Recruiters’ attitudes to hiring ‘native’ and ‘non-native speaker’ teachers: An international survey

Little is known about recruiters’ attitudes to hiring ‘native’ and ‘non-native speakers’, or the factors which might influence their potential preference for the former group. Of the four studies conducted thus far, three were carried out in the US or the UK, and are over a decade old (Clark & Paran, 2007; Mahboob et al. 2004; Moussu, 2006). The fourth, conducted in Poland, had a small sample size of five recruiters (Kiczkowiak, 2019). Consequently, the present study aimed to investigate this issue further providing more up-to-date data and extending the scope to EFL contexts. Mixed methods were used: an on-line questionnaire completed by one hundred fifty recruiters, followed by semi-structured interviews with twenty-one recruiters. The results showed that while teaching experience, qualifications, and performance in the interview were important for over 90 per cent of respondents, almost half still considered the ‘native speaker’ criterion as important. This may be due to concerns about the proficiency of ‘non-native speakers’ and the reaction from clients. Nevertheless, high satisfaction with ‘non-native speaker’ teachers was also observed, and the data provided important advice for recruiters on how to successfully implement an equal opportunities policy.