How to create your own language benchmark to tailor training to your employees’ needs ?

In a world of constant international exchanges, failing to master the essential languages for your business can lead to costly mistakes. Online translation tools, while convenient, often result in misunderstandings or awkwardness that can distort your messages, jeopardizing your business relationships.

To avoid these pitfalls, it is crucial to develop your teams' language skills based on your company's actual needs. A well-structured language benchmark allows you to assess current skills, identify gaps, and tailor your training programs to ensure your employees are ready to meet the specific professional challenges in your sector.

Why is this a crucial step?

This step is essential for any business looking to adapt its language learning programs. In Switzerland, where multiple languages coexist and international exchanges are frequent, a well-designed language assessment is necessary to maintain competitiveness.

Step 1: Identify key competencies

The first step in conducting an effective language benchmark is to determine the specific language skills required for each position. These skills vary based on responsibilities, interactions, and professional objectives.

To refine this identification, ask yourself the following questions:

• What are the language needs of each department?
• In what situations do your employees use language skills?
• Which languages are priorities for your company and why?

Step 2: Align skills with professional objectives

To align language skills with professional objectives, it is crucial to analyze the specific needs of each department and role.

Here are some steps to achieve this during your benchmark:

• Evaluate role requirements: Identify key tasks for each position and the necessary language skills to perform them. For example, customer service requires fluent and empathetic communication, while strategic report writing demands impeccable writing skills.
• Define required skill levels: Establish specific skill levels based on roles. An intermediate level may be enough for administrative tasks, while an advanced level is essential for positions in direct contact with clients or international partners.
• Prioritize skills based on strategic objectives: Focus your benchmark on skills that directly impact the company's results. For instance, if the company is expanding internationally, negotiation skills in a foreign language become a priority.

Concrete examples of aligning skills with objectives

• Customer service: Maintain high customer satisfaction through fluent and empathetic communication.
• Business negotiations: Close the best agreements through advanced oral expression mastery.
• Strategic report writing: Communicate precise and persuasive analyses tailored to the audience.
• International project management: Effectively coordinate multicultural projects through mastered intercultural communication.

Step 3: Establish expected skill levels

Defining the expected language skill levels during your benchmark is essential for:

• Evaluating employee performance.
• Setting clear training objectives.

This allows you to measure progress and ensure that each employee possesses the necessary skills to excel in their role. Without precise evaluation, it is difficult to identify gaps and propose suitable training.

Defining skill levels by role also allows for personalized training pathways. For example, an administrative employee won't need the same language proficiency as a manager responsible for negotiating international contracts. Adapting language requirements to each position ensures that training resources are used efficiently.

Step 4: Select measurement tools

Choosing measurement tools is a key step to accurately and reliably evaluate language skills during your language benchmark.

Two main approaches exist: standardized tests and customized tests.

• Standardized tests: Tests like TOEIC, TOEFL, DELF, or DALF are commonly used to objectively assess language skills. These tests provide a comprehensive evaluation of listening comprehension, written expression, reading, and oral skills. They are particularly useful for comparing skill levels among different employees or for evaluating candidates during recruitment.
• Customized tests: In a professional context, standardized tests may not always be sufficient. It is often necessary to develop tailored tests that reflect the specific language requirements of your industry. For example, if your company operates in the pharmaceutical sector, it is crucial that the tests include vocabulary and scenarios relevant to this field.

Step 5: Include qualitative assessments

In addition to formal tests, it is important to include qualitative assessments during your language benchmark. For example, interviews, simulations, or role-playing exercises.

These methods help verify not only language skills but also your employees' ability to use them effectively in real-world professional situations.

How to choose the right assessor?

• Opt for an assessor trained in the CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference for Languages), capable of analyzing each skill uniformly.
• Consider engaging a training organization for an objective and professional assessment.

Encourage self-assessment

Encourage your employees to self-assess. This enables them to become aware of their strengths and weaknesses and better understand their training needs. You can guide this self-assessment by providing a framework based on the key competencies identified in previous steps.

Step 6: Measure current skills

The initial assessment of language skills establishes a baseline for your benchmark. Without this step, it is impossible to measure progress following training. The initial assessment also helps identify gaps between current skills and expectations for each position, guiding training priorities.

Organize an initial assessment

For an effective initial assessment, it is advisable to combine several methods:

• Written and oral tests: Use formal tests to assess basic skills in comprehension and expression, both written and oral.
• Individual interviews: Interviews allow for a better understanding of employees' specific needs and assess their comfort using the language in a professional context.
• Practical exercises: Provide practical exercises related to employees' daily professional tasks. This measures their ability to apply their language skills in concrete situations during your language benchmark.
  
  

Analyze the results

Once the initial assessment is complete, compare the results with the expected skill levels for each role. Identify gaps and document them carefully.

This data will help determine training priorities and tailor programs to meet each employee's specific needs.

Step 7: Analyze gaps and prioritize needs

Identifying gaps

Analyzing the results of the initial assessment allows you to identify gaps in language skills. For instance, if a team shows weaknesses in listening comprehension, it may indicate an urgent need for training in this area. Identifying gaps is crucial for focusing training resources where they are most needed.

Segmenting employees

Once gaps are identified, the next step in your language benchmark is to segment your employees based on:

• Their skill level.
• Their specific needs.

This allows you to personalize training and maximize its effectiveness.

For example, a group with advanced skills may benefit from enhancement workshops, while a group at an intermediate level may focus on the basics.

Prioritize needs

The prioritization of training needs should align with the company's strategic objectives. If your company is expanding into a new market, it may be a priority to train employees on the language and culture of that market.

Ensure that language training priorities directly support your organization's business objectives during your language benchmark.

Step 8: Adapt training programs

Personalizing training

For training to be effective, it must be tailored to the specific needs of the various groups identified.

For example, if some employees struggle with oral expression, offer conversation workshops or language coaching sessions. For others, courses on report writing or intercultural communication training may be more relevant.

Monitoring and adjusting

Regularly monitoring progress is essential to ensure that training produces the expected results. Organize assessments at regular intervals to measure skill development.

Based on the results, adjust training programs to address emerging needs and ensure continuous improvement.

Save time with an expert organization

Conducting a language benchmark internally is a strategic process that requires time, expertise, and resources. Following the detailed steps in this article will help you accurately define the language needs of your employees and adapt your training programs to meet the specific requirements of your business.

This rigorous work ensures that your teams are equipped to contribute effectively to achieving your company's overall goals while enhancing their own professional development.

However, to save time and benefit from specialized support, it may be wise to engage an expert training organization. An external partner can provide in-depth expertise, appropriate assessment tools, and tailored training solutions while relieving you of the technical and logistical aspects of the process.

By collaborating with experienced professionals for your benchmark, you not only optimize the time invested but also improve the quality of the language training offered to your employees, ensuring their success and that of your company in the international market.

At Formations&Co, we have extensive experience in developing and implementing tailored language training programs. Our team of experts is dedicated to analyzing the specific needs of each business and designing suitable solutions. With our effective assessment tools and personalized approach, we can ensure precise tracking and measurable results, guaranteeing that your employees develop the necessary language skills to excel in an international environment.

Contact our team now to discuss your language benchmark needs.