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.
When it comes to English tests, there are several types commonly used in the corporate world:
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.
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 app 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 app 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
To effectively integrate English tests into your recruitment process, follow these best practices:
Additionally, using recruitment tools like Versant by app can significantly simplify the recruitment process, broadening your network of potential candidates and ensuring a more productive, cost-effective, and unbiased hiring process.
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.
There are several tools and platforms available for administering English tests. Some popular options include:
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.
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.
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.
Stories can make us laugh, cry or tremble with fear. They can teach us valuable life lessons and transport us to other worlds. They've been around since the beginning of language itself, but can they actually help us learn a language?
Stories are one of the most useful toolswhen teaching childrenEnglish. Not only do they help with listening and reading skills, but they can also support speaking and writing skills by providing context, language and structure.
Very young learners may already be familiar with stories – they may hear them in daycare, school or at home with their parents. Therefore, incorporating these into their language classes may help them to feel more comfortable in their surroundings. And if children feel comfortable, they are more likely to be receptive to learning.
Storytelling usually happens as part of a group in the classroom. This means that it becomes a bonding activity for children where they can communicate and subconsciously pick up the key language. While having fun listening and interacting with the story, theysoak up information without even realizing they’re learning.
So, what storytelling activities can we use with younglearners? Let’s find out.
Often, we think of storytelling simply as reading a book aloud to children. Yet, there are other activities you can do. These include:
To get young children interacting with the story, first read out a sentence alone. Then, have the children repeat the line with you as a group. Repeat as many times as necessary, until the children feel confident with the language.
If your learners are happy to, ask them individually to repeat the sentence after you. Make sure each one has a turn and praise them for being brave and trying to use the language.
An activity that works well with children is to act out the story’s characters. For example, there may be animals, fairies, monsters or other exciting characters that they can each act.
Ask them to make the noises of the animals, the wind, or the scenery to create an atmosphere while you read. This gets them interacting with the story and the rest of the group, which will help their communication and listening comprehension skills.
Young learners react particularly well to visual aids and realia. Why not use puppets or dolls to act out the characters, or even ask students to have a go with them? They will engage more with the story and the language.
Children’s story books are usually quite visual with illustrations and pictures. Make the most of these while telling the story. Try asking students questions about the images to get them using the vocabulary.
You could ask them, “what can you see?”, “what’s he wearing?” or “can you find an apple?”. This is another great way to reinforce the vocabulary they’re learning in class.
Use these activities individually orincorporate a mix into your lessons. Either way, storytelling will help your learners with more than just developing their English language skills.
While we often think of storytelling as a pastime for children, it can also be a useful language learning activity for adults.
Stories are part of our daily lives, from news to social media to books and movies. Therefore, they can be extremely beneficial tools for English language learning.
Yet, the way we approach storytelling as a class activity for adults differs to that of young learners. While we typically read fairy tales to young children, we can bring in a much wider range of content for adults, such as:
Storytelling can be a wonderful language learning tool for both children and adults. If you’re looking for a new way to engage, inspire and motivate your learners, why not try it in your next class?
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 app's recentground-breaking new research.
