English Proficiency is Critical in Nearshore & Offshore Call Center Site Selection

Why is English proficiency important?

For U.S.-based companies doing call center work in onshore and offshore locations, English proficiency is important for a few key reasons:

• Communication with customers: Call centers are often responsible for interacting with customers over the phone or through other means of communication. If the call center employees cannot communicate effectively in English, they may not be able to understand the customer's needs or respond to their inquiries properly. This can lead to misunderstandings, frustration and dissatisfaction among customers.
• Brand image: The way a call center communicates with customers can greatly impact the brand image of the company. If the employees cannot speak English well, it may give the impression that the company does not value communication with its customers or does not take customer service seriously.
• Understanding company policies and procedures: Call center employees need to understand the policies and procedures of the company they work for in order to provide accurate information to customers. If they cannot understand the information themselves due to poor English skills, they may provide incorrect information to customers, leading to further frustration and dissatisfaction.
• Quality assurance: Call centers often have quality assurance programs in place to monitor the performance of employees and ensure that they are meeting certain standards. If employees cannot speak English well, it may be difficult for them to meet these standards and provide high-quality customer service.

The six levels of English proficiency

• A1 Beginner: Can understand and use familiar everyday expressions and basic phrases. Can introduce themselves and others and can ask and answer questions about personal details such as where they live, people they know and things they have.
• A2 Elementary: Can understand sentences and frequently used expressions related to areas of most immediate relevance (e.g. very basic personal and family information, shopping, local geography, employment). Can communicate in simple and routine tasks requiring a simple and direct exchange of information on familiar and routine matters.
• B1 Intermediate: Can understand the main points of clear standard input on familiar matters regularly encountered in work, school, leisure, etc. Can deal with most situations likely to arise while traveling in an area where the language is spoken. Can produce simple connected text on topics that are familiar or of personal interest.
• B2 Upper-Intermediate: Can understand the main ideas of complex text on both concrete and abstract topics, including technical discussions in their field of specialization. Can interact with a degree of fluency and spontaneity that makes regular interaction with native speakers possible without strain for either party.
• C1 Advanced: Can understand a wide range of demanding, longer texts and recognize implicit meaning. Can express themselves fluently and spontaneously without much obvious searching for expressions. Can use language flexibly and effectively for social, academic and professional purposes.
• C2 Proficient: Can understand with ease virtually everything heard or read. Can summarize information from different spoken and written sources, reconstructing arguments and accounts in a coherent presentation. Can express themselves spontaneously, very fluently and precisely, differentiating finer shades of meaning even in more complex situations.

English proficiency rankings by country 

To help you assess some of the more popular call center locations, Site Selection Group has provided a summary of the English proficiency rankings for some key nearshore and offshore countries. Please keep in mind that is important to conduct original market research to validate these rankings because labor conditions can be impacted by market saturation and other unique market influences.

Methodology

The EF English Proficiency Index places the surveyed countries and territories into five proficiency bands, from Very High to Very Low. The bands make it easier to identify.

Very High

EF EPI score 600+

• Use nuanced and appropriate language in social situations
• Read advanced texts with ease
• Negotiate a contract with a native English speaker

High proficiency

EF EPI score 550 - 599

• Make a presentation at work
• Understand TV shows
• Read a newspaper

Moderate proficiency

EF EPI score 500 - 549

• Participate in meetings in one’s area of expertise
• Understand song lyrics
• Write professional emails on familiar subjects

Low proficiency

EF EPI score 450 - 499

• Navigate an English-speaking country as a tourist
• Engage in small talk with colleagues
• Understand simple emails from colleagues

Very low proficiency

EF EPI score < 450

• Introduce oneself simply (name, age, country of origin)
• Understand simple signs
• Give basic directions to a foreign visitor