Boost the quality of your hires with English proficiency testing

Samantha Ball
Business people sat and waiting in a row
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.

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Why are great communication skills so intrinsically linked to high-quality hires?

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.

Why testing English skills should be central to the hiring process

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 – and more recently the widespread adoption of generative AI – 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.

A skills-based hiring approach fast-tracks finding the best talent

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 – 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.”

Contact us about corporate English testing

Why robust data is key to supporting skills-based hiring

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 app, 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 ).

Quality hiring means widening your talent pool

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.

app 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 app, 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.”

The long-term benefits of skills-based hiring cannot be overstated

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:

1. Cost savings

Raising the quality of hires by testing skills like English proficiency means fewer costly mistakes hires.

2. Retention

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.

3. Productivity

A confident and skilled workforce positions your organization to operate and expand into an international marketplace.

4. Employee satisfaction

Hiring with a focus on communication skills leads to a happier, more confident and collaborative workforce.

5. Happy customers

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.

6. Better workforce planning

It’s far easier to make strategic, long-term plans and identify skills gaps with a skills-based approach.

7. A great culture

Putting communication at the top of your hiring agenda means a happier and healthier culture and team dynamics.

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 app Language Solutions for Work.

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  • Children sat down on the floor reading books, with some looking up at their teacher who is sat with a book

    How to improve literacy in the classroom

    By Katharine Scott
    Reading time: 5 minutes

    Katharine Scott is a teacher trainer and educational materials developer with over 20 years’ experience writing English language textbooks. She’s co-author of the app Primary course - English Code and is based in Spain. Katharine outlines a number of practical ways you can help English language learners develop key literacy skills.

    What is literacy?

    Teachers at all stages of education often complain about their students’ reading skills. The students are literate. In other words, they can interpret the graphemes, or letters on the page, into words. But they struggle to identify the purpose of a text or to analyze it in a meaningful way. We could say that the students have poor literacy skills.

    Literacy is a term used to describe an active, critical form of reading. Some of the skills of a critical reader include:

    Checking new information

    A crucial literacy skill involves discerning whether a text is factually true or not. A critical reader always checks new information against existing knowledge. As we read, we have an internal dialogue: Where does that information come from? That’s impossible because ….

    Separating fact from opinion

    This skill is essential for understanding many different types of texts from newspaper articles to scientific research.

    Understanding the purpose of a text

    All pieces of text have a main purpose. This may be entertainment, in the case of a story or persuasion, in the case of advertising. A critical reader will know how to identify the purpose of the text.

    In the classroom, different types of text require different responses from the students. It’s important, as students grow older, that they know how to read and respond appropriately to a piece of written information.

    Identifying key information in a text

    This is an essential skill for summarizing information or following instructions. It is also important when we transform written information into something else, like a chart.

    In many ways, literacy is the key skill that underpins learning at all stages. This may seem like an exaggeration, but consider the importance of the four skills outlined above.

    Strategies to promote literacy

    Many teachers and parents of early learners instinctively develop literacy skills before the children can even read.

    When we read a story out loud to a child, we often ask questions about the narrative as we turn the pages: What is going to happen next? How do you think …. feels? Why is …?

    These questions set the foundations for literacy.

    Working with a reading text

    Too often, the comprehension questions that teachers ask about a text are mechanical. They ask the student to “lift” the information out of the text.

    A tale of two dragons

    "Once upon a time, there was an island in the sea. One day, people were working in the fields. The sun was shining and there was one cloud in the sky. The cloud was a strange shape and moving towards the island. Soon the cloud was very big. Then a small boy looked up."

    Taken from English Code, Unit 4, p. 62

    Typical comprehension questions based on the text would be:

    • Where were the people working?
    • How many clouds were in the sky?

    These questions do not really reflect on the meaning of the text and do not lead to a critical analysis. While these simple questions are a good checking mechanism, they don’t help develop literacy skills.

    If we want to develop critical readers, we need to incorporate a critical analysis of reading texts into class work through a deep reading comprehension. We can organize the comprehension into three types.

    1. Text level

    Comprehension at “text level” is about exploring the meaning of individual words and phrases in a text. Examples for the text above could be:

    • Find words that show the story is a fairy tale.
    • Underline a sentence about the weather.

    Other text-level activities include:

    • Finding words in the text from a definition
    • Identifying opinions in the text
    • Finding verbs of speech
    • Finding and classifying words or phrases

    2. Between the lines

    Comprehension “between the lines” means speculating and making guesses with the information we already have from the text. This type of literacy activity often involves lots of questions and discussions with the students. You should encourage students to give good reasons for their opinions. An example for the text above could be:

    • What do you think the cloud really is?

    Other “Between the lines” activities include:

    • Discussing how characters in a story feel and why
    • Discussing characters’ motivation
    • Identifying the most important moments in a story
    • Speculating about what is going to happen next
    • Identifying possible events from fantasy events

    Literacy activities are not only based on fiction. We need to help students be critical readers of all sorts of texts. The text below is factual and informative:

    What skills do you need for ice hockey?

    "Ice hockey players should be very good skaters. They always have good balance. They change direction very quickly and they shouldn't fall over. Players should also have fast reactions because the puck moves very quickly."

    Taken from English Code, Level 4, p. 96

    “Between the lines” activities for this text could be:

    • What equipment do you need to play ice hockey?
    • What is the purpose of this piece of text?

    3. Behind the lines

    Comprehension “behind the lines” is about the information we, the readers, already have. Our previous knowledge, our age, our social background and many other aspects change the way we understand and interpret a text.

    An example for the text above could be:

    • What countries do you think are famous for ice hockey?

    Sometimes a lack of socio-cultural knowledge can lead to misunderstanding. Look at the text below.

    Is the relationship between Ms Turner and Jack Roberts formal or informal?

    73 Highlands Road Oxbo, Wisconsin 54552
    April 11th

    Dear Ms. Tamer,
    Some people want to destroy the forest and build an airport. This forest is a habitat for many wolves. If they destroy the forest, the wolves will leave the forest. If the wolves leave the forest, there will be more rabbits. This won't be good for our forest.
    Please build the airport in a different place. Please don't destroy the forest.

    Kind regards, Jack Robers

    Taken from English code, Level 4, unit 5, Writing Lab

    If your students are unaware of the convention of using Dear to start a letter in English, they may not answer this question correctly.

    Other “Behind the lines” literacy activities include:

    • Identifying the type of text
    • Imagining extra information based on the readers’ experiences
    • Using existing knowledge to check a factual account
    • Identifying false information

    Examples:

    • What job do you think Ms Turner has?
    • Do you think Jack lives in a village or a city?
    • Do wolves live in forests?

    Literacy is more than reading

    From the activities above, it’s clear that a literacy scheme develops more than reading skills. As students speculate and give their opinions, they talk and listen to each other.

    A literacy scheme can also develop writing skills. The text analysis gives students a model to follow in their writing. In addition, a literacy scheme works on higher-order thinking skills such as analysis, deduction and summary.

    Developing literacy skills so that students become active, critical readers should be a key part of educational programs at all ages. Literacy activities based on a reading text can be especially useful for the foreign language class.

    With literacy activities, we can encourage students:

    • To use the text as a springboard for communicating ideas and opinions
    • To analyze the text as a model for writing activities
    • To see how language is used in context
    • To explore the meanings of words

    More crucially, we are developing critical readers for the future.

  • Two Young children high fiving one another

    The importance of teaching values to young learners

    By Katharine Scott

    Values in education

    The long years children spend at school are not only about acquiring key knowledge and skills. At school, children also learn to work together, share, exchange opinions, disagree, choose fairly, and so on. We could call these abilities social skills as they help children live and flourish in a wider community than their family circle.

    Social skills are not necessarily the same as social values. Children acquire social skills from all kinds of settings. The tools they use to resolve problems will often come from examples. In the playground, children observe each other and notice behavior. They realize what is acceptable to the other children and which strategies are successful. Some of the things they observe will not reflect healthy social values.

    Part of a school’s mission is to help children learn social skills firmly based on a shared set of values. Many schools recognize this and have a program for education in values.

    What values are we talking about?

    Labeling is always tricky when dealing with an abstract concept such as social values. General ideas include:

    • living in a community, collaborating together
    • respecting others in all of human diversity
    • caring for the environment and the surroundings
    • having a sense of self-worth.

    At the root of these values are ethical considerations. While it may seem that primary education is too early for ethics, children from a very young age do have a sense of fairness and a sense of honesty. This doesn’t mean that children never lie or behave unfairly. Of course they do! But from about three years old, children know that this behavior is not correct, and they complain when they come across it in others.

    In the school context, social values are too often reduced to a set of school rules and regulations. Typical examples are:

    • 'Don't be late!'
    • 'Wait your turn!'
    • 'Pick up your rubbish!'
    • 'Don't invent unkind nicknames'.

    While all these statements reflect important social values, if we don’t discuss them with the children, the reasoning behind each statement gets lost. They become boring school rules. And we all know that it can be fun to break school rules if you can get away with it. These regulations are not enough to represent an education in values.

    School strategies

    At a school level, successful programs often focus on a specific area of a values syllabus. These programs involve all members of a school community: students, teachers, parents, and administrative staff.

    Here are some examples of school programs:

    Caring for the environment

    Interest in ecology and climate change has led many schools to implement programs focused on respect for the environment and other ecological issues. Suitable activities could include:

    • a system of recycling
    • a vegetable garden
    • initiatives for transforming to renewable energy
    • a second-hand bookstore.

    Anti-bullying programs

    As,many schools have anti-bullying policies to deal with bullying incidents. However, the most effective programs also have training sessions for teachers and a continuous program for the children to help them identify bullying behavior. Activities include:

    • empathy activities to understand different points of view
    • activities to develop peer responsibility about bullying
    • activities aimed at increasing children’s sense of self-worth.

    Anti-racism programs

    Combating negative racial stereotypes has, until recently, relied mainly on individual teacher initiatives. However, as racial stereotypes are constructed in society, it would be useful to have a school-wide program. This could include:

    • materials focusing on the achievements of ethnic minorities
    • school talks from members of ethnic minority communities
    • empathy activities to understand the difficulties of marginalized groups.
    • study of the culture and history of ethnic minorities.

    As children learn from observed behavior, it’s important that everyone in the school community acts consistently with the values in the program.