The five transferrable skills of multilingual candidates

Learn the five transferrable skills that multilingual candidates can bring to your business. Clare Kemsley, Hays’ Managing Director of Marketing, Retail and Sales, UK&I, provides the key insights.

Transferrable multilingual skills: Key insights

As businesses expand their workforces to every corner of the globe, there has been an increase in demand for multilingual candidates. And, while their language skills are an obvious benefit, multilingual candidates also bring several other transferrable skills, such as:

• Determination to learn and grow
• The ability to keep going in tough times
• Rational and considered decision-making skills
• Thinking outside the box.

Read on to learn more about those transferrable skills – and how they could help your business.

Transferrable multilingual skills: Background

The primary benefits of hiring a multilingual candidate are clear. The candidate will bring key language skills, being able to communicate with your foreign-speaking markets. This will allow you to further expand your customer base or enter new markets. 

Multilingual candidates also bring an increased level of cultural intelligence. From phrases lost in translation to etiquette and traditions, multilingual candidates will typically be more attuned to cultural differences. Candidates may also have lived and worked in these foreign countries, making the link even stronger.

Interestingly, there are some less obvious but crucial attributes which multilingual candidates can bring to the table. These transferrable multilingual skills may be overlooked – but can have a great impact on your organisation:

1. Enthusiasm and determination

Learning another language takes drive. In fact, some estimate that it can take between 600 and 1100 hours to learn a language, depending on difficulty. 

If a candidate has learned another language whilst employed or studying another subject, this speaks volumes. That candidate will have a strong work ethic and determination – both desirable traits for any employer.

2. Self-enhancement

Nobody can grow unless they are willing to learn from their mistakes. As Benny Lewis, author of “Fluent in 3 months” points out: “making mistakes is the only way to become fluent in a language”. 

From being corrected over misused phrases, to saying the wrong word in conversation, multilingual candidates are no strangers to continuous learning and development.

A multilingual person will therefore often have a good degree of humility. They don’t view errors as taboo or something to be afraid of. From their experience of learning a new language, multilingual candidates know that errors are essential to self-improvement.

3. Strong mental agility and ability

Office life can be hectic at times. On any given day, workers might find themselves juggling many different tasks. Being able to switch between jobs without losing focus is a strong skill to have.

A study conducted by Judith Kroll, Distinguished Professor of Psychology, found that multilingual people are particularly skilled at multitasking effectively. Because multilingual people often switch between languages, they develop mental agility and can quickly shift their focus. Kroll concludes that “We would probably refer to most of these cognitive advantages as multi-tasking.”

4. Good judgement skills

Workers are often presented with a challenge and many potential solutions. Making a sound decision in these types of situations might not come naturally to everyone.

However, a recent article showed how multilingual people are rational and resolute in their decision-making. When weighing up solutions, multilingual candidates will sometimes think over the issue in a second language. This “second opinion” may help shine further light on a problem. 

The study also found that “a foreign language provides a distancing mechanism, moving people to a more deliberate mode of thinking.” In short, a multilingual person will consider options in their foreign language too, taking emotions out of the equation. 

5. The ability to think divergently

Groupthink can be dangerous. A business cannot thrive if everybody thinks and approaches situations in the exact same way. Having a team of divergent thinkers can help a business adopt a more open and creative approach.

Multilingual job seekers can bring a divergent thought process – their minds have become open to different cultures, after all. Research by Professor Behzad Ghonsooly also found that “Mastering a foreign language dramatically increases the four components of divergent thinking ability.” Specifically, these components are:

• Fluency
• Elaboration
• Originality
• Flexibility.

Multilingual people experiment with different words and phrases to find the best way of expressing themselves. By regularly thinking in new and creative ways, multilingual candidates can bring fresh ideas to an organisation.

Multilingual transferrable skills: Next steps for your business

Even if you aren’t hiring for a role which requires foreign language skills, a multilingual candidate can bring many transferrable skills to the table. The nature of these skills – from determination to creativity and decision-making – can benefit any role in any industry. 

Employers like you are beginning to realise that these skills can’t be imitated, taught on the job, or easily replaced. That’s why the multilingual job seeker is more in demand than ever before.

Contact your local Hays office to discuss your recruitment needs.