Outsourced customer service has become commonplace for global companies and in particular tech companies. The key to success is the ability of frontline staff to speak English to a high enough standard to be able to provide a good customer experience. This is where Aptis has helped a global US tech company establish a reliable way to screen and hire staff in the Philippines.
Communicating in English effectively
In 2017, a large US tech company was looking for a reliable method to recruit customer service agents in Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) in the Philippines. A key requirement was that the agents could communicate with their international clients effectively in English. Not only did this promote a good customer experience, but it also protected the company’s brand reputation.
Finding the right language test for recruitment
After much scrutiny and an extensive due diligence process, the company chose the Aptis English test as their preferred language test to use in the recruitment process. Developed by assessments experts at the British Council, it measures verbal communication skills and tests the abilities to interact in English in real-life situations. Aptis was successfully utilised by the tech company to identify the best candidates for the job who meet the requirement of having a C1 level in English.
The results from Aptis are delivered in just 48 hours and are mapped to the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR), providing a full overview of the language profile of each job candidate.
Continuous Performance Assessment
In order to maintain and improve English standards, one BPO uses Aptis as a performance assessment tool. It conducts regular testing of all their agents, regardless of how and where they were recruited. Of the 200 000 employees who have been evaluated, what they found was that those who were recruited with Aptis were able to provide a much higher level of customer service as they could communicate and understand the customer better.
Even throughout the pandemic, the flexibility of Aptis and the ability to take it remotely, meant that the teams could continue to recruit people despite the obstacles, using a reliable and valid testing solution.