Have you ever given up applying for a vacancy because they require a very high level of English? The search by companies for professionals who speak a second language –mainly English– has gained strength as more foreign organizations arrive in the country or as national companies seek to expand abroad.
More than a requirement, the second language is decisive for the salary that will be received. Lina Correa, Director of Talent Solutions at ManpowerGroup, assures that the difference in remuneration for the same position between a bilingual person and one who is not can be between 20% and 30%.
According to her, regarding 15% of professionals in the country speak a second language, a low proportion compared to the number of related profiles that organizations are looking for.
And not only are workers losing, but also companies. “They they need staff who can communicate in English, if they cannot do so they may lose business opportunities”, says Correa, who adds that Colombia is one of the most attractive destinations in Latin America to open hubs or call centers.
more and more interest
Given that Medellín and Antioquia gained strength as centers of innovation, here the paradigm between having more offers for bilingual people and a lack of labor with these characteristics has been witnessed first-hand.
Liliana Galeano, Employment Manager of Comfenalco Antioquia, assures that it is more and more frequent to see demand for personnel of this class in Valle de Aburrá and Eastern Antioquia, mainly for high strategic positions, managerial levels and the technology and service sectors, among others.
There is the company that is looking for a more conversational English (like call centers) and also the one that is looking for a more technical one. There is also the one that gives the professional the opportunity to enter and gradually help him improve his level of English, such as the one that closes the doors for him if he does not meet this requirement.
According to Galeano, in cases such as call centers, a non-bilingual professional can be offered between 1.5 and 1.8 million, while for those who are, the average remuneration is between 1.8 and 2.8 million.
Asked regarding what the firms that do not find these profiles in Antioquia do, the expert assured that they open the door to professionals from other areas such as Bogotá. She also mentioned that in Comfenalco there are more than 100 courses and diplomas for applicants to strengthen this and other aspects.
Young people with initiative
The experts consulted agree that despite the challenges, young people (under 28) are becoming increasingly interested in handling the second language and are currently the best prepared population in this regard.
“The ability to handle a second language has become essential in companies in Colombia, considering the increase in the industry in multi-Latin and multinational companies,” analyzes Carlos Rubio, regional leader in benefits consulting at Mercer Marsh.
Rubio, who reaffirms that bilingual professionals can receive up to 30% more, comments that Some companies are encouraging their staff to be bilingual through educational bonuses for languages or international internships, among others.
The truth is that the country is facing a challenge of the greatest importance, because according to the EF English Proficiency Index 2021 (world ranking that rates countries by their level of English), Colombia ranks 81st out of 112, with a “level bass”.
