Why language training is not a luxury, but a strategic priority.

You may think otherwise at the moment, but focusing on your employees' language skills shouldn't be considered a luxury. In fact, it should be treated as a strategic priority within every company.

Language is still too often seen as an afterthought - a 'nice-to-have' for the sales team exploring new markets, or a necessity for onboarding international colleagues. But it goes much further than that. Language is the glue that enables collaboration. The key to safety and trust. And a fundamental pillar of employee engagement.

Curious? In this blog, we explore why language should be a priority in your organisation – and how you, as an HR leader, can drive that shift.

Language as a strategic asset.

Training programmes today are often chosen based on clear, measurable ROI. Understandable - but when it comes to language, the return is not just in numbers. It’s in people.

That said, numbers do convince. For example, the University of Geneva showed that bilingualism contributes to 10-20% of companies' turnover . In sectors such as IT and services, the figure is as high as 23%. And that's just the financial perspective.

Let's look at the broader impact:

• 70% of employees feel more confident after language training.

• 63 % feel more engaged to their job when language training is offered.

• 50 % gain an average of 3 hours of efficiency per week thanks to better communication.

• 58 % tend to stay longer at companies that offer language development.

In other words: language training doesn’t just build skills. It builds confidence, connection, and commitment.

And those are the pillars of any strong HR strategy.

Language skills go beyond sales or onboarding.

Language proficiency isn’t just a tool you dust off when expanding into new markets or welcoming foreign colleagues. It affects the very core of your organisation.

Consider these situations:

• An operator misunderstands the safety guidelines and is at risk of making mistakes.

• A new colleague does not feel at home in team meetings and mentally drops out.

• A manager cannot communicate his ideas clearly to international teams.

• Departments communicate past each other because they do not master the other's language sufficiently.

Without a common language, there are misunderstandings, uncertainty, frustration - and ultimately, turnover.

Language is therefore not an HR tool for the happy few, but a basic foundation for everyone.

Customised language training.

Not every employee needs to speak flawless French, English, or Dutch. But everyone should be able to perform their job with the same confidence they would have in their native tongue. That’s the true goal.

And let that be exactly what we believe in at BLCC.

We don’t offer off-the-shelf training. We create tailored language solutions adapted to:

• the profile of the employee (from worker to manager),

• the purpose of the communication (safety, customer conversations, leadership...),

• the preferences and learning style of the participant.

From classic group sessions and personal coaching, to e-learning platforms, ad hoc support, and easy-to-use apps – we match the method to the person and their needs.

What you can do today as an HR manager.

Here are three practical steps you can take right now:

• Review your training policy
  Is language learning structurally integrated into your development plans, or is it still handled ad hoc?

• Open the conversation
  Which teams or employees are struggling with communication? How does that impact their performance or wellbeing?

• Get expert guidance
  Our Training Advisors are ready to help – from quick scans to a fully developed language strategy.

Choose the right language partner

Language is not optional. It is a lever for growth, safety, inclusion and employee satisfaction.

Companies that incorporate language structurally in their HR policy not only build stronger teams - they become more attractive as an employer and are stronger in an international market.

Would you like to know how BLCC can help you build a strong, future-proof language strategy?

Get in touch via the form below – no strings attached. Together, we’ll turn language into one of your company’s strongest assets… before the need becomes urgent.

Want to discover more about the power of language training?

These blog posts are sure to inspire you:

• ROI of language training: how multilingualism creates more sales

• Measuring your language level? Measure the impact