The workplace of 2025 is more global than it’s ever been, accelerated by changing working practices and the advancements in communications technology they have prompted. For businesses, collaborating on an international scale makes English proficiency imperative – and it has big implications at both individual and company level.
In a global workplace, English proficiency for employees matters
With teams now able to work together in the same way whether they’re working from home in a London suburb or hot-desking in a co-working space in Delhi, neither geographic location nor technology are the barriers they once were. But in the changed landscape of this ‘global village’, there remains a major potential obstacle to effective collaboration and productivity: English proficiency.
Poor language skills can have a wide-ranging negative impact on both the day-to-day running of your business and on its bigger picture. They dent productivity, cause customer service headaches and make collaboration much more challenging, leading to barriers within teams. It goes without saying that all these have a knock-on effect on overall business performance, which is why many companies choose to invest in upskilling non-native English speakers. Let’s look in more detail at why.
English skills are critical to employee satisfaction and progression
Employees are every company’s biggest asset, so staff satisfaction and progression are vital metrics. Research by Linguix spelt out the stark impact lack of English skills can have on these, with 90% of respondents believing that their English writing skills affect their career. Unsurprising, the researchers note, given that so much of business communication now happens in written form, via email and messaging apps.
This impacts scope for career progression, too, with one Forbes and Rosetta Stone Business study finding that 91% of employers agree that English fluency is a must for high-potential employees who want to win a promotion.
What’s more, with the Linguix study finding that over 54% have experienced a language barrier in the workplace, it’s not just non-native speakers themselves who are detrimentally impacted. 60% of native English speakers reported struggling to communicate with non-native coworkers, meaning the whole team suffers. And that includes managerial relationships: the Forbes and Rosetta Stone Business study revealed that 67% of executives admit that miscommunications due to language barriers between employees and their managers were leading to inefficiency.
The damaging effects go further even than that, contributing to a lack of engagement among employees and the productivity loss that entails. Gallup’s State of the Global Workplace: 2023 Report puts the cost to the world of lost productivity at $8.8 trillion – equal to 9% of global GDP – making it a huge issue for both individual businesses and the wider economy.
Looking at the picture for employees, it’s clear that HR leaders have a vital role to play in empowering them with the language skills they need to thrive. But doing so is also critical to business success as a whole.
The business benefits of good language skills
At a time when technological advances make the pace of change feel relentless, the benefits to a business of an adaptable workforce that’s ready to grow and develop can’t be underestimated. But in the understandable focus on upskilling employees’ technology skills, it can be all too easy to forget that strong communication is a fundamental part of that need for agility.
Language is at the heart of communication, and strong English skills directly support better teamwork and collaboration – central to adapting to an ever-changing business landscape. Not only that, but it’s crucial to supporting diversity, equity and inclusion, ensuring that all employees have a voice and, as we’ve seen, can engage in workplace culture.
But there are tangible cost advantages to good communication, too. Indeed, in The Cost of Poor Communications, surveyed 400 companies each with 100,000 employees, and calculated the average loss per company due to poor communication to/between employees: a staggering $62.4 million.
Add to that an average turnover cost of $15,000 per worker and it’s clear that supporting workers with their language skills has another direct cost benefit in the form of higher retention rates – coupled with the knock-on effects of stronger performance and better customer satisfaction.
How to upskill employees – English proficiency for employees
Given that it’s more cost-effective to upskill current employees than it is to rehire, many businesses are choosing to invest in language programmes, aiming to improve English proficiency among their non-native English-speaking employees and empower them to succeed.
There are a number of ways to do this. You could provide in-house resources for self-guided learning, complemented by an English proficiency self-assessment tool that tells employees which areas they need to develop in. Or, more effective, you could invest in formal, personalised language training that they can undertake alongside work.
To get started on this route:
- Begin by identifying where language barriers exist within your workplace
- Encourage open dialogue about what the communication challenges are
- Put together a holistic programme, which might include mentorship and a bank of resources
It is, of course, possible to outsource this kind of programme to an external provider, which gives you the benefit of bringing in language experts who can deliver English courses bespoke to the needs of your business. Our English for Business courses, for example, help build employees’ fluency and confidence in English language and can be tailored to your own workplace.
Investing in English proficiency for the workplace isn’t just about individual growth – it’s about business success. Get in touch with Oxford International Digital Institute today to explore how we can support your workforce with our English for Business courses.
