Setting the Right English Level for Every Role in Your Organization

Does every employee in a global company need advanced English? Probably not.

A salesperson negotiating with an international customer uses English differently from an engineer discussing technical requirements. A manager leading a multinational team faces different communication demands from an executive presenting strategy to investors or partners.

Yet many organizations approach English proficiency with a single company-wide expectation.

Employees are expected to be “fluent,” “advanced,” or simply “proficient in English.”

The problem is that these labels tell HR and Learning & Development teams very little about what employees actually need to accomplish.

A more effective approach is to define English proficiency targets according to the communication demands of each role.

Instead of asking, “How good is this employee's English?”, organizations can ask a much more useful question:

“Does this employee have the English skills required to perform this role effectively?”

Start with the Job, Not the Language Level

It can be tempting to begin by deciding that everyone in a particular department should reach B2 or that all managers should achieve C1, but the proficiency level should come second.

First, identify how English is actually used in the role.

Consider questions such as:

• Does the employee communicate with international customers?
• Do they participate in meetings in English?
• Are they expected to deliver presentations?
• Do they write reports, proposals, or technical documentation?
• Do they negotiate?
• Do they manage international employees?
• How frequently do they use English?
• What happens if communication breaks down?

These tasks provide the foundation for establishing a meaningful proficiency target.

Why “Fluent English” Is Too Vague

Many job descriptions still list “fluent English” as a requirement. However, what does fluent mean?

One hiring manager may use the term for someone who can comfortably participate in everyday conversations. Another may expect an employee to negotiate complex contracts, write executive reports, and deliver presentations without preparation.

Those are very different capabilities.

Using an internationally recognized framework such as the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) gives organizations a more consistent way to define proficiency.

Instead of “good English,” a company can establish a target such as B2 and connect that level to specific workplace communication requirements.

The target becomes measurable.

Sales: Communication Has to Influence

Sales professionals rarely use English passively. They need to build relationships, understand customer needs, explain value, respond to objections, and often persuade people in real time.

Depending on the role, they may need to:

• Conduct discovery calls
• Present products or services
• Explain pricing and proposals
• Handle objections
• Negotiate terms
• Write follow-up emails
• Build relationships through informal conversation

For internationally focused sales roles, conversational confidence alone may not be enough. A salesperson needs to understand nuance and react when a conversation moves in an unexpected direction.

For many international sales positions, an organization might therefore establish B2 or above as a target, depending on the complexity of the product, market, and customer interaction.

It is important that the target should reflect what the salesperson actually needs to accomplish.

Engineering: Precision May Matter More Than Persuasion

Now consider an engineer. Their English requirements may look completely different.

 An engineer working on an international team may need to:

• Read technical documentation
• Explain technical problems
• Participate in project meetings
• Ask precise questions
• Understand specifications
• Document solutions
• Collaborate asynchronously in writing

Unlike sales, the goal may not be persuasion or relationship-building. Accuracy and clarity may matter more.

An engineer could potentially perform effectively with a lower overall proficiency than an international sales leader while possessing very strong reading comprehension and technical vocabulary. This illustrates an important limitation of setting targets based only on an overall English level.

Two roles may have the same CEFR target while requiring very different skill profiles.

Managers: English Becomes a Leadership Tool

Managers face another set of communication demands. They aren't simply communicating their own work. They are coordinating the work of others.

A manager in a global organization may need to:

• Lead meetings
• Delegate responsibilities
• Give feedback
• Resolve misunderstandings
• Explain priorities
• Handle sensitive conversations
• Motivate employees
• Communicate across cultures

These interactions require flexibility. The manager needs to understand not only what someone says but often the intention behind it. They also need to adjust their own communication depending on the audience and situation.

For roles involving regular international management, B2 or C1 may be an appropriate organizational target, depending on the complexity and responsibility involved.

Again, the target should follow the job analysis, not the other way around.

Executives: Complexity, Nuance, and High Stakes

At the executive level, English communication may influence decisions with significant business consequences.

Executives may need to:

• Present company strategy
• Negotiate partnerships
• Communicate with investors
• Speak at conferences
• Lead multinational organizations
• Handle difficult questions
• Participate in high-level negotiations
• Communicate during sensitive or high-pressure situations

The challenge is not simply communicating information accurately. Executives often need to communicate persuasively, diplomatically, and with nuance. A small difference in wording can affect how a message is interpreted.

For internationally active executive roles, organizations may therefore target C1 proficiency or another advanced benchmark appropriate to the actual communication requirements of the position.

The higher target reflects the complexity and stakes of the communication, not the seniority of the title itself.

One Company Could Have Several Different Targets

A multinational organization might ultimately create a framework such as:

These targets are illustrative, not universal recommendations. A software engineer working entirely within a local team may require less English. An engineer leading international client workshops may require more.

Similarly, a salesperson working primarily through written communication may have different needs from someone conducting daily video calls.

The correct target depends on the job.

EduSynch's Granular CEFR Framework Adds Another Layer of Precision

The traditional CEFR framework organizes proficiency into six major levels: A1, A2, B1, B2, C1, and C2.

These levels provide an internationally recognized foundation, but workforce planning often requires greater precision.

There can be a meaningful difference between an employee who has just reached B1 and someone who is nearly ready for B2.

EduSynch provides greater visibility through its 14-level CEFR-based framework:

• A1-   A1   A1+   A2-   A2   A2+  B1-  B1   B1+  B2-   B2   B2+  C1   C2

These additional stages make it possible to define more precise proficiency targets.

A Practical Framework for HR and L&D

Organizations can build role-based proficiency standards through five steps.

1. Identify Communication Tasks

Document how English is actually used in each role.

2. Determine Skill Priorities

Identify whether Speaking, Listening, Reading, Writing—or a combination—is most important.

3. Establish a CEFR-Based Target

Connect those communication requirements with an appropriate proficiency benchmark.

4. Assess Current Employees

Use objective assessment to establish existing proficiency.

5. Measure the Gap

Compare current ability with the target and create development pathways accordingly.

The result is a much more strategic approach than enrolling everyone in the same English course.

Don't Turn Language Targets into Unnecessary Barriers

Role-based proficiency targets should support employee development, not create arbitrary obstacles. Not every position requires advanced English.

Setting unnecessarily high targets can exclude capable employees whose actual job responsibilities do not require that level of communication.

Likewise, using English proficiency as a proxy for overall professional competence can lead to poor talent decisions.

A strong proficiency framework asks:

What language capabilities are genuinely necessary for success in this role?

The answer should be based on business requirements rather than prestige or assumptions.

How EduSynch Supports Role-Based Workforce Assessment

EduSynch provides organizations with a scalable way to assess employee proficiency and connect assessment results to workforce development.

Through adaptive, CEFR-aligned assessment and multi-skill evaluation, organizations can establish reliable proficiency baselines across teams, departments, and regions.

EduSynch's granular 14-level framework then provides additional precision for:

• Defining role-specific targets
• Identifying proficiency gaps
• Creating training groups
• Establishing development milestones
• Monitoring employee progress
• Preparing talent for new responsibilities

Instead of treating corporate English as a generic training benefit, organizations can connect language development directly to job requirements and business objectives.

Discover how EduSynch helps HR and Learning & Development teams establish role-based English proficiency targets, identify workforce skill gaps, and measure development through adaptive assessment and a granular 14-level CEFR framework.

Schedule a demo today or contact our team at contact@edusynch.com.