The views of this article are the perspective of the author and may not be reflective of Confessions of the Professions.
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Multilingualism has become an indispensable part of many companies primarily due to the rise in remote work arrangements. Especially corporations with a global workforce.
Businesses are reaching larger demographics and talented linguist are required in order to communicate to specific audiences.
Due to technological advances, the geographical location of remote workers is no longer an issue. What’s important is that recruits have the necessary skills to communicate in the designated language of their location because, well, it’s simply good for business.
What Is a Remote Multilingual Worker?
A remote multilingual worker is an individual usually employed in a different city or country. They are probably multilingual and speak the native language of the region including additional dialects.
For example, in Western Europe, it’s not uncommon for individuals to speak 3 to 5 languages fluently.
Your company will benefit tremendously if your employee can actually speak your native language and speak the lingo where they are located as well.
Managing a remote multilingual team has its challenges; however, with proper training and a good BPM – Business Process Management System – to help organize business processes, your multilingual workforce will be a tremendous benefit to your company.
One obvious benefit of employing a multilingual team is the boost in customer satisfaction. The efficacy of your business will escalate as your customers return your commitment to their needs with loyalty.
Additionally, by incorporating languages into the core of your business plans, you gain exclusive insights into the culture and the market of your customers in that particular demographic.
Hire multilingual staff that speaks your native language or have a good translator on standby.
If a phrase or comment is translated inappropriately by a non-native speaker, things could get “lost in translation” and your customer may reject your business as a result.
Nearly 30% of companies affirm that they’ve experienced a drop in customers due to a lack of multilingual support.
The Top 5 Languages In Demand For Businesses
#1 English
English is the patois of business and learning and nearly 100 countries speak it. The top 20 global organizations use it as their primary means of communication.
#2. Chinese
The Chinese dialect has an amazing 1 billion speakers, encompassing over 14% of the global population. It’s the most extensively spoken language in the world.
#3 Spanish
With over 400 million native speakers, Spanish is very popular though not recognized as an official business language worldwide.
#4 Arabic
The Arabic language takes high place on the list as it is the most widely spoken language in emerging markets. Approximately 295 million people speak the language globally.
German is the second most popular language spoken in Europe behind English. There are 95 million native German speakers and 210 million intercontinental speakers.
Establish a standard language (maybe English) to avoid mishaps during communication. Select software and apps, like SaaS software, using the selected language so that each worker in the team can be on the same page.
If a team member is having difficulties understanding the standard language provide free tools like Duolingo and use a live translator on occasion.
To keep your multilingual remote team cohesive – remember your working with different time zones – and to maintain focus on company goals, use a quality time management tool. Use Trello for super easy task management.
Communicating with your multilingual team should be equal among all workers; hence, the need to institute a common language for clarity. Use informal talking sessions with tools like Slack to create a solid bond with your employees.
Conclusion
Hiring a multilingual team with a keen knowledge of foreign languages, both spoken and written, is vital for your business on a global scale. If your company is an SMB and employing talent with linguistic skills is not required on a larger scale, try using a proficient translation service to give your business a competitive edge.
