The benefits of an employee English course: Learn how to measure ROI

As you probably already know, in-company English classes bring a lot of benefits for both your business and your staff. Implementing an English course for employees is a very good idea if you want to grow your business and take advantage of new market opportunities.

Although business English was once considered an advantage over other companies that did not hire such classes, things have changed. Knowing English is no longer a competitive advantage, but a very great necessity. And as such, implementing classes is no longer just a benefit.

Business English classes are now the answer to a very common problem: that many employees do not master English at a level necessary to use it in their jobs.

Business English classes are now more than ever an investment you make in your business. And as such, you need it to pay off. There are so many English courses for employees these days that you may feel overwhelmed when it comes to choosing. But you can be sure of one thing: not all of them are useful for your company and your employees.

In fact, studies conducted over the last few years reveal that most employees are not satisfied with the training they have received and that even after completing it, they don’t feel they have learned anything useful.

To prevent this from happening, there is a fundamental tool. ROI analysis. What is ROI and how to measure it? Read on. We’ll tell you all about it below.

First step: determining the objectives of business English classes

In-company English classes increase the competitiveness and confidence of your employees. This produces a significant return for your business in terms of results.

Therefore, when hiring an English course for companies, it is important to implement an appropriate methodology. At Classgap for Enterprise we have a 100% effective methodology based on three main elements. The first is the training plan.

In the training plan, a team of experts, together with the managers and the human resources area of the company, performs an analysis of the current status and training needs of each part of the company.

The training plan is then developed by combining the results of this analysis with the company’s objectives. If the company wants to tackle projects in regional markets, for example, what level of English should employees possess to achieve this?

Review the needs of each team

Each area of the company is made up of different work teams. These teams in turn are made up of employees, each with their own expertise and experience. Not all the staff in the foreign trade area, for example, may be 100% fluent in English. Some may even have a very basic level.

In this regard, during the training plan, it is determined which type of business English classes will be the most appropriate for the training process. It is likely that some employees will be able to attend group classes, while the English training needs of others will require one-to-one classes. That is, one-to-one classes with a tutor available to learn at the pace needed.

The flexibility and customization of each business English course is therefore key to ensuring that the investment in business English classes produces the desired return.

Virtual classes: why they are better for business English

The second element of the business training methodology consists of a Virtual Classroom. Thanks to technology, it is now possible (and advisable) to hold virtual business English classes.

Thus, employees can take their business English courses from wherever they are. This also allows for greater flexibility in scheduling, which is essential in this day and age.

It is well known that not all employees work at the same time and in the same place, as was the case in the past. Nowadays, remote work is a reality and allows each company to handle different dynamics. Business English classes need to adapt to this new modality.

In the virtual classroom, employees will have their classes and will find all the necessary elements to carry out their training successfully and in a committed manner.

Measuring the ROI of the English course for employees

So, how do you measure the ROI of a corporate English course? Starting with the third element of the corporate training methodology: the tracking dashboard.

This tool is available to members of the human resources team. They will be able to assign classes, modify groups, evaluate attendance and achievement metrics, etc.

In this way, they will be able to compare these results with the company’s objectives and measure the degree of return on training.