It is crucial for employers in the United States today to establish a work environment that promotes full integration of all employees, particularly those who are multilingual and multicultural. The ongoing demand for foreign language skills in this global economy, as highlighted in a survey conducted for ACTFL, reaffirms this need. A primary objective for successful businesses should be the building of an inclusive culture that celebrates diversity while fostering business growth in the multicultural space.
Cultivating Multilingual Workforce
Employers can take several steps to cultivate a culture of appreciation for different languages and cultures and address the challenges that come with a diverse workforce. Establishing clear and effective communication channels is of utmost importance, including policies that underscore the value of your diversity-infused business strategy. Regular meetings in which everybody is informed of the utilization of internal networks or departments with different language capabilities can facilitate the process. Additionally, offering language training and support to bilingual and multilingual employees who may need assistance practicing their linguistic skills through language classes or access to language-learning software is a valuable business investment.
Providing Learning Opportunities
“HR must remain committed to exploring various learning opportunities to keep leadership and employees engaged in learning. Organizing an inclusion council can help address underrepresented employee groups and advance diversity internally through hiring, developing, promoting, and retaining diverse employees. Members of C-suite should be actively involved, but employees, ideally with diverse backgrounds, should be leading the committee,” (Kurter). Similarly, providing translation and interpretations services (whether internal or outsourced) ensures that monolingual employees have the necessary tools to communicate with clients or customers, and even colleagues in other countries, who may not speak their language. This strategy aligns with additional findings of the ACTFL survey, which indicate that two-thirds of employers rely on the use of language service providers (LSPs) to complement their in-house multilingual staff.
Promoting Intercultural Exchanges
Promoting intercultural exchange such as multicultural events or team-building activities may facilitate cross-cultural collaboration as well. “By organizing social events, you create the opportunity to gather your employees in a setting that is not affected by the pressure and expectations of the workplace. When workers can relax and have fun together, aspects of their personalities, their interests, and their diverse cultures will come to the fore in a way that is missing in the working environment. This level of familiarity allows employees to understand one another a little better. Over time, it forges stronger bonds of friendship that aid inclusivity,” (Hamilton). Similarly, implementing a mentorship system is an excellent tool for providing guidance, and the practicing of language skills. Assigning multilingual employees who are fluent in the predominant workplace language as language mentors contributes to developing integration among their multilingual colleagues, and monolingual employees who might want to learn a second language.
Benefits of Multilingual Workforce
A company that promotes cultural sensitivity by offering training programs to increase awareness among multilingual employees reduces misunderstandings. Furthermore, businesses that address discrimination or bias encourage employees to report language-related issues and generate a more respectful and harmonious work atmosphere when they mitigate them. When employers actively encourage open communication and seek feedback from multilingual employees about their needs and experiences in the workplace, it makes it easier to determine areas for improvement.
Verify Language Skills with Confidence
Stay competitive in the globalized economy. Join those who recognize the critical role of language education and assessing the foreign language skills of your current or prospective employees. Contact Language Testing International (LTI), a leader in providing language proficiency assessments with over 30 years of experience. As the exclusive licensee of ACTFL, LTI offers valid and reliable language credentials, remotely proctored for your convenience, in more than 120 languages.
Sources
American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) and the Lead with Languages Campaign commissioned Ipsos Public Affairs, with the support of Pearson LLC and Language Testing International. (2019). “Making Languages Our Business: Addressing Foreign Language Demand Among U.S. Employers.” https://www.leadwithlanguages.org/report
Hamilton, Jori. “How to create an Inclusive Culture for Foreign Workers.” Talentculture. March 10, 202. https://talentculture.com/inclusive-culture-foreign-workers/#:~:text=Creating%20an%20inclusive%20culture%20is%20not%20simply%20about,empowering%20…
Kurter, Heidi Lynne. “6 Ways to Cultivate A Workplace Culture That Inspires Diversity And Inclusion.” Forbes. Jun 30, 2020. https://www.forbes.com/sites/heidilynnekurter/2020/06/30/6-ways-to-cultivate-a-workplace-culture-that-inspires-diversity-and-inclusion/?sh=3354bf9231ae
