A new global report from the Educational Testing Service (ETS) shows Indian employers are placing growing emphasis on English proficiency during hiring, with 98% of HR leaders in India saying better English assessments would make organisations more efficient. The finding comes from an online survey of 87 HR decision-makers in India and is part of a wider study of 1,325 HR leaders across 17 countries, including Brazil, China, France, Germany, Indonesia, Japan, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, South Korea and the United Arab Emirates.
The report says demand for workplace English in India has risen sharply over the past five years: about 97% of employers surveyed reported that the importance of English skills has increased, mainly because of expanding global collaboration and cross-border business operations. Employers linked stronger English communication to smoother international teamwork and higher operational efficiency.
Despite widespread use of language tests, organisations reported persistent problems assessing candidates effectively. HR leaders cited concerns about assessment quality, cost, integration with existing recruitment systems and the ability to scale testing across large workforces. These gaps are limiting employers’ confidence in current evaluation tools.
The study also found limited faith in artificial intelligence as a substitute for language ability. Most Indian HR leaders indicated AI tools cannot compensate for poor English proficiency, underscoring the need for reliable human-language assessment. Nearly 87% said the growing use of AI in workplaces has increased the demand for stronger English communication skills.
Global trends mirror India’s experience: roughly 90% of employers worldwide view English proficiency as critical to organisational success, and about 81% say AI adoption is driving higher demand for workplace English. Taken together, the findings suggest companies are moving toward more formal evaluation of language readiness as part of recruitment and workforce development.
For employers and job seekers, the report highlights a strategic shift: language assessment is increasingly viewed as essential to productivity, global collaboration and competitiveness. Addressing concerns over test quality, cost, system integration and scalability will be key if organisations are to make hiring decisions that match the communication demands of digitised, international workplaces.
Original Source: https://www.indiatodayne.in/lifestyle/story/english-proficiency-seen-as-key-hiring-factor-for-indian-companies-report-1358076-2026-03-11?utm_source=rssfeed
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Publish Date: 2026-03-11 15:38:00
