Benefits of Language Training: Return on Investment

Category: Language Training | 2017-07-21

The benefits of language training on a personal level are well-documented, but they are often overlooked with regards to business. As large-scale language training programs for companies can require a substantial capital investment, the question of return on investment is valid. So, why should a company invest in language training for their employees? What should they expect in return for this investment?

These are the questions we will answer today. We will look at the three advantages companies should consider and how that will improve their ROI. So, if you are ready to find out more about how language training can help your company, let’s get started!

The Benefits of Language Training: Return on Investment

For most companies, any decision has to factor in the bottom line. Will this improve our business and make us more profitable? With language training, it can be hard to find tangible proof of a financial improvement. However, that doesn’t mean that it isn’t there!

There are several ways in which offering employees the opportunity to learn a language will benefit your company. Improved communication, employee satisfaction and more highly-skilled staff are three of the most important benefits. Let’s look at each of them in more depth.

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Improved Communication

In every aspect of business, good communication skills are required. This is true when speaking to your team, presenting quarterly reports to C-level, and especially when speaking with customers. And more to the point, it is vital when speaking with foreign clients. Being able to fluently speak with contacts in their native tongue is not just an asset in today’s global economy. It is necessary to set you apart from the competition.

Employees who are comfortable speaking in the language of their clients are able to create new business opportunities. Opportunities that aren’t available to those who don’t speak the local language. They are able to communicate your message clearly and concisely. And they can do that, all while showing your clients the respect they deserve.

Professional language training is more than just learning grammar and vocabulary. It also includes cultural awareness, which is crucial when dealing with customers from foreign countries. And knowing the social and cultural nuances can help deliver bigger and better deals for your company.

Employee Satisfaction

No one has ever questioned the value of keeping your staff happy and engaged. One of the easiest ways to do that is to support their professional development and encourage their growth. One of the clear benefits of language training is that it shows you are invested in the future of your staff. Your employees will feel more appreciated and see that you value them and their contributions to your business. In fact, in a SHRM report, over 85% of employees rated “commitment to professional development” as either important or very important to job satisfaction. By adding language training to your development package, you will also improve the allure of your company. Setting it apart as globally-minded and forward thinking.

In addition to job satisfaction, language courses offer a great opportunity for team building. You can organize classes within a specific department, or just as easily across the company to improve relations between departments. Most team building exercises are good ways of building rapport between staff, but their benefits usually end there. Learning a language has the added benefit of creating more skilled employees. Let’s have a look at that fantastic benefit now!

Highly-Skilled Employees

Having a team of highly-skilled employees is every manager’s dream. A team that can multi-task fluently, make sound decisions quickly and evaluate priorities efficiently. That sounds good to me! But what does that have to do with language training?

According to research by Judith Kroll, Distinguished Professor of Psychology at Penn State University, “Bilinguals simply acquire specific types of expertise that help them attend to critical tasks and ignore irrelevant information.” Providing language training will make your staff “better at prioritizing tasks and working on multiple projects at one time.”

The research credits these skills to the way that bilinguals are able to juggle both languages at the same time. This inner negotiation, or “mental gymnasium”, can actually boost brain function and help your staff to make better decisions more quickly. This increased productivity will surely provide ample return on your investment in language training.

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Putting it All Together

We have had a chance now to look at three of the major benefits of language training. Your staff will be more efficient and function at a higher level. They will communicate both internally and with your clients in a more clear and concise way. More importantly, with your focus on their development, your employees will be happy to continue doing great work for you! That is a substantial return on your investment and plenty of reason to start language training now!

How has language training benefited you and your company? Have you branched out into a new country or market? Let me know in the comments below. Don’t forget to sign up for our monthly newsletter for more tips, articles and exclusive deals. Thanks for reading!

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