MIT Study Shows That Corrected English Writing Increases Wages By 8%

Non-native English speakers stand to gain a lot by using tools like EnglishBrain.

MIT Study Shows That Corrected English Writing Increases Wages By 8%
MIT Study Shows That Corrected English Writing Increases Wages By 8%

Tadas Antanavicius

Founder, EnglishBrain

Tadas is the software engineer, marketer, and product manager behind EnglishBrain, the app that rewrites your messages in perfect English.

A rigorous study from MIT released in 2023 studied 480,948 jobseekers and found that using a writing assistant software tool when creating their resumés led to an 8% increase in both getting hired and in wages earned.

This study included both native and non-native English speakers. If you are a non-native speaker reading this post, you stand even more to gain. Imagine earning 20% more, just because you start using a tool to automatically improve your English writing.

If you earn $40,000 USD in a year, you could be earning $48,000.

Why is this true?

Imagine you are hiring someone for a job as an assistant. Let’s say you receive the following letter from two different people: one on the left, and one on the right. Choose the button with the language you are most familiar with:

Candidate A
Dear Tadas,

I'm thrilled to apply for the assistant position at your company. As someone who's naturally detail-oriented and thrives in a fast-paced environment, I'm confident that I can be a valuable addition to your team.

I've developed my organizational and communication skills through previous work experiences, where I learned to prioritize tasks, juggle multiple projects at once, and maintain a high level of accuracy in my work. I'm also proficient in various software programs, including Microsoft Office, Google Suite, and project management tools, which I'm sure will come in handy in this role.

I'm genuinely excited about the prospect of working in a collaborative environment, where I can apply my skills to provide comprehensive support to the team. I pride myself on being a quick learner, and I'm always willing to take on new challenges to help my team and company succeed.
Thank you for considering my application. I'm looking forward to the chance to discuss how my experience and skills can benefit your company.

Sincerely,
Applicant
Candidate B
Dear Tadas,

I am apply job assistant position. I very happy and excited for apply. I am detail-oriented and work fast, I confident I valuable addition to team.

I have skill in organization and communication from work experience. I learned prioritize task, juggle many project same time, and keep accurate. I am know Microsoft Office, Google Suite, and project management tools. It be very useful in job.

I very excited to work in environment with team. I can use skill to help team and company. I very good learner and not afraid of new challenge.

Thank you for think about my application. I looking forward to talk about my skill and experience can benefit company.

Sincerely,
Applicant

Who would you hire?

The MIT study found that hiring managers would hire Candidate A

Hiring managers reading the resumés were able to build confidence that the applicant with perfect writing skills would do a good job when hired. They likely both believed that strong writing skills would lead to better job performance, and also simply found it easier to vet a candidate with stronger writing skills.

This study is not the only one with similar findings. A 2021 study by Hong, Peng, Burtch, and Huang showed that applicants who send direct messages to hiring managers are more likely to get hired, but the effect is diminished when the applicants’ messages contain errors.

I have personally found it hard to hire applicants with weaker English skills

As someone who runs my own business, I often hire hourly workers on digital work marketplaces like UpWork or OnlineJobs.ph (a Philippine job board). When I post an international job opportunity, I am usually overwhelmed with dozens of applications. There is no way I would be able to read 50 applications in detail, so my first filter is often, “How strong is their English communication?”

I filter on this criteria primarily because I know it will be harder for me to easily read and understand unclear, ambiguously worded English. And if it’s harder on a resume screen, it will be even harder when we’re trying to work together day after day.

Of course, I’m sure this approach results in me losing very many good candidates that simply don’t have perfect English skills.

It's not just about getting hired

These studies and anecdotes only talk about the very beginning: the first impression you're making when you present a resume or meet someone new. But the effects of non-native English can compound. If you are day in and day out perceived to be communicating less clearly and less effectively, your boss may pass you over for a promotion. Your new social friend may choose to not invite you to the next dinner party. You may miss opportunities you never knew existed.

It’s not fair that perfect language skills can be such an arbitrary barrier

I grew up surrounded by this glass ceiling. My immigrant parents have been asking me to proofread and rewrite their important emails and text messages since I was in high school. The communities I grew up with were full of smart, talented Lithuanians - but I’ve observed that breaking through the language barrier in a native English society like the US (and, increasingly, the entire digital world) is not an easy task.

Technology can help

Technology won’t solve the whole problem. But it can help you make a tangible first step. That’s why I built EnglishBrain, the app that rewrites your messages in perfect English. Now, instead of asking me to fix one or two emails per month, my parents can ask EnglishBrain to correct five messages a day. They can build more respect among their coworkers and team members, network more efficiently with their social peers, and

And you don’t have to rely on EnglishBrain forever. Learn from it. As you send messages to it, learn its patterns. Why does it sound so polished? How can you consistently match its perfect punctuation? Don’t just blindly copy/paste, and you’ll find yourself writing naturally more like EnglishBrain in no time.

Give it a try.

EnglishBrain rewrites your SMS/WhatsApp and email drafts in perfect English.

Receive rewrites back via SMS or WhatsApp. We don't share your number with anyone.