In the global marketplace we operate in today, effective communication matters more than ever. At a time when online collaboration and communication tools make fully remote working viable, and when global mobility is at an all-time high, more and more English-speaking companies are taking advantage of a much bigger and more diverse talent pool by hiring bilingual or multilingual professionals. But English proficiency levels vary – and the impact of this is often underestimated, lets explore this impact and how Business English courses can support your goals.
Whatever the sector or industry, your employees’ English proficiency has a direct impact on customer satisfaction, and therefore on profitability. Indeed, research shows that clear communication is critical to building trust, which 61% of consumers cite as their biggest priority when dealing with a company. And the second most common reason for a bad experience? You guessed it – communication issues.
With consumers today having higher expectations than ever before, and customer loyalty dependent on consistently great interactions with your business, this post explores the impacts of English language skills on customer experience and on your bottom line.
Hiring international talent? Get serious about language proficiency
When you’re hiring internationally, it’s easy to forget that bilingual skills don’t always equate to fluency in business English. And in roles such as customer service, tech support and sales, where speed, clarity and empathy are essential, overlooking English proficiency can be risky.
The trust we touched on just now can be quickly eroded when customers are faced with misunderstandings, vague phrasing or tone issues attributable to lack of business English proficiency – even if the employee is technically capable. Yet many employers are struggling. Pearson’s Impact of English Research 2016 found that 92% of them say English is important for their organisation, while only 7% are satisfied with their employees’ English skills.
Bilingual isn’t enough: why proficiency drives performance
If your company operates in English but hires internationally, you’re probably enjoying some of the advantages of recruiting from a wider and more diverse talent pool. But there’s a flipside: customers expect high-quality service, and they notice when your employees’ comms are clunky, hesitant or grammatically flawed.
This impacts net promoter scores (NPS), customer satisfaction ratings (CSAT) and brand trust, with Zendesk finding that 50% of customers will switch to a competitor after a single negative service experience – a risk that rises when language confusion enters the mix. Not only that, but poor language skills have a direct impact on a variety of customer experience metrics, including increasing call resolution times, lower first-contact resolution (FCR) rates and a rise in frustration and repeat contacts.
Little wonder, then, that CSA research shows that 75% of customers are more likely to purchase from a brand that communicates in their language. For international companies operating in English, communication clarity is an issue internally as well as in customer-facing roles. An SHRM study estimated that communication problems cost companies with 100+ employees an average of $420,000 per year in lost productivity, meaning that language barriers can be revenue barriers, too.
Improving workplace communication
With all this in mind, it’s clear that training multilingual staff should be a priority for companies who hire internationally, with English upskilling offering tangible benefits including better customer experience, increased productivity and lower staff turnover (particularly in frontline roles). That’s backed up by research from the Bridge Education Group, which revealed that companies investing in language training see stronger employee engagement, better customer retention and improved internal collaboration.
Of course, it’s far more affordable to upskill your existing staff than it is to recruit and onboard replacements. Studies show that the average cost of employee turnover is $15,000 per worker.
How to strengthen English skills in your workforce
Proactively investing in English language upskilling means you can ensure your employees represent your brand confidently and clearly, leading to better customer experiences, stronger loyalty and improved business performance. But where do you start?
1. Understand current skills
It helps to begin with a clear picture of employees’ current English language proficiency – but make use of diagnostic tools rather than relying on self-reported fluency. This should help you spot issues with vocabulary and grammar, as well as providing an overall assessment of employees’ business writing, listening comprehension and spoken communication skills.
2. Implement bespoke training
From there, you can start putting training in place, and English for Business courses are where many companies turn when upskilling employees. These yield the best results when they’re tailored to your organisation, either personalised to the individual or centred around a specific role (particularly important in customer-facing roles such as customer service, technical support or sales).
An example of this approach is Oxford International’s new Bespoke English for Business courses. These Business English courses are designed to help your teams improve their English fluency while being fully customisable to your brand voice and customer expectations. Combining our English testing ‘Oxford ELLT Spotlight’ and training solutions, this programme empowers your team by enhancing their language and communication skills for a more united workforce and better customer experience. Get in touch to find out more.
