How to hire intermediate Norwegian speakers with our Norwegian proficiency test

The structure of the Norwegian language levels was changed in 2014, and Norskprøven replaced Norskprøve 2 and Norskprøve 3 as Norway’s national language test.

The certification a person receives for completing this test acts as documentation that they have the Norwegian proficiency skills required to get jobs and receive education in Norway.

If you need an intermediate Norwegian speaker for your project or organization, it’s best to determine if they are Norskprøven-certified. However, Norwegian language skills may not be easy to evaluate, especially if you’re not Norwegian yourself. 

That’s why you need a solid understanding of Norwegian language proficiency levels according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). This will help you know what you should expect from intermediate Norwegian speakers who apply for an open role at your business.

In this article, we discuss Norskprøven and the B1 level of the Norwegian language. We’ll also provide helpful steps you can follow to hire intermediate Norwegian speakers.

Additionally, we’ll explain how to use TestGorilla’s Norwegian B1 test to reinforce your hiring process.

A brief overview of Norskprøven

Norskprøven was developed by Kompetanse Norge and is a product of the “Norsk språktest,” “Studieforbundet Folkeuniversitetet,” and the University of Bergen. Until 2014, the three Norwegian national language tests were Bergenstest, Norskprøve 2, and Norskprøve 3.

Norskprøven is now the national language test in Norway and is held twice a year. According to the CEFR, Norskprøven covers the beginner and intermediate proficiency levels. This means that if you need to hire speakers of this level, you should require them to have a Norskprøven certification.

The Norwegian B1/intermediate CEFR level explained

The CEFR is an international standard for language proficiency established by the Council of Europe. It categorizes language proficiency into six levels: A1, A2, B1, B2, C1, and C2. These levels are separated into three tiers, A, B, and C, representing the beginner, intermediate, and advanced levels, respectively.

Each level centers on four core areas of Norwegian language learning: speaking, reading, listening, and writing. Individuals may understand a certain area of learning better than another area. For example, someone can pass the B1 level in reading while still speaking at an A2 level.

Reaching the B1 level requires individuals to understand and use more complex grammar than those at the A2 level. This more advanced understanding enables them to write about and discuss complex topics.

Besides the increased complexities in grammar usage, a crucial distinction between the intermediate and beginner levels is that intermediate speakers can use a wider range of expressions and communicate more clearly. Their skills enable them to more easily share their opinions and ideas and communicate about familiar topics.

How to hire intermediate Norwegian speakers

Now that you know more about finding a candidate proficient in the Norwegian language, you should follow these useful guidelines to hire the right experts for your company.

Here are the steps to hiring intermediate Norwegian speakers:

1. Post the job opening

If you’re a hiring manager or employer in Norway, the first step to hiring a Norwegian speaker is to inform the country’s Labour and Welfare Administration (NAV) of the open position in your business. You should also notify your existing employees and the team that you will be advertising the role.

Depending on your government’s recruitment policy, if you’re hiring from a different region, you may be able to skip this stage and immediately post a job ad on online and physical platforms. You can write the post in English, Norwegian, or both. 

Ensure your job ad contains an effective job description that lists the requirements, qualifications, and expectations of the role. Job descriptions can help you tailor the job ad to candidates who fit your company’s needs.

2. Use a prescreening test to evaluate candidates’ skills

These days, it’s likely that you’ll receive dozens or even hundreds of applications for your position. Sorting through all of these applicants using a traditional resume-screening approach is not only tedious and time consuming but also vulnerable to unconscious biases that can creep into the recruitment process.

Fortunately, there’s a much more accurate and objective alternative.

Prescreening tests are a modern and effective method of assessing candidates’ skills and knowledge for a role. They can enable you to discover applicants’ strengths and areas to improve in. This makes them crucial for evaluating language proficiency.

You can use TestGorilla’s Norwegian (Intermediate/B1) test to examine candidates’ ability to communicate in and understand the Norwegian language at the B1 level. It enhances your hiring process and makes the interview stage seamless.

This pre-employment test is a practical assessment that evaluates applicants in the four core areas of language learning: reading comprehension, speaking, listening, and grammar and vocabulary.

The test assesses candidates’ language proficiency by simulating real-life work scenarios and daily activities. Applicants who score well on Norwegian language proficiency prescreening tests like TestGorilla’s can understand and discuss simple and familiar topics in the language.

3. Interview the best candidates

Thanks to the proven effectiveness of prescreening tests, you will know which candidates to interview based on their test results. You can conduct a pre-interview or proceed straight to the main interview, depending on your recruitment style.

Pre-interviews are usually virtual and are useful for analyzing a candidate’s confidence and interest in the role. Virtual interviews can also be useful for hiring remote Norwegian speakers if you can’t hold a physical meeting.

When scheduling online interview sessions, consider time zone differences if the candidate is far from your region.

Physical interviews, on the other hand, can help you more easily assess a candidate’s personality, attitude toward the work environment, and ethical behaviors. 

Whether you conduct virtual or physical interviews, ensure you discuss interviewees’ relevant soft skills in addition to their language proficiency.

Remember that soft skills are also vital for any professional. For example, you need language experts to be patient, courteous, and polite since they will be communicating with various stakeholders

4. Send a contract or offer letter

After you identify the best candidate for your organization or team, you can send them an offer letter containing the employment contract’s fundamental elements. You should expect potential new hires to negotiate the remuneration and work hours.

Ensure you offer competitive employment benefits to secure and retain exceptional employees. You can also provide attractive bonuses and incentives to further motivate them and reduce turnover.

5. Onboard your new employees

Onboarding requires you to interact with new employees so that they become familiar with your company’s values, culture, and goals. It’s also a great opportunity to reiterate the responsibilities and duties of the role.

Guide employees through the process of signing the employment contract. Ensure you provide them with a comprehensive document that includes details about the payroll and other terms and conditions.

Use language proficiency tests to hire top language experts

To hire the best candidates for roles that require specific skill sets, you need an effective employment model.

Relying solely on resumes, cover letters, and interviews can cause you to select unqualified candidates, especially when it comes to positions that require skills like language proficiency.

Using prescreening tests is a more objective and practical approach to evaluating all aspects of language proficiency. Credible prescreening platforms like TestGorilla also provide cognitive and situational judgment tests to assess non-technical skills.

TestGorilla offers a wide array of language proficiency tests for languages like Spanish, Dutch, German, English, and French so that you can easily evaluate candidates based on their CEFR level.

Sign up for TestGorilla today to find the best language experts for your next job opening.