You sent a memo to one of your employees. It was a slight reprimand for a mistake he made.
The message was not strongly worded or so you thought. You made sure that it came across as inoffensive as possible. But then the employee goes AWOL and spreads the word that you are abusive.
That employee was part of your remote foreign workforce. In that scenario, professional translation services could have helped you deliver your message more effectively.
A Multinational Workforce Made Possible By the Internet
There have been numerous examples of people from different countries working together. In the past, those employees would have worked in the same location. Today, because of the advances with the internet and computer technology, it is possible to have a workforce that’s spread all over the globe.
The Challenges of Having a Remote Multinational Workforce
Your business has people all over the world and they speak different languages and that can be challenging.
The main problem that your company might face with a multinational workforce is the language barrier. While it is possible to get employees who can speak English, because it is not their first language, they might miss some things.
Culture can also be a barrier in bringing together your workforce. In Many Asian cultures, for example, confronting someone directly is avoided at all costs, while in Western culture, being direct is common.
Another problem with having remote foreign workers is that working together can be a bit difficult because of the differences in time zones.
Fixing Your Language
Even those who speak the same language can have misunderstandings. When there are language barriers you have a more daunting task at hand. Certain company messages like its mission and vision should be conveyed in their absolute sense, as they are the guiding principles to which employees must conduct themselves in their day to day tasks.
The problem posed by a workforce having different languages can be resolved by getting professional translation services. Professional translation is a service done by native linguists to ensure the accuracy of the output. Their translations are also certified, which means they can be used for legal and other purposes.
Tomedes is a leading translation service provider and it has been helping large and small companies translate internal communications. The company can accurately convey your message to your employees through its professional translation services.
Increasing Cultural Awareness
Issues stemming from cultural differences can be avoided by raising awareness among your team members about the culture where their colleagues come from via seminars and coaching sessions. That will make them more sensitive about possibly offending others.
Managing Schedules
The problem of having different time zones can be resolved by proper scheduling and the use of effective project management tools.
Benefits of a Multinational Workforce
Because of the pandemic, companies that never considered remote work in the past resorted to it. Many are discovering that maintaining an international remote workforce has its benefits.
Lower Cost
For some companies, the cost is the main reason why they are opting to hire remote international workers. The cost of labor in other countries is a lot lower compared to that of the United States. For example, the hourly cost of a factory worker in the U.S. was $23.32 in 2017. Compare that to the hourly cost in China which was only at $1.36 for the same year.
Better Insights and More Creativity
Studies have shown that creativity thrives in a setting where people are from different backgrounds and cultures. If your company requires creativity to conduct its business, it can benefit from having a team that hails from different countries.
Exposure to Other Languages and Culture
Having a workforce from other countries automatically exposes you to other languages and other cultures. This can be enriching for other members of the team.
You’re Covered 24/7
By getting workers from different time zones, you can have your business covered 24/7.
Internal Documents That Require Professional Translation
Not all internal documents require translation. Some documents should be prioritized when it comes to being communicated to everyone in a company’s workforce. We have listed here some of the documents that require translation to help keep your international workforce intact.
Company Profile
The employees being onboarded know little about your company. You need to give your company the proper introduction. The best way to do that is to have your extensive company profile translated.
The profile should include the name of the business, the name of the founder, a short history, and services offered. It should also have the Vision, Mission, and Values of your company.
Employee Handbook
An employee handbook contains all the information that a worker needs to start on her job. It contains all of her responsibilities and other information needed to start working as well as the guides, rules, processes, and benefits that employees must know.
Internal Process
Documents that explain the internal processes of the company and the various departments should also be translated for foreign workers. Since they’re expected to follow those processes, they should be given every chance to understand them.
Newsletter and Updates
A thriving business means there’s a lot of news and updates. Your company may have newsletters being published regularly. All news and updates about the company should be accessible to all employees
Having an international remote workforce can be a major asset for your company. Before your company can reap the benefits, you need to nurture your international workforce. Part of nurturing the workforce is making sure they understand all important communications and documents.
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