How to Verify Your Employee’s Translations Are Accurate

During a recent client consultation, ITC’s translation team encountered a critical oversight: an employee without linguistic training had revised a multilingual contract, swapping “previa solicitud” for “bajo pedido” in Spanish and “lorry” for “truck” in American English. These unvalidated changes introduced informal terms and regional mismatches, risking confusion and undermining the document’s credibility. At International Translating Company (ITC), we’ve helped clients like Bank of America and Bayer ensure translation accuracy across languages, delivering reliable financial agreements, patient guides, and marketing content for global audiences.

Why Employee Translations Can Fail

Employees often undertake translations to cut costs or expedite projects, but without expertise, these efforts can falter. Untrained staff may lack knowledge of authoritative linguistic standards, cultural nuances, or industry-specific terms. For instance, a finance officer might use “crédito” instead of “préstamo” for “loan” in Spanish, missing the precision needed for banking contexts. Similarly, an HR staffer might overlook regional English variants, like “lorry” vs. “truck,” confusing US audiences. Without oversight or access to certified linguists, employees risk grammatical errors or brand misalignment, as seen in ITC’s client case where unchecked edits caused persistent issues.

ITC’s Lead Translator, a certified linguist with 8 years of experience as a native speaker, explains: “Employee translations often lack rigor. A structured verification process is critical to ensure accuracy and professionalism across languages.”

Key Risks of Inaccurate Translations

Inaccurate translations pose significant challenges:

1. Brand Damage:

Errors erode trust. In ITC’s client case, using “bajo pedido” instead of “previa solicitud” in Spanish and “lorry” instead of “truck” in English made contracts appear unprofessional, weakening credibility. ITC’s work with Bank of America ensures precise terms like “tasa de interés” (interest rate), upholding brand integrity.

2. Operational Delays and Rework:

Inaccurate translations require revisions. The client’s edits led to significant rework, delaying contract finalization as ITC’s team corrected terms. Operations Managers face similar disruptions when compliance documents or safety manuals need retranslation.

3. Cultural Misalignment:

Incorrect terms alienate audiences. The client’s use of “lugares” instead of “ubicaciones” for “locations” in a Spanish marketing campaign confused Spain-based readers, expecting formality. Similarly, “lorry” in a US-focused manual perplexed American readers. ITC’s translations for Bayer prioritize cultural fit, ensuring clarity in healthcare content.

Checklist to Verify Translation Accuracy

To ensure employee translations are accurate in any language, businesses can follow this checklist:

1. Cross-Reference with Authoritative Standards:

Verify terms against recognized sources, like Real Academia Española (RAE) for Spanish (dle.rae.es) or Oxford English Dictionary for English. For example, confirm “préstamo” over “crédito” for “loan” in Spanish banking contexts. ITC provides compliant glossaries, ensuring terms like “tratamiento” (treatment) meet healthcare standards.

2. Consult Native, Certified Linguists:

Engage experts to review translations. ITC’s 4,500+ certified linguists flagged “bajo pedido” and “lorry” as errors, recommending “previa solicitud” and “truck” for precision. For a Mayo Clinic project, ITC ensured patient guides used accurate terms like “diagnóstico” (diagnosis), enhancing clarity.

3. Conduct External Audits:

Use third-party providers like ITC for independent reviews. ITC’s audit for a manufacturing client identified inconsistent terms in training materials, reducing errors by 40%. Audits are essential for Operations Managers handling compliance documents.

4. Test with Target Audiences:

Pilot translations with diverse groups to confirm resonance. ITC tested a Disney campaign’s taglines in Spanish and English markets, ensuring “promoción” (promotion) and “offer” were clear. Marketing Directors benefit from validated campaign impact.

5. Use Translation Management Systems (TMS):

Implement TMS to enforce consistency. ITC’s TMS ensured “atención al cliente” (customer service) and “customer support” consistency in Google’s campaigns, cutting errors by 30%. HR Specialists gain standardized terms like “evaluación” (assessment) for training programs.

ITC’s Role in Ensuring Accuracy

Founded in 1969, International Translating Company (ITC) specializes in translation accuracy for industry leaders like Google, Harvard University, and Bayer. With over 4,500 certified linguists and 24,000 interpreters, ITC offers translation, phone interpretation (24/7 in 230+ languages), and data labeling services tailored to Marketing, Operations, and HR needs. For instance, ITC’s verification for Google’s multilingual campaigns ensured consistent terminology across markets, while Bayer’s healthcare translations maintained precision globally.

ITC’s Lead Translator, a certified linguist with 12 years of experience as a native speaker, adds: “Our verification processes catch errors early, delivering translations that are accurate, culturally aligned, and brand-consistent.”

Conclusion: Verify Translations for Lasting Impact

Unverified employee translations risk brand damage, delays, and cultural misalignment. By following ITC’s checklist—cross-referencing standards, consulting certified linguists, conducting audits, and testing with audiences—businesses ensure quality. Whether you’re a Marketing Director crafting global ads, an Operations Manager translating compliance documents, or an HR Specialist creating training content, ITC’s expertise delivers results.

Ready to verify your translations? Contact ITC at 801-513-2063 or info@internationaltranslating.com for a free translation consultation. Visit internationaltranslating.com to see how we deliver “Where every word matters!” for clients like Disney and Bank of America.