A Self-Help Message from Recruiters to Clients: "Improving your accent will help you find a job

Employer: “The candidate you sent to me is obviously highly qualified and experienced. She wrote her PhD in English and has worked for 10 years in her field, however, her heavily accented speech made it very difficult to understand what she was saying. Several times, I had to ask her to repeat. I'm concerned that her productivity will be hampered by her level of oral communication skills.”

Recruiter: “I would estimate that 80% of my clients have trouble with English pronunciation. Many of their job application efforts end in rejection because of their subpar oral communication skills. That is a very difficult message to get across to them.”

Recruiters are often frustrated when they can't place talented individuals because of gaps in oral communication skills. They know that success in a job and the potential to be impactful in a position is highly dependent on oral communications proficiency and that without these fundamental skills, applicants will simply not get hired.

Recruiters want applicants to know that the reason they are missing out on jobs is "not because they can't code in C++," but because their ability to be productive is severely hindered when they can't understand and speak effectively with their peers. Finding solutions to complex technological problems demands that teams work constructively and productively.

How can recruiters help candidates with oral communication issues solidify job placements?

1. Recruiters can suggest that their client be enrolled in an intensive "accelerator" communications skills development program. New hire onboarding packages and professional development plans now often include employee-centric communication skills development programs. These focused programs proactively address key specific communication skills gaps, thus setting the new employee up for increased productivity and success.
   

2. Recruiters should openly discuss oral communication issues as well as paths for improvement with clients. They should make it very clear that strong team dynamics and collaboration skills are vital to the successful delivery of complex solutions and products. Companies that employ Agile development methodologies depend heavily on communications skills as a crucial ingredient to overall team success and productivity. Addressing the communication issues of an employee in the short term will create a long term win-win for both the new hires and employers.

3. A language skills self-assessment tool offered by recruiters would help candidates identify skills gaps as well as increase their self awareness of the effectiveness of their communications skills.

Recruiters could then help their clients by connecting them with accredited accent reduction and oral communication experts who can help them address their specific oral communications deficits .

1. Recruiters and employers share a mutual interest: they both want a newly placed candidate to be effective, productive, and successful. In order to support this goal, and as part of the onboarding package, both could share in the cost of special language skills programs to accelerate the effectiveness of new hires. In addition to increasing the size of the talent pool, this initial investment would result in more successful placements, satisfied recruiters, employers and employees.

What can candidates do to accelerate their career readiness?

1. Candidates should determine whether they are in need of more oral communication training. Self-assessment tools, mock interviews and requesting honest feedback from colleagues, friends, and family members or a communication expert are a few examples of how to gauge specific needs.

2. Candidates should discuss any concerns about their communication skills openly with their recruiters.

3. Candidates should find out if their potential employer offers specialized language training as part of their onboarding package or as part of their professional development plan and declare their readiness to participate in training opportunities.
   

4. If companies are unable to provide training, candidates may want to consider investing in training from an accredited professional language skills coach. A good coach will identify an individual's skills gaps and provide instruction focused on addressing their specific needs. In contrast to a general language class or “canned” online course, a good coach is the most effective and time-efficient way to address language skills deficiencies. Most coaches will also help them prepare for interviews. Including this training on a candidate's resume will show that he or she is highly motivated and prepared to dive into the job with good communication skills - and confidence!

The Bottom Line

Companies that enable new hires to improve their language proficiency report that the return on their initial investment is high: improved oral communication skills leads to greater productivity.

New recruits attribute a deeper engagement and an increase in productivity to a secure confidence in their communication skills. They report feeling more aligned with the company's goals and “ready to hit the ground running.”