75% of employers reject applicants with poor English

MANILA, Philippines – Three quarters of the country’s employers turn down job applicants with poor English, according to one of the country’s leading job search sites.

JobStreet general manager Grace Colet said studies showed 75 percent of employers had turned down jobseekers with a poor command of English, and 97 percent believed those with good English were also more productive.

“It is important that a jobseeker has command of the English language,” Colet said.

Employers were alarmed by the increasing popularity of the “jejemon” culture in the country, a social phenomenon where liberties are taken with basic grammar and spelling to the point of incoherence, she said.

“This new trend which started with text messages and social media sites is seen to encourage erroneous use of language, which can have dire implications on one’s job prospects.”

In response to employers’ demands for better English usage at work, JobStreet recently launched an English Language Assessment (ELA) program to determine jobseekers’ command of the language, Colet said. The 20-minute test comprises 40 questions on conversation, grammar, vocabulary and comprehension.

Jobseekers can take this assessment once every three months.

“Within the first few months of its launch in late 2009, more than 200,000 jobseekers in ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) countries have taken the JobStreet ELA,” Colet said.

Eighty-six percent of employers said the ELA helped them shortlist candidates, while 60 percent of jobseekers said ELA helped strengthen their chances of getting job offers, Colet said.

“But aside from relevant programs that facilitate better usage of the English language, the development must begin with oneself. With simple tasks like SMS (short messaging system), chatting, and daily conversations, the use of the vernacular such as ‘jejemon’ must be minimized. The practice of perfecting English, after all, may earn jobseekers the dream job they have always wanted.” –Helen Flores (The Philippine Star)