, provide suggestions for improvement, and talk about the importance of language learning and company culture in fostering a thriving global workforce through an effective employee engagement strategy.

  • A group of business people sat together at a desk
    • Business and employability

    Harness the power of English for a global competitive edge

    By Samantha Ball
    Reading time: 7 minutes

    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.