2009 is a year that will be known for many things – the end of a decade, the inauguration of the first black president, and one of the worst recessions of the last 100 years – we don’t need to be reminded of that, as businesses across the UK are still feeling the effects of the dreaded credit crunch. However it’s a new year and we’re all hoping for a fresh start, with fingers crossed that the economic Challenges of the last year or two will ease in 2010 to bring a much deserved boost in profitability and business success. 

The latest European Hiring Trends Report from Euro London highlights that the UK employment market is improving slowly but surely, with a brighter outlook for 2010, and that some countries like Germany and Luxembourg are already well on the road to recovery. This increase in confidence means business activity will be on the up, with organisations keen to maximise on new opportunities and develop new business.

Language ability is therefore a skill that no organisation should be without in 2010 if companies want to do business across the world and compete in today’s global marketplace. There really is no substitute for being able to communicate with someone in their own language and for the cultural understanding that comes with learning the tongue of a particular country.

This is all very well and good, but there are a wide range of languages out there – which ones should HR departments be looking for on candidates’ CVs? And which ones should organisations be considering training their teams in?

When it comes to recruiting, any language knowledge is beneficial and HR should keep this in mind when sifting through applications. The job spec may not state that the candidate is required to speak an additional language to perform in the role but consider how this skill could benefit your organisation. In the same way there may be a candidate who speaks three or four languages that would be able to add a lot of value to the position. And best of all you’ll get more of a return on the same investment – more skills without paying a premium. This is especially worth consideration when growing a team where there is room for a wide range of skills.

The importance of a particular language depends largely on what sector your organisation operates in and what foreign markets are influential in them. Banking and finance has seen a rise in the demand for a wide range of languages, both the popular European ones as well as languages such as Russian and we’ve seen demand for Arabic for positions in the media thanks to the boom in Dubai – it remains to be seen if this bubble will burst in 2010. Dutch and Scandinavian languages have been growing in demand too, especially within the IT sector. This is partly because candidates with these skills are so hard to find and also due to these locations receiving more business interest as companies look to tap into their markets.

Languages required for roles within manufacturing depend on where demand is at any one time, but Eastern European languages as well as Russian have been required more and more since many of these countries joined the EU, causing a boost in trade. Mandarin Chinese is also popular in this area, as well as in banking, especially for administrative roles. Portuguese may also be worth serious consideration - with Brazil hosting the 2014 World Cup as well as the 2016 Olympics a lot is going on there which means lots of business opportunities for the UK. It’s the fifth largest country in the world, South America's largest and most influential market and is expected to grow at over 4% this year.

These languages all represent markets which, with the exception of Dubai, show no signs of slowing down and will be increasingly important in 2010. Talking to candidates with skills in these areas, or perhaps training existing staff with interest in learning any of these languages, will certainly be a valuable investment.

As important as these languages are, we cannot escape the fact that French and German remain the front runners, always in demand for roles across all sectors. France and Germany are two of the biggest markets in Europe as well as two of our closest European neighbours, so being able to communicate with businesses there will remain vital for UK organisations. With the recovery gathering pace in Germany a little quicker than here and in other European markets, German is in particular demand for roles within German companies who are setting up offices in London at the moment.

When it comes to training, the chances are that British employees will have some knowledge, as basic as it may be, of either French or German. With these languages remaining the most important in the business world, HR and trainers should be thinking hard about harnessing these skills and offering opportunities to enhance them, in a time where they will become increasingly important.

However that said, with all the markets across Europe and indeed the world becoming more significant, it’s also worth making some effort to bring these skills into your business. The chances are that your business contact in China or Poland will have a good knowledge of English, but they will always prefer being spoken to in their own dialect – and even if you can master the basics to show them that you respect their culture and language, it can make a big difference.

As we leave the 2000s – or the ‘noughties’ behind – it’s clear that the marketplace in which we’re all operating will become increasingly global and that language barriers are not going to go away. So make sure languages are on your radar for 2010, and see what Benefits they can bring to you.