Every company has its unique culture, values, and circumstances, but consider the advantages that a language incentive pay program can give to your business. Talented bilingual or multilingual professionals often seek job opportunities in a diverse-oriented work environment where language skills are recognized and rewarded. So, a language incentive pay program can help position your organization as an attractive workplace, attracting employees eager to address and solve language-related misunderstandings and risks.

Meet Employee Needs with a Language Incentive Pay Program

“Meeting employees’ needs makes them more likely to stay with your organization. Fair salaries and benefits make them feel valued, engaged, and motivated, increasing productivity. Low pay leads to high turnover. Employees who lack commitment to your organization are more likely to seek alternate employment. In the meantime, they’re less productive, affecting your customer retention and company culture”, (Beasley).  Such professionals seek intellectually stimulating atmospheres. “In a competitive marketplace, workplaces that reward employees with comprehensive benefits are better able to attract top talent and make sure they stay,” (Indeed Editorial Team).

The reality is that organizations across the country are experiencing high demand for the delivery of excellent customer service to consumers of diverse backgrounds through collaborative and inclusive multilingual teams. A survey conducted for ACTFL, reported that the languages in highest demand among employers in the United States (such as Spanish and Chinese), also face the greatest shortages and rank as the most difficult to recruit. “Employees are increasingly looking for a tech-first culture, which requires institutions to adapt to new ways of working to enable agility, collaboration, and continuous learning. For organizations, culture matters, now more than ever and leaders must consider how their cultures can evolve to be more employee-focused,” (Culp).

While monetary compensation is not the sole strategy for recruitment and retention, research underscores its vital role in maintaining employees’ commitment. If your organization requires specific language skills that are not easily replaceable, offering a language incentive pay program to current bilingual or multilingual employees may be a more cost-effective alternative to hiring and training new staff.

Measure your Employees’ Language Proficiency

Reach out to Language Testing International (LTI) today for expert support in measuring your employees’ language proficiency level. By adapting to diverse market needs and embracing proven efficient solutions, your organization can build a skilled multilingual workforce capable of clear communication, reaching a broader audience, and with the potential of increasing revenue.

LTI, the exclusive licensee of ACTFL assessments, provides legally defensible ACTFL language credentials in over 120 languages. Each test is designed to accurately determine the specific language proficiency level that employees command in skills such as writing, reading, listening, and speaking. ACTFL tests are remotely and safely proctored, making it convenient to conduct language assessments anytime and from anywhere.

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.languageconnectsfoundation.org/programs-initiatives/research/making-languages-our-business

Beasley Whitney. “Compensation Strategies to Attract and Retain Talent.” EXUDE. August 11, 2023. https://exudehc.com/blog/compensation-strategies-to-attract-and-retain-talent/

Culp, Steve. “Attracting And Retaining Talent Has Increasingly Become A Critical Business Risk.” Forbes. Apr 12, 2022. https://www.forbes.com/sites/steveculp/2022/04/12/attracting-and-retaining-talent-has-increasingly-become-a-critical-business-risk/

Indeed Editorial Team. “15 Examples of Employee Incentives.” Indeed Career Guide. July 31, 2023. https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/examples-of-incentives

Madeline Martínez is a Multicultural Navigator Specialist at URBANDER, a Woman and Minority Business Enterprise (WMBE) specializing in transforming businesses to advance humanity. URBANDER’s role is to serve as an extension of Marketing, Diversity, Human Resources, Procurement, Community Relations, and Social Responsibility teams, providing innovative approaches in the areas of strategic marketing, content development, workforce development, community outreach and IDEAS (inclusion, diversity, equity, accessibility, and sustainability). Madeline holds a both a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Communications from the University of Puerto Rico and is an experienced copywriter and content developer dedicated to amplifying the voices of URBANDER’s clients. From blogs and articles to social media posts and interviews, Madeline is a skilled writer across diverse topics integrating her marketing, business and academic acumen. Though her earlier work as a Publications Officer at the Inter American University in Puerto Rico, and her most recent performance as a Spanish Interpreter, Substitute Teacher, and Instructional Assistant for English-language learning elementary school students, Madeline has impacted countless families as they have navigated migrating to the U.S. from Spanish-speaking countries. As a bilingual professional, Madeline is also proficient in translating written documents from English to Spanish, and vice versa. She has received LTI issued ACTFL Language Proficiency Certificates in Spanish as follows: Advanced Writing, Advanced Listening, Advanced Reading and Superior Speaking. During her downtime, Madeline loves spending time with her family, and enjoys dancing, movies, photography, and coffee. She considers herself a continuous learner. “A well-educated mind will always have more questions than answers”- Helen Keller

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