Companies that employ a multilingual workforce face a unique challenge when it comes to workplace communications. While English may be the common language in business, that doesn’t mean everyone is equally proficient. This can lead to misunderstandings and miscommunications, which can have a negative impact on productivity.
There are a few steps companies can take to mitigate these challenges, including providing ESL training for employees who are not native English speakers. By taking this step, businesses can create a more cohesive workplace and ensure that everyone understands the company’s objectives and goals.
Providing ESL Training
ESL training is a great way to help employees who are not native English speakers improve their workplace communication skills. This will help them feel more comfortable communicating in English both within the workplace and with customers or clients.
There are a variety of ESL programs available, so it’s important to choose one that best fits the needs of your company. Some factors to consider include the size of your company, the level of English proficiency among employees, and the number of time employees can devote to ESL training.
Our ESL training program is designed to help employees gain confidence in speaking English over the course of 10 weeks for a total of twenty 60-minute classes. The program is flexible and online so that employees can progress at their own pace.
Once you’ve selected an ESL program, it’s important to promote it throughout your company so that employees are aware of its existence and can take advantage of it if they choose to do so. You may also want to consider offering incentives for employees who complete ESL training, such as gift cards or extra paid time off.
Promote Employees to Use a Language Library
Not everyone has the time to learn a new language, no matter how beneficial it may be for their career. However, that doesn’t mean they can’t still be a part of the global economy.
We at Workplace Languages offer a free language library with industry and company-specific cheat sheets to help bridge the communication gap. Available in over 200 languages, including English, this resource is a valuable tool for companies with employees from diverse linguistic backgrounds.
How to Help Your Multilingual Workforce Succeed
In today’s global economy, it’s more important than ever for businesses to be able to communicate with customers and clients all over the world. However, this can be difficult when your workforce is made up of people with a variety of different native languages.
Companies with employees from diverse linguistic backgrounds face unique challenges when it comes to workplace communication. However, there are steps that companies can take to mitigate these challenges, including providing ESL training, providing language cheat sheets, and making job aids available in multiple languages. By taking these steps, companies can create a more cohesive workplace and ensure that everyone understands the company’s objectives and goals.
