The Role of Multilingual Competence in Corporate Recruitment Practices: A Mixed Methodology Approach

Nowadays, multilingualism in corporate communication is essential for all forms of interaction to improve employee engagement, expand market reach, and foster innovation. Moreover, multilingualism has become a highly valued asset in recruiting talent and workforce structuring, as it serves as an enabler of inclusion and a control mechanism. This research studied multilingualism as a means of communication in corporate hiring practices in the context of corporate slavery. Hence, the authors aimed to explore the role of multilingualism in shaping contemporary hiring practices within corporations. The authors used mixed methodology. The insights were extracted from a survey study (n = 312) and semi-structured interviews (n = 30). This article reveals patterns in which multilingualism functions as a modern mechanism of corporate gatekeeping. The results demonstrate that while multilingualism could improve employability and communication practices, it can create dependency structures and cover the exploitative realities of corporate labor. Moreover, it emphasizes the power of multilingualism as a mechanism of empowerment and coercion in modern corporations. At last, the results offer theoretical and practical insights into employment practices.