Dive Brief:

• A recent survey by the Economist found that two-thirds of 572 international executives believe multicultural teams increase innovation at their companies, reports Quartz. Neuroscientists have discovered that being bilingual changes the structure of the brain.
• When observing multi-language teams at work, researchers said they found that the teams tend to find innovative ways to solve practical problems, writes Quartz. The study points to growing evidence that bilinguals have better verbal and spatial skills than monolinguals and improved ability to focus.
• The study also found that bilinguals have essential employment traits, such as the ability to conceptualize, perform tasks requiring dexterity and think analytically.

Dive Insight:

The study results might encourage employers to recruit more multilingual job candidates. Employees who have practical work skills, such as analytical thinking and dexterity, are highly valued and much in demand, especially in a job market that is looking more for adaptability than hard-to-find skillsets. 

Innovation is an invaluable trait in any employee. And the ability of multilinguals to think in innovative ways is a special asset, especially to teams. More employers are considering offering language training programs as part of their learning modules to improve the global capabilities of the office.