A Language Lesson for Big Business

The truly wonderful thing about a global economy is that companies can expand into other countries in order to increase their consumer base, improve local job markets, and bring together peoples, cultures, and communities through the expansion of business.  Although the legalities and costs of such moves may be prohibitive in some cases, the potential for gains on both sides often makes it well worth the trouble.  However, there is one other obstacle that must be overcome in order for businesses to succeed in the international market: the language barrier.  And companies that refuse to address this fundamental communication issue may feel the sting of failure before long.

In fact, communication is essential to conducting business.  Without the ability to talk to and understand consumers, employees, suppliers, business partners, and authorities, companies can quickly find themselves hampered in their ability to operate effectively.  They will almost certainly lose money due to such a massive oversight.  But there are many ways that multinational businesses can implement strategies for success on the language front, and the results will almost certainly be positive, resulting in happier employees and a boost in sales.

For starters, companies that wish to operate on an international level need to think about all of the many ways that communications affect their day-to-day management and their long-term goals so that they can lay out a comprehensive plan for improved communications.  And it really starts with employees.  Many companies make the wise choice of integrating employment, which is to say they send already-trained professionals from their home office to “start up” their international offices, but they also hire from the local work force.  There are many benefits to this strategy, such as gaining insight into the buying habits, cultural mores, and overall psychology of the local populace, diversifying the workforce for increased creativity and skillsets, and garnering goodwill with the communities in which the business operates.  But the tactic does little good if basic communication issues are not addressed.

For this reason, it pays to hire locals that speak both their own language and are fluent in the language of a company’s nation of origin.  Further, employees being sent to the new office should be encouraged to learn the language of the country they will be living in.  Having multiple forms of communication available only increases the likelihood that important information will not end up lost in translation.  If all else fails, skilled translators should be hired to ensure productive communication is taking place.  While it can be difficult to hire qualified professionals that have the added benefit of speaking multiple languages (and the right languages, at that), it is not an impossible task, and there are other options that can help to improve the way your business is run, regardless of where the office resides.

And really, there’s no downside.  Although companies that choose to operate in a multinational arena will certainly face language barriers (and potentially additional costs associated with hiring multi-lingual employees or translation staff), the benefits of expansion stand to far outweigh any upfront costs.  But a failure to adequately compensate for communications issues that arise will almost certainly result in setbacks to employee morale, local relations, and ultimately revenue.

Shirley Simpson is a contributing writer for a German English translation service. Whether you are traveling to Berlin or Hamburg, brush up on your language skills before you go and find out about their Übersetzungsbüro (translation agency).