Survey: Bilingual Executives In Demand

March 9, 2005
Today's global economy demands that senior executives know more about culture and business abroad -- especially language. According to Los Angeles-based Korn/Ferry International's quarterly Executive Recruiter Index, the ability to speak more than one ...

Today's global economy demands that senior executives know more about culture and business abroad -- especially language.

According to Los Angeles-based Korn/Ferry International's quarterly Executive Recruiter Index, the ability to speak more than one language is critical to succeed in business in Europe, Asia/Pacific and Latin America.

Indeed, nearly 85% of recruiters in Europe, 88% of recruiters in Asia and 95% of recruiters in Latin America either "strongly agreed" or "somewhat agreed" that being at least bilingual is critical to succeed in today's business environment. Among recruiters in North America, that percentage was just 34%.

In terms of which foreign-language capabilities are in demand by employers, recruiters in Asia, Europe and Latin America overwhelmingly chose English (88%). Recruiters in North America selected Spanish (79%), French (43%) and Mandarin Chinese (30%).

"These findings suggest that although English remains the dominant language of international business, multilingual executives clearly have a competitive advantage," says Paul C. Reilly, chairman and CEO of Korn/Ferry International. "This will only increase with the continued globalization of commerce and the growing power and presence of emerging nations."

The Executive Recruiter Index was based on a quarterly survey of 185 Korn/Ferry International consultants.

Korn/Ferry International

Popular Sponsored Recommendations

Empowering the Modern Workforce: The Power of Connected Worker Technologies

March 1, 2024
Explore real-world strategies to boost worker safety, collaboration, training, and productivity in manufacturing. Emphasizing Industry 4.0, we'll discuss digitalization and automation...

3 Best Practices to Create a Product-Centric Competitive Advantage with PRO.FILE PLM

Jan. 25, 2024
Gain insight on best practices and strategies you need to accelerate engineering change management and reduce time to market. Register now for your opportunity to accelerate your...

Transformative Capabilities for XaaS Models in Manufacturing

Feb. 14, 2024
The manufacturing sector is undergoing a pivotal shift toward "servitization," or enhancing product offerings with services and embracing a subscription model. This transition...

Shifting Your Business from Products to Service-Based Business Models: Generating Predictable Revenues

Oct. 27, 2023
Executive summary on a recent IndustryWeek-hosted webinar sponsored by SAP

Voice your opinion!

To join the conversation, and become an exclusive member of IndustryWeek, create an account today!