Effective workplace communication is crucial and should not be hindered by different dialects or languages.
We know that in today's globalized business environment, encountering diverse languages and cultures in the workplace is quite common. Progressive organizations are adopting innovative approaches to overcome language barriers and promote meaningful communication. This increases productivity and fosters a more inclusive and supportive work environment.
In fact, research shows that bridging communication gaps has numerous benefits for organizations and employees.
A Forbes study found that a diverse and inclusive workplace is a major driver of innovation and growth.
Sharon Melamed, Director at Matchboard, speaks five languages, has worked in five countries and is an accredited translator in Japanese and German.
She’s seen first-hand how important it is to overcome language barriers in the workplace.
“In Japan people sometimes gift fruit, as it can be very expensive,” she says. “When I was working there a Japanese employee gave an Israeli colleague a persimmon. However, he didn’t know the English word persimmon, so he said, "This is a ‘‘kaki.” In Hebrew, “kaki” means feces, so it was definitely one of those awkward moments."
Another research from McKinsey shows that inclusive companies are 1.7 times more likely to be innovation leaders in their market. Diverse organizations are also 35% more likely to perform better financially than the industry average.
Now, the question is, how do you navigate intercultural environments? We give you some best practices that will completely change the way your workplace performs.
Best practices for overcoming language barriers in the workplace
- Use the right words: When speaking, imagine you're telling a story to a friend. Keep it simple, understandable, and to the point. Avoid jargon, slang, and words with double meanings. Repeat anything that's causing confusion.
- Learning the employee’s native language: Learning basic greetings, words of encouragement, and gratitude in their language is a good start. During orientation, welcome them with a sign in their native language to show respect and make them feel valued.
- Translating documents: Translating key documents into an employee's native language helps everybody to understand more complex tasks or instructions. If the business is large and has international offices, it may make sense to translate important documents into the top three to five languages used.
A Forrester study discovered that sales teams with leading DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) practices achieve an average lead-to-opportunity conversion rate of 54%, while sales teams with lagging DEI practices are at 26%.
So, what are you waiting for to introduce diversity into your teams? You can elevate your company's performance to the fullest with proper culture training.
