The results of research conducted to analyze communication and patient satisfaction in the healthcare industry were astounding.  About 89% of patients reported that nurses speaking in a way that meets their language needs was important to them. Whereas, 94.3% of nurses reported that it is very important for work and communication environments to understand the language of patients.

As the language of choice in most corporate environments, fluency in English becomes a basic criterion for hiring. It enables people of diverse backgrounds to interact and navigate globalized business environments. These days, most businesses conduct an Online English Language Test while hiring to assess a candidate’s ability to effortlessly interact with colleagues, clients, and other stakeholders.

English Proficiency: A Key Skill for Healthcare Professionals

In a high-stakes industry like healthcare, there is no room for misunderstanding. So, an English proficiency test benefits a healthcare company hiring a new candidate. Though there are interpreters at most hospitals, involving them is a tedious process, and mistranslation can lead to life-altering consequences. English becomes critical to avoid confusion and to calm and ease the minds of the patients and their families.

One of the best ways to check for this is an Online English Language test.

Benefits of Online Language Tests in Healthcare

• Hiring Technically Sound Professionals: Most medical terms are in English, making it essential for healthcare workers to use them accurately. By implementing a round of English proficiency assessment online during the hiring process, companies can be sure of the fact that the candidate is technically qualified as well.
• Clear Communication for Better Care: With a diverse global population, healthcare professionals are required to interact with patients who speak a variety of languages and dialects. Communicating in English ensures that important information like symptoms, diagnosis, and treatments are communicated accurately and understood by the parties involved. Hiring managers can assess if a candidate can practically communicate with all patients with an Online English language test.
• Fostering Strong Healthcare Teams: Like the patients, team members can also come from varied linguistic and cultural backgrounds in the healthcare industry. Checking if the candidate can work with the existing team and avoid any misunderstandings when it comes to patient care is crucial. English proficiency test benefits hospitals and clinics by guaranteeing effective communication among the internal stakeholders.
• Ensuring Continuous Learning: Keeping up with medical journals and the latest improvements in the field is vital in healthcare. By using English aptitude tests online, hiring managers can be confident that the candidate will be able to participate in the global discourse about healthcare advancements and continue to provide the best possible care to the patients.
• Enhancing Brand Reputation: For a hospital, benefits of online language tests include maintaining its brand image and upholding its reputation. Since English is the language of global standards, it portrays their brand in a better light and helps convey high-quality care.

Why English Proficiency Matters in Healthcare Hiring

Knowing that a candidate can confidently handle everything from diagnosing a patient to collaborating with a team, without any misunderstandings, makes the hiring team sure of the candidate’s calibre. Having confidence in a candidate’s language proficiency gives the hospital/clinic confidence that this addition to their team will be able to seamlessly navigate the language of medicine and foster positive patient interactions.

Why English Proficiency Matters in Retaining Healthcare Employees

An Online English language test can be used in many situations while trying to retain healthcare professionals like:

• If an employee is being considered for a promotion, their ability to carry out the new or expanded responsibilities can be examined with an English language proficiency test.
• If an employee is facing issues with gaps in communication, the test can help figure out the areas of improvement and help them get better.
• As a part of ongoing training and development programs, hospitals or clinics can have their employees take an English proficiency assessment online, to demonstrate their commitment to the employee’s growth.
• If team dynamics or coordination has been affected due to language barriers, an online test, followed by training can strengthen relationships within the organisation and lead to better retention of employees.

MeritTrac Platforms for English Proficiency Assessment Online

Hiring professionals with strong English language proficiency requires an understanding of how they think, respond, and communicate in many contexts. This is what a majority of English assessment tests offer. MeritTrac is a scientifically designed platform that has delivered 5.5 million communication assessments to around 400 clients worldwide. The scores of these online English language tests assist employers in filtering out applicants who don’t have trouble communicating in English. English proficiency tests are available on a number of online test platforms to make the hiring process easier for employers.

• Pariksha is a testing platform that provides administrators with the option to author, design, schedule, and deliver English Communication tests online.
• SmartTest is an assessment platform with assessment catalogues that you can choose and customise based on your recruitment needs.
• SpeechTrac is an automated spoken English assessment platform to test a candidate’s speech fluency, vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation skills.

Ready to leverage the benefits of online English proficiency assessments? Connect at info@merittrac.com with MeritTrac’s assessment experts to customise assessments for you.