The Value of Hiring Multilingual Employees
With ever-increasing globalization in the marketplace, having multilingual employees in your workplace can be of great benefit. According to recent Census reports, the population of non-English speakers in the United States has continued to rise over the past 20-30 years. Having one or multiple employees who speak a language other than English can give your business a definite edge in a competitive atmosphere.
Here are the Top Three Benefits of Hiring Multilingual Employees:
- If you are looking to expand your business to new markets, multilingual employees can be a great asset. Building a multilingual customer service department, for example, means drawing in a customer base who feels confident in their ability to do business with you. They know that if they have questions or concerns, they will be able to address these things seamlessly in their native language. When customers feel comfortable, they are more likely to return.
- A professional translation agency is key to handling translation and interpreting services, since it already employs translators and interpreters with the proper experience, education and training for these skill sets. It is dangerous to assume a multilingual employee is as comfortable in writing as in speaking. The two skills are quite different, and when your brand is on the line, it’s vital to ensure a professional translation. However, if you receive an email or mail correspondence in another language and need a quick understanding of the gist of the message, or if you wish to set aside time for an employee to review translated content through the eyes of your customers, multilingual employees are quite effective and can double as in-house reviewers for you.
- The benefits are not simply linguistic in nature. Studies from the National Institutes of Health and Northwestern University have shown that individuals who speak multiple languages typically have a stronger ability for both multitasking and processing information more quickly and efficiently than monolingual individuals.
What has your experience been like with your multilingual employees? We would love to hear about benefits you’ve encountered that we may not have mentioned. Feel free to leave a comment below!