Transportation industry
A Growing Consensus: AirAsia Adds TOEIC English Testing
Last week, the AirAsia Group, Asia's largest low-fare airline, announced that it would be requiring TOEIC test scores for all flight attendant applicants.
The company, which is based in Malaysia and serves some 400 destinations in more than 20 countries, is in agreement with many others in the industry who have been finding TOEIC tests to be the right fit for their needs.
"We have always insisted on a good standard of English," commented AirAsia People Department regional head Adzhar Ibrahim, "but now we have this global standard that ensures that the same high level is maintained throughout our countries."
Other airlines have adopted TOEIC tests for similar reasons, using them in varying ways:
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Success Story: Reordering Hiring Steps Saves Employer Money, Improves Results
Thai Airlines since 1988 has used the TOEIC tests, the gold standard for workplace English proficiency assessment, to screen flight attendant applicants. However, a recent, simple change in their hiring process steps has now provided them with significant savings as well as improving the quality of their screening.
Becoming a flight attendant is an extremely popular goal, with about 10,000 applicants for Thai Airlines typically competing for around 100-150 open positions. Originally, the airline did an initial screen to try to determine which applicants seemed to fit their broad range of qualification requirements. This initial screening typically cut candidates down to about 1,000 applicants.
Claimed English proficiency was one initial screening measure. Those applicants that made it through the initial round then took the TOEIC test to confirm their English proficiency claims.
