Multilingual Workers and How to Keep Employees Engaged – The Latest News
Why Are Companies Hiring More Multilingual Workers?
With the help of multilingual employees, many companies do business in countries they have never represented
Interacting with customers around the world has become part of the business in many companies, including small operations with a few employees. With the ability to connect instantly with global clients as well as new hires and freelancers working remotely, employers are realizing the importance of hiring talent who can communicate in languages other than English.
With the help of multilingual employees, many companies do business in countries they have never represented and also better serve their local and multilingual customers.
Improved Customer Service
Having a multilingual workforce is critical to serving and improving customer relationships, says Mariana Fagnilli, vice president and director of the global office of diversity, equity and inclusion at Liberty Mutual Insurance. The company based in Boston has 33,000 U.S. employees and is actively seeking new employees who speak Spanish, Portuguese, Hindi, Korean, German, Dutch, Arabic, Russian, Chinese, Cantonese, Vietnamese, French, and Japanese, among other languages.”It can be difficult for customers to express themselves in a second or third language, so when they are able to speak in their native language and be understood, it makes a big difference and makes us better listeners,” Fagnilli said. “Our ability to understand other native languages increases their comfort in sharing their perspective and ultimately leads to a better experience.”
Deeper Client Relationships
Some companies find it difficult to establish contact with potential partners and clients in other countries if there is a language barrier. But when these firms hire multilingual employees, they can better understand customers and improve business relationships, said Steven Walker, CEO at Spylix in Phoenix.
Of the more than 100 employees at his firm, Walker says a third is multilingual. This has proved beneficial because not only does it save money on translators, but “the quality of relationships [with international clients] and understanding has gradually increased,” he said. “Now, we are more aware of our target audience’s needs and wants.”
Faster Business Expansion
Companies looking to expand globally may find it impossible to grow without hiring employees who understand other languages, said Ian Sells, co-founder and CEO of RebateKey in Sheridan, Wyo. “Having multilingual workers can provide contextualized information about people and places, which is beneficial in creating and establishing connections and relationships with business networks around the globe,” he said.
“Having multilingual employees also ensures that you understand another culture better, [bridge] gaps and ensure cultural sensitivity,” he added.
Want to Keep Employees Engaged? Reward and Recognise Them
According to the report, only 15% of employees worldwide are classified as engaged
Rewards and Recognition are equally effective in keeping staff engaged, but rather one leads to the other, according to a recent report published by international employee benefits provider Advantage Club, which focuses on the importance of rewards and recognition for employee productivity and overall employee retention.
The report states that recognition is the second most important trait that an employee should focus on while working in an organization. It also found that the dropout rate among recognized employees decreased by 45%.
According to the report, only 15% of employees worldwide are classified as engaged. He adds that among actively laid-off workers in 2021, 74% are either actively looking for a new job or keeping an eye on vacancies.
Motivation and recognition go hand in hand. The report says that greater recognition leads to higher motivation. Recognizing and rewarding employees has been shown to reinforce organizational values, teamwork, customer satisfaction, and motivate certain behaviors among employees.
“Our report clearly signifies the importance of rewards and recognition in today’s work environment. At a time, when organisations coined the term “talent wars”, it was paramount to engage and retain the good talent. R&R programmes are effective because they focus on the positives and give a clear message to employees that their contribution to the organisation matters. Rewarding great performance and accomplishments with items that your staff desire will keep them engaged and driven to do better,” said Smiti Bhatt Deorah, co-founder and COO, Advantage Club. The report says that nearly 85% of the organisations use the platform exclusively for R&R programmes.
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