According to Mark Davies, employer relations manager at London’s Imperial College Business School, companies including BP, GE, Johnson & Johnson, and GSK are seeking MBA students that speak several European languages.

In the UK nearly two-thirds of businesses want to recruit people that speak a foreign language. Business lobby group CBI and education company Pearson found in a survey that the preferred European languages are French (50 per cent), German (49 per cent), and Spanish (44 per cent).

Another reason why companies prefer employees with bilingualism or multilingualism for key roles is that businesses are constantly expanding their physical geographies and defined markets according to the article. Apart from English, at least one other international language is required for promotion, particularly into international roles.

The focus on languages seems to be greater in Europe than in the U.S. in general, but a survey of 419 US employers by the University of Phoenix Research Institute found that 70 per cent expected Spanish language skills to be sought after in the coming years, and 42 per cent named Chinese.

Apart from business advantages Pompeu Fabra University in Barcelona found that people are more rational decision-makers when speaking more than one language. They are often better negotiators and can view other people’s perspectives more easily – all traits that make a good leader as well.

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White Hot Employer Demand For MBAs Who Speak Multiple Languages