“Speaking English is imperative!
".
If it remains relevant in this era of globalization, this refrain, which has been brought down to the ears of generations of schoolchildren, students or workers, should not elude another reality, even more obvious:
“In a recruitment process, mastering French is more important. important than mastering English ”.
This is the finding established by an Ipsos study carried out for the Voltaire Project, with supporting figures.
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According to the study, 73% of recruiters reject candidates because of their writing skills in French, and 80% for speaking difficulties.
Conversely, only a third of recruiters block an application due to weaknesses in English.
The importance of French in the professional world has even increased since the health crisis for nine out of ten employers.
With the rise of teleworking, electronic exchanges written via SMS, email or internal messaging are becoming more numerous… And mistakes more visible.
Oral fluency to lead a presentation or present a project is also increasingly sought after by recruiters.
French tests on hiring
Companies are therefore paying more attention than ever to the language level of their employees.
Upon recruitment.
"When I have too many mistakes in a CV or a cover letter, it is prohibitive
, recognizes Arthur Nakache of the firm Robert Half, specializing in the recruitment of executives.
There are also oral mistakes that can put me off ”.
The companies that ask for it do not openly mention French as a key skill.
However, the recruiter knows
"that this is an implicit request, a prerequisite in particular because we recruit mainly profiles who have completed higher education".
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His firm has developed French tests to which potential recruits are sometimes subjected.
In addition, there is a “summary”, the final step in the recruitment process in the form of written questions to measure the candidate's level of expression.
The form is scrutinized as much as the substance.
Consequences on performance
A good command of French is indeed essential for the proper functioning of the company, and has a direct impact on its performance.
Three out of four employers deplore the daily mistakes of their teams, which have an impact on
"their credibility, their professional efficiency, and consequently on the reputation, productivity and even the financial performance of companies"
according to the study.
All sectors combined according to Ipsos. In tourism, the UCPA organizes sports holidays. The language level is not included in the recruitment criteria for its 2,000 permanent employees, often young seasonal workers.
“Writing very often leaves something to be desired in emails or texts. Some people use emojis, confuse
“it” and “its”
and speak as they write, ”
observes the training manager Alain Brossard. These difficulties sometimes hamper the smooth running of the business.
“This can lead to a lack of clarity and problems of understanding internally, but also vis-à-vis customers, and affect the image of the company,”
notes the manager.
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First victims, employees also suffer from their limitations in grammar or syntax in their career development.
“The lack of vocabulary can aggravate situations at work, with misunderstandings that accumulate.
Some employees can even censor themselves ”
.
For 8 out of 10 employers, these weaknesses constitute an obstacle to granting promotions.
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(05/21/2019)
