HR in Germany is shaped by labour law, collective agreements and co-determination. Employment contracts, works agreements, warnings and references are German documents, and conversations with the works council or with employees in difficult situations need precise German.
This page shows the German level current HR job ads ask for, phrases from HR practice, vocabulary for labour law and co-determination, what the Residence Act means by its language terms, learning time per CEFR level according to the Goethe-Institut, and recognised certificates.
Which German level do HR managers need in Germany?
The analysis covers 60 current job ads with a description from the job exchange of the Federal Employment Agency (Bundesagentur für Arbeit), search terms „HR Manager“ / „Personalreferent“, retrieved on 24 September 2026; identical ad texts were counted once. 31 of them state a requirement for German skills. The most frequent wording is „sehr gute Deutschkenntnisse“ (very good German) (22 ads). 2 ads name a CEFR level for German; highest level named per ad: C1 (1) and C2 (1). All analysed ads are written in German.
HR teams also meet language levels in residence law. § 2 of the Residence Act defines the terms: simple German skills correspond to A1, adequate to A2, sufficient to B1, good to B2, and a person masters German at C1.
How to read the wording: the German Residence Act uses similar terms and defines them in § 2 as CEFR levels, for example good German skills („gute deutsche Sprachkenntnisse“) as B2 and mastering German („beherrscht die deutsche Sprache“) as C1. These definitions do not bind job ads, but they help translate an ad into a learning goal.
What the levels mean, summarised from the Council of Europe global scale:
- B1: understands the main points of clear standard input on familiar matters from work, school or leisure, and can produce simple connected text.
- B2: understands the main ideas of complex text, including technical discussions in the own field, and can interact with a degree of fluency and spontaneity that makes regular interaction with native speakers possible without strain for either party.
- C1: understands demanding, longer texts and implicit meaning, and uses the language flexibly and effectively for social, academic and professional purposes.
German phrases from the working week of HR managers
Six sentences that come up in this role, with an English translation. They are written without first-person forms so they can be reused as neutral templates.
- Die Maßnahme ist mitbestimmungspflichtig, der Betriebsrat muss zustimmen.
The measure is subject to co-determination; the works council has to agree. - Das Arbeitszeugnis wird bis Ende nächster Woche ausgestellt.
The employment reference will be issued by the end of next week. - Die Probezeit endet am 31. März.
The probationary period ends on 31 March. - Könnten Sie die Arbeitsunfähigkeitsbescheinigung nachreichen?
Could you submit the sick note later? - Für diese Stelle gilt der Tarifvertrag der Metall- und Elektroindustrie.
The collective agreement of the metal and electrical industry applies to this position. - Das Gespräch wird vertraulich behandelt.
The conversation will be treated confidentially.
Core vocabulary for HR managers
Employment
| Deutsch | English |
|---|---|
| der Arbeitsvertrag | employment contract |
| die Probezeit | probationary period |
| die Kündigungsfrist | notice period |
| das Arbeitszeugnis | employment reference |
| die Abmahnung | formal warning |
| die Elternzeit | parental leave |
| die Arbeitsunfähigkeitsbescheinigung | sick note |
| die Gehaltsabrechnung | payslip |
Co-determination and collective law
| Deutsch | English |
|---|---|
| der Betriebsrat | works council |
| die Betriebsvereinbarung | works agreement |
| der Tarifvertrag | collective agreement |
| die Mitbestimmung | co-determination |
| die Anhörung | consultation / hearing |
| die Einigungsstelle | conciliation committee |
| die Betriebsversammlung | staff meeting |
| die Gleichbehandlung | equal treatment |
How long does it take? Learning time per CEFR level
The Council of Europe global scale describes levels by what learners can do; it contains no hour figures. Guide values for learning time are published by the Goethe-Institut, explicitly as values based on experience: according to the Goethe-Institut, individual factors such as language learning experience and first language play an important role. Two published course models side by side, in teaching units of 45 minutes:
| Level | Goethe-Institut São Paulo, per level | Goethe-Institut Germany, evening courses per level | São Paulo, cumulative from zero | Germany, cumulative from zero |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A1 | 128 | 72 | 128 | 72 |
| A2 | 128 | 144 | 256 | 216 |
| B1 | 192 | 144 | 448 | 360 |
| B2 | 256 | 216 | 704 | 576 |
| C1 | 192 | 144 | 896 | 720 |
| C2 | 256 | 144 | 1,152 | 864 |
The cumulative columns add up the published values per level. The model of the Goethe-Institut in Germany uses evening courses of 72 teaching units: one for A1, three for B2 and two for each of the other levels. Moving from B1 to C1 takes 360 to 448 teaching units according to these models.
A learning path for HR managers
- Start with the vocabulary of the employment lifecycle, from contract to reference.
- Add co-determination German, because works council processes follow fixed terms and forms.
- Practise sensitive conversations: feedback, warnings, sick leave and separation.
- Finish with written German for contracts, works agreements and references, where wording has legal effect.
Which certificates are recognised?
- telc Deutsch C1 Beruf: certifies German at an advanced level together with job-related communication skills; available as digital, hybrid and paper-based exam.
- telc Deutsch B1·B2 Beruf and telc Deutsch B2·C1 Beruf: dual-level exams for work; candidates receive a certificate for either the lower or the higher level, and topics and vocabulary come from everyday working situations.
- Goethe-Zertifikat A1 to C2 and Goethe-Test PRO: the Goethe-Institut offers German exams on all six CEFR levels and describes them as internationally recognised; the Goethe-Test PRO covers A1 to C2 for professional contexts.
- Deutsch-Test für den Beruf (DTB) A2 to C1: final exams of the job-related language courses offered under § 45a of the Residence Act, developed by telc on behalf of the Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs under the professional lead of the BAMF.
Planning German for HR managers in your team?
A discovery call with Rahel Modrach clarifies the target level per role, the starting point and a realistic plan.
Frequently asked questions
What do the German language terms in the Residence Act mean in CEFR levels?
§ 2 of the Residence Act defines them: simple German skills correspond to A1, adequate to A2, sufficient to B1, good to B2, and mastering the German language to C1.
Which state-funded courses end with a job-related German test?
The job-related language courses under § 45a of the Residence Act end with the Deutsch-Test für den Beruf (DTB) at A2, B1, B2 or C1, developed by telc on behalf of the Federal Ministry of Labour under the professional lead of the BAMF.
How long does it take to reach B2 or C1?
The Goethe-Institut publishes guide values based on experience: from zero to B2 its published course models add up to 576 (Goethe-Institut Germany, evening courses) to 704 teaching units (Goethe-Institut São Paulo) of 45 minutes, and to 720 to 896 units for C1. Prior knowledge, first language and learning experience change the duration considerably.
Which certificates fit this role?
Relevant for this role: telc Deutsch C1 Beruf; telc Deutsch B1·B2 Beruf and telc Deutsch B2·C1 Beruf; Goethe-Zertifikat A1 to C2 and Goethe-Test PRO; Deutsch-Test für den Beruf (DTB) A2 to C1. Which proof is required in a given case is set by the employer or the responsible authority.
Related pages
- The 30-day HR playbook for language onboarding
- Business German for Management Consultants
- Business German for Lawyers and In-House Counsel
- Business German for Project Managers
- CEFR levels by business role
- The ROI of business German
- 90-day plan for foreign hires
Sources
Bundesagentur für Arbeit, Jobbörse: Auswertung von 60 Stellenanzeigen, Suchbegriffe „HR Manager“ / „Personalreferent“, abgerufen am 24.09.2026
Europarat (Council of Europe): Gemeinsamer Europäischer Referenzrahmen für Sprachen, Globalskala der Referenzniveaus (Table 1, CEFR 3.3)
Goethe-Institut Deutschland: Deutsch Sprachniveaus, Kursstufenmodell Abendkurse (Stand Mai 2026)
Goethe-Institut São Paulo: Häufig gestellte Fragen zu Unterrichtseinheiten je Niveau (Stand März 2026)
§ 2 Aufenthaltsgesetz (Gesetze im Internet, Bundesamt für Justiz)
telc gGmbH: Prüfungsseite telc Deutsch C1 Beruf
telc gGmbH: Prüfungsseiten telc Deutsch B1·B2 Beruf und B2·C1 Beruf
Goethe-Institut: Deutschprüfungen und Prüfungstrainings (Übersichtsseite)
telc gGmbH: Seite Deutsch-Test für den Beruf (DTB)