Hire: When employees speak a different language

It’s no secret that remote work is becoming increasingly popular. In fact, it’s gotten to the point where companies are searching internationally for the best people to fill their positions.

In the past, the workforce of a company was mainly composed of people from the local area, and therefore most had the same backgrounds and culture. With the rise of remote work and increased diversity, business owners have some important things to consider. One is the difference in languages. For example, international hires may have difficulty speaking English fluently, which can introduce some difficulties.

Let’s take a look at some of the things to consider when hiring someone whose first language isn’t English.

Educate your workforce

Bringing on people from different cultures and backgrounds may require some cultural training for your workforce. You want each of your team members to have the proper education to treat people from all cultures with respect. Host training seminars and bring in guest speakers to talk about the proper way to treat people from all cultures.

Have your onboarding documents translated

Often, onboarding documents have tricky wording, but it’s typically the tricky wording that is most crucial to understand. Someone reading these documents in a second language is more likely to misinterpret the meaning of these sentences. Therefore, having all of your documents translated to the native language of your new employee is crucial to avoid misunderstandings and possible legal challenges.

Many onboarding documents require signatures, so it’s critical the translation of the document is impeccable. In these instances, hire an adept translator to get every meaning across perfectly.

Show acceptance and kindness

First-day nerves are many times worse for people who aren’t fluent English speakers. New employees tend to make mistakes, and mistakes are much more likely if communication errors occur. It’s important for your company to go out of its way to be understanding and accommodating of your new team members.

Setting up social events where employees can share their cultures is a great way to integrate new employees. The more comfortable people are with being themselves at work, the better they’re able to perform.

If your business requires translation services, contact International Translating Company today. Our experienced staff consists of professional translators who are adept in more than 230 languages. We look forward to hearing from you!