Case study: Nikkei
How Asia’s largest media company uses English testing for English recruitment and skills training
Nikkei Inc. is the largest business media organization in Asia and as owners of the Financial Times, one of the largest financial newspaper companies in the world. The group's business portfolio includes publishing, broadcasting, skills training, and the Nikkei 225 stock index. With approximately 3 million subscribers in Japan alone, its flagship media, The Nikkei, is widely regarded as the reference point for those who do business, conduct politics and make decisions in the region. Pearson and Nikkei have been strategic partners in the field of business English skills training since 2013.
A core philosophy of Nikkei has been to champion fair and impartial journalism of a high quality from a global viewpoint. To this end, the business relies on a global network of 37 offices and bureaus, as well as many partnerships with foreign media companies, to gather information and broadcast Asian news to the world. Naturally this all happens in the medium of English. The ability to communicate in English has helped Nikkei to integrate with new acquisitions, reach new audiences and successfully realize global business ventures.
12%
improvement in overall speaking proficiency as a result of training
+7
average Versant score increase because of training
48
Average Versant score due to training, equivalent to CEFR B1
Challenge
Measure the true proficiency of current employees and new recruits
Nikkei noticed that although many job applicants and existing staff in Japan had high TOEIC L&R scores, they were often unable to use English effectively where their job roles required it. Nikkei needed a test that would better predict the true proficiency of their employees and new recruits and measure the communicative skills that TOEIC does not. When used alongside their English and business skills training, the test should measure the effectiveness of the intervention and help towards the overall goal of improving time to performance on the job.
Solution
AI-scored mobile–delivered speaking tests with immediate actionable insights
Nikkei selected Versant English Test (VET) as their testing solution. VET is a fully automated 15-minute test of spoken English that can be taken on a smartphone, anytime anywhere. Many large MNCs use Versant to screen, recruit, and benchmark because it measures real communication skills—the ability to listen, understand, and respond intelligibly, at a native-like pace—which is essential for business.
Results
Versant helps baseline proficiency and measure the effectiveness of training
Every year, Nikkei HR selects staff to participate in a Global Talent Program that focuses on language training for high potential employees. In an intensive 60-hour private training course VET is used to evaluate pre, mid and post proficiency gain. Trainers use the results and the detailed feedback in the score report to personalize their instruction, and participants use VET to better understand their own communicative capabilities and how and where to improve. The outcomes of the training show an overall average increase in ability of 12% across Global Talent cohorts over time, highlighting the effectiveness of the training program in raising English skill levels amongst Nikkei staff.
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