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 ¨C 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.
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The ability to communicate well and integrate into the company culture is a core workplace skill that¡¯s easy to assess with the right tools. Effective communication is essential for successful business operations. It¡¯s the fundamental skill across all roles and departments that not only underpins a full suite of soft business power skills such as building customer relations, negotiation, delivering presentations and problem-solving, but also hard skills including IT literacy, data analysis and reporting.
Proficient English language skills power confident business communication. It¡¯s long been acknowledged that English is the , with one in four of the global population speaking it to at least a useful level. English is also the language of technology. Since the globalization of the internet ¨C and more recently the widespread adoption of generative AI ¨C English has established itself as the global language of digital technology and innovation. To remain competitive, forward-thinking international businesses know that they must prioritize English proficiency.
Many skilled professionals around the world are proficient in English, so by testing proficiency levels, organizations can access a larger pool of candidates from diverse backgrounds and locations, bringing fresh ideas and perspectives.
This is particularly true when it comes to recruiting candidates who speak English as a second or additional language. It¡¯s also an important consideration when hiring for remote or hybrid positions (according to , there was a 146% increase in remote job applications last year alone). A team that¡¯s strong in English also means good communication with clients, suppliers and colleagues, wherever in the world they are based.
Testing English skill levels at an early stage of the recruitment process can be efficiently carried out at scale to increase the chances of quality hires. Regardless of sector, role, level or department, screening out candidates who don¡¯t meet the minimum requirements for English fluency will save all parties time, giving you a shortcut to the very best candidates for the role.
This approach has been proven to open up access to a much wider range of talent, with LinkedIn reporting that . It¡¯s a trend that¡¯s set to stay, not least because Gen Z will soon make up more than a quarter of the workforce and they¡¯re to prioritize skill development opportunities.?
When building teams, recruiters are under increasing, and often conflicting, pressures ¨C not just to fulfill short-term need, but also to factor in longer-term strategic workforce planning priorities. An emphasis on using skills to increase quality of hire helps build experienced, skilled and stronger teams for the long term (and reducing attrition rates due to higher employee satisfaction, too).
Judy Wisenhunt, APAC CEO, TDS Global Solutions, says:
¡°English language assessment gives individuals a starting point from which to improve their communication skills, competencies and capabilities, subsequently boosting their confidence and personal growth. This will open doors to better career opportunities.
While testing is invaluable, organizations should emphasize the importance of effective communication, continual exposure to the language, consistent practice and continuous learning to realize long-term business benefits.¡±
are now commonplace and skills assessments that speed up the decision-making process using reliable data are a key part of that. By using AI-based English language assessment tools such as Versant by ÃÛÌÒapp, recruiters can be confident that results are not only accurate but also unbiased, ensuring a consistent recruiting experience for all candidates and supporting wider DE&I initiatives.?
Large-scale intakes can be incredibly difficult and time-consuming to manage. Using innovative AI-led technology can reduce the time to hire. With tools that reduce the number of manual touchpoints needed, you can streamline the process and deliver insightful recruitment metrics that can be used to inform and speed up future hiring decisions.??
It¡¯s not only recruiters who benefit from a more efficient hiring process with in-built skill testing. Candidates also value a speedy and streamlined process, as it increases their chances of finding the right role more quickly. AI-based skills testing can free-up recruiters to focus on a more thorough human assessment of candidates to find the best fit for the role (and candidates still value human interaction in the recruitment process, according to ).
To attract the best of the best, particularly when hiring at speed and scale, you need to be sure that your talent pool is as wide and diverse as possible. From a well-written job advert and person specification right through to screening and language testing, the interview stage and beyond, demonstrating to candidates that you value communication skills will make your organization attractive to a far greater number of candidates. English language testing at scale can open the door to candidates all over the world, without risking the quality of business outcomes dropping due to employees¡¯ English skill levels not being appropriate for the role.
ÃÛÌÒapp Languages¡¯ VP of Product Management (Corporate), Nick Laul, says:?
¡°Employers tell us that language proficiency is critical to the retention and success of new hires, but language skills are difficult to assess without support. Subjective judgments based on communication in interviews can give a misleading picture and often lead to qualified candidates being filtered out of a recruitment process or unqualified ones being advanced.?
Using a tool like Versant by ÃÛÌÒapp, talent acquisition professionals can efficiently maximize the pool of qualified candidates and recruit based on the skills and experience most relevant to the role, safe in the knowledge that language won¡¯t be a barrier to success.¡±?
Putting English language testing at the center of a skills-first recruitment strategy can bolster your hiring practices and increase top-quality, long-term hires.??
A skills-first approach to quality hiring delivers a wealth of longer-term business advantages, including:
Raising the quality of hires by testing skills like English proficiency means fewer costly mistakes hires.?
Putting the right people in the right roles reduces employee churn (a growing concern, particularly in the wake of the Great Resignation). Confident communicators find it easier to integrate into teams and feel a sense of belonging.?
A confident and skilled workforce positions your organization to operate and expand into an international marketplace.?
Hiring with a focus on communication skills leads to a happier, more confident and collaborative workforce.?
Recruiting well means giving your customers the very best service, and by testing English proficiency at the hiring stage, you can be sure that standards won¡¯t be compromised.?
It¡¯s far easier to make strategic, long-term plans and identify skills gaps with a skills-based approach.?
Putting communication at the top of your hiring agenda means a happier and healthier culture and team dynamics.
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The quality of your hires is directly linked to the amount of time and resources you put into testing core communication skills like English language proficiency. This is set to shape the hiring strategies of the future as talent acquisition leaders work to get the most out of every hire.?
Communication has always been, and will always be, an enduring workplace skill that underpins a wealth of other skills.??
Testing English skills early in the recruitment process ensures you attract top-tier candidates and hire effective communicators. It can accelerate your hiring process, enhance team performance and help you retain the best talent.
Prioritizing English language skills supports a high-quality recruitment strategy, cultivating a competent and adept workforce that ultimately improves business outcomes.
Find out more about how we can help your business recruit, retain and develop top talent with ÃÛÌÒapp Language Solutions for Work.
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Learning English with music can enhance learning and create a more engaging and dynamic classroom environment. In a previous post, we discussed if music can help you learn a language; this post looks at how music can be incorporated into the classroom.
Using music in your classroom can help improve student motivation, focus, and retention of information. Here are some ways you can use music to enhance your classroom teaching:
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Have you considered studying abroad? Moving to Canada to study? With more than 100 world-class universities across the country, there¡¯s good reason to. From coast to coast to coast, it offers many international students a safe and supportive learning environment and the opportunity to work after graduation.
Want to learn more? In this guide, we cover ten things you should know about studying in Canada:
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Teaching teenagers can be a rewarding yet challenging experience.
When planning classes, we need to consider the environment in which the students are growing up. Most of our teenage students do not know a life without the internet, instant messaging or Google.
Commonly referred to as ?(or Gen Z), they are the most tech-savvy generation to date; this should be reflected in how we teach them.
However, not all of us have access to computer labs, interactive whiteboards or class tablets. But there is something that many of our teens bring to class in their pockets and bags every day.
You¡¯ve guessed it - a phone.
By bringing students¡¯ phones into your classes, you can bridge the technology gap between the learners and the curriculum, keep them engaged for longer and make them feel more empowered at the same time.
Here are four low-tech activities that use phones in class.
Activity requirements: one phone per student (or group of students) and a pre-made quiz.
is an app designed to help you create quizzes online, which can be a fun, engaging way to challenge your learners in the classroom.
Quizzes are an ideal activity to use at the start of a class to recycle previous vocabulary or to pre-teach new language.
For example, you could choose 10 British English phrases or idioms. Write a series of four possible definitions for each word, phrase, or idiom (with only one correct answer).
In class, ask your students to take out their phones, find the app, and link to the quiz.
Tell the students that they must vote for the definition they think is correct. They can keep track of their scores directly on the app while competing with their friends.
Not only will it immediately engage your learners and help them interact with what¡¯s being learned, but they¡¯ll also have a lot of fun.
Activity requirements: a phone with the Google Translate app installed and a pen and paper per pair.
Did you know Google Translate has a feature where you can ? This is a perfect tool for text that you might find on a poster, in a book or uses an alphabet which you are unfamiliar with.
Bring in samples of different languages to class ¨C the more complex, the better. If you don¡¯t have anything suitable at home, find something online and print it out.
Get one student to take a photo of the text using the app and with their finger, select the section of the text they¡¯d like to translate from the original language to English. (Note: if you download the Google Translate language file to your phone, it will translate everything automatically).
Then, have them dictate what it says to their partner, who has to write it down.
Finally, they work together to improve the English translation. After all, everyone knows Google¡¯s English isn¡¯t perfect (not yet, anyway).
Activity requirements: a mobile phone with a camera per student.
Do your students love taking photos? Tap into their love of photography and make activities more exciting by incorporating the photos on their phones into your classes.
Adapt speaking activities from common exams such as the B2 Cambridge First. Instead of using the pictures in the book, put the students in pairs and get them each to choose a more relevant photo from their phones. You may find they have more to say and will communicate naturally while still practicing the necessary language and skills required in the exam.
Another idea is to get students to take photos of things they encounter in English in the street. This could be on a sign outside a restaurant or in their favorite clothing shop. Use these photos to start the next class with a discussion about where they saw it, what it means and if the English is correct.
You could also nominate one student each week to bring a photo they took that weekend. Share it with the class and get everyone to write Instagram captions. You wouldn¡¯t believe how many already do this in English, so why not help them?
If you are worried about the misuse of mobile devices in your class ¨C don¡¯t be! Here are our top three strategies to help avoid students getting distracted:
