ETS Executive to Address HR Conference in Spain

USA - English

• Latin America - español

MADRID, May 30, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Yvette Donado, Senior Vice President, People, Process and Communications at Educational Testing Service (ETS), will address leading human resources, government and business leaders on the topic of "Human Resources and Global Competitiveness" during a conference on June 3.

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The theme of the one-day conference is "How internationalization changes the position of human resources within an organization." The event is hosted by Capman Testing Solutions, a Madrid-based firm specializing in certification of knowledge and skills in the use of language, which operates in Spanish and Portuguese markets. Capman also is ETS's exclusive representative of the TOEIC^® test in Spain and Portugal.

Last year, the TOEIC^® Program administered approximately seven million tests, setting the global standard for workforce English-language assessment. Nearly 14,000 organizations in 150 countries use the tests for hiring, placement and promotion.

"What does the future of human resource management look like?" Donado will ask attendees. "The future is already here! Today's HR executive is conversant in the language of outsourcing, workflow charts, process mapping, Six Sigma, global HR, learning management systems and crisis management in ways that had not been as essential or relevant a few years ago."

"In today's global environment," Donado will add, "the HR executive must be proficient in handling — or delegating — compensation and benefits; the quest for diversity; staffing with a workforce skills shortage; worldwide sourcing; mentoring, leadership development, succession planning; and a 'tsunami' of growing regulations.

"HR professionals also must be up to date with technological advances and automation; assessing English language proficiency — everywhere; and new ways to measure skills and personal attributes. The last point — skill measurement — requires some explanation, as it is a relatively new area in which great progress is being made. I refer to noncognitive attributes.

"ETS's R&D Division has been working on this area for years, so I am familiar with new research and knowledge of new measurement tools. ETS developed a complementary measurement tool to the GRE^® test, the ETS^® Personal Potential Index (ETS^® PPI). It quantifies such attributes as integrity, persistence, communication skills, leadership and organizational skills. It measures not what you know, but what you can do," Donado will tell attendees.  

"Internationalization is an urgent need for companies in the 20th century," says Steven van Schalkwijk, CEO of Capman. "To be able to rely on a language-competent workforce is indispensable for understanding different cultures, communicating with clients, suppliers, competitors and society."

"Capman works at the vortex between universities and companies, understands the realities of both sectors, and knows the students graduating from Spain's universities, and the level required to meet employer needs," van Schalkwijk adds.

"Measurement of English-language proficiency is a skill that is more prized today than ever, and will become more valued in the coming years," according to Donado. "Everyone acknowledges the value of proficiency in a second — or third — language, especially English. I call it `bilingual capital.' 

"The critical functions I mention illustrate vividly the centrality of HR executives today — and tomorrow. They must be valued strategic partners of the CEO and senior management and must have a finely honed understanding of how to advance the objectives of the organization. If they are on the periphery, without a line to top management, they will soon be in another line — the employment line!" Donado concludes. 

About ETS
At ETS, we advance quality and equity in education for people worldwide by creating assessments based on rigorous research. ETS serves individuals, educational institutions and government agencies by providing customized solutions for teacher certification, English language learning, and elementary, secondary and post-secondary education, as well as conducting education research, analysis and policy studies. Founded as a nonprofit in 1947, ETS develops, administers and scores more than 50 million tests annually — including the TOEFL^® and TOEIC^® tests, the GRE^® test and The Praxis Series™ assessments — in more than 180 countries, at over 9,000 locations worldwide. www.ets.org

SOURCE Educational Testing Service