Kamal Ghorui
NEW DELHI: Nearly 97% of employers in India say English proficiency among employees is more important today than it was five years ago, while 87% believe the rapid adoption of AI is increasing the need for English skills at workplace, according to a global survey by ETS (Educational Testing Service), the organisationwhich is behind the TOEIC English assessment.The findings come from the Global English Skills Report, based on a survey of 1,325 HR decision makers across 17 countries, including India. The research was conducted by The Harris Poll between Sept and Oct 2025 and covered employers across sectors such as manufacturing, finance, services and technology.Globally, the survey found 92% of employers agree that English language proficiency among employees is more important now than it was five years ago, indicating a widespread shift in workplace skill expectations.The report noted that AI is not reducing the importance of language skills as many had expected. Instead, it is increasing reliance on English. “Workers must be fluent in English to effectively interact with AI and fully capitalise on its benefits,” the report stated, adding that organisations see language proficiency as central to using AI tools, generating prompts and validating AI-generated outputs.
Across industries, employers say the language remains the backbone of cross-border collaboration. “English, as the lingua franca of international business, is the standard medium for multinational team meetings, email exchanges and project management,” the report noted, underlining the role of English in coordinating global teams and partnerships.The growing importance of English is also reshaping hiring practices. In India, 80% of companies already use English assessments during hiring or candidate screening, slightly above the global average of 78%, suggesting that language ability is becoming a routine evaluation parameter in recruitment. Assessments are increasingly integrated across employee development cycles as well. The survey showed 76% of organisations in India use English assessments before training programmes, while 66% conduct post-training evaluations, indicating that companies are embedding language proficiency into workforce development strategies.Seventy-eight per cent of organisations globally use English tests for hiring, 71% for pre-training evaluation and 66% for promotion readiness, reflecting the growing role of language testing in talent management. Employers expect this shift to intensify as competition for skilled talent grows.
