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RLN London

Recruitment

The benefits of people with language skills

If staff need to be recruited or moved around the organisation, why not ensure that their foreign language skills match your business's communication needs at the same time? Whether in international markets, or dealing with non-English speaking tourists and residents in the UK, your employees' language and cultural skills can be a huge asset.

Consider internal appointments for jobs that need language skills as existing staff - with a little language training - may be able to do the job.

Specialist multilingual recruitment agencies are very experienced in finding people with a wide range of language skills along with relevant experience.

Recruiting people with language skills

Decide which of these categories best suits your needs:

  • Bilingual candidates speak the language as their mother tongue and will usually have good cultural awareness, but make sure that their English is good enough for the job.
  • Graduates often combine language study with other degrees - or it can be their main subject of study. Find out what whether they have worked or spent time abroad.
  • Other people with language skills may have spent time overseas, attended evening classes or learned languages at school. Their basic skills may be useful for greeting visitors or on the switchboard.


To check candidates' language ability, with the help of someone who also speaks the language, ask them to: write an email, summarise key points from a report or do a telephone role-play before the interview.

Always check whether the applicant has a permit to work in the UK -and if so, for how long.

Check with UK NARIC for guidance to compare overseas qualifications with their UK equivalents.

Recruitment guide

guide on language training and recruitmentDownload our Language training and recruitment guide to help you recruit the right staff and develop your own team's language skills.
 

 

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