Case study

Grupo Bimbo

The TOEIC Listening and Reading Test Helps Grupo Bimbo Communicate Globally

March 2020

Grupo Bimbo knows seamless communication is imperative for conducting business, so they needed to confirm that their employees had the English proficiency necessary to communicate with colleagues abroad.

Grupo Bimbo chose the TOEIC^® Listening and Reading test as the tool to measure English proficiency of its current and prospective employees and now the company uses TOEIC test scores to set benchmarks that help it identify employees with the most potential to succeed.

For Grupo Bimbo, the goal is to expand internationally to countries in which they don’t currently operate and the first step to achieving that goal is creating a workforce that is proficient in the English language.

Company Snapshot: Grupo Bimbo

Grupo Bimbo is one of the largest food corporations in Mexico, and the largest bakery in the world. With over 130,000 employees working in 168 plants across the Americas, Europe, and Asia, Grupo Bimbo produces over 10,000 products under more than 100 household brands.

Quick Facts

Key Categories: Bread products, pastries
Corporate Headquarters: Mexico City, Mexico
Locations: 168 plants across the Americas, Europe, and Asia
Number of Employees: 130,000+
Net Sales (2013): $13.7 billion

Source: Grupo Bimbo website

Challenge

Grupo Bimbo is one of the largest food corporations in Mexico, and the largest bakery in the world. With over 130,000 employees working in 168 plants, across the Americas, Europe, and Asia, Grupo Bimbo understands the importance of communicating in English to ensure business operations continue running efficiently. The challenge for Grupo Bimbo, according to Corporate Development Manager Francisco Chavez Garcia-Malo, is “finding executives with the level of English proficiency necessary to interact with associates from the United States or China, and to support the global expansion of the company.” For a global company like Grupo Bimbo, seamless communication is imperative for conducting business, so they needed to confirm that their employees had the English proficiency necessary to communicate with colleagues abroad.

Solution

Grupo Bimbo chose the TOEIC^® LIstening and Reading test as the tool to measure English proficiency of its current and prospective employees. According to Garcia-Malo, “The TOEIC Listening and Reading test helps us measure the English-language proficiency of current employees within our organisation, and to promote and hire the right candidates.” Grupo Bimbo uses TOEIC test scores to set benchmarks that help it identify employees with the most potential to succeed.

Result

Grupo Bimbo’s efforts to improve the English proficiency of current and future employees have shown immediate results. According to Garcia-Malo, “Everybody knows there is a certain level of English proficiency that must be met, and they work to reach it because if not, they will not be able to participate in promotions or other opportunities to learn and experience new things.” The TOEIC Listening and Reading test has established a culture of success within Grupo Bimbo, with employees aware of the fact that moving up in the company is dependent on their level of English proficiency. By establishing TOEIC score benchmarks, all Grupo Bimbo employees are aware of the proficiency level required to be eligible for a promotion. For Grupo Bimbo, the goal is to expand internationally to countries in which they don’t currently operate and the first step to achieving that goal is creating a workforce that is proficient in the English-language.