6 Reasons You Need To Be Using Bilingual Documents in Your Human Resources Department

A company’s human resources department is responsible for managing the lifecycle of an employee’s time spent working for the business. From the onboarding process to the day they offboard from the company and everything in between, human resources deals with workers’ hiring, training, development, compensation, and regulations.

Under the wide-cast umbrella of responsibilities, human resource departments are also meant to build and empower a diverse and inclusive workforce. By hiring and supporting employees of different races, ethnicities, genders, sexual orientations, and religions, the HR department encourages a workplace culture that values and celebrates diversity.

Why Is Inclusion and Diversity Important?

When exploring ways to become a more inclusive work environment, it is important to consider language. Every single employee working for your company will not have advanced English speaking or reading skills. As much of today’s workforce is Spanish-speaking, yet businesses still struggle with the best ways to communicate with employees whose first language is not English.

Using bilingual documents within all human resources departments is a great way to communicate with Spanish-speaking employees. When workers experience this level of inclusion there are many benefits to the company as a whole.

Let’s explore the six reasons that your company should adopt the use of bilingual documentation to communicate with employees in hr departments and beyond.

1. Bilingual Documents Can Help Your Business Comply With Government Regulations

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits employees from being discriminated against based on race, color, religion, gender, or national origin. Since its implementation, the law has enacted many amendments with regard to age, disabilities, and more as a way to protect the diversity of the American worker.

If a business is not in accordance with the law as outlined, not only can it affect a company’s reputation, but it can also result in expensive lawsuits, government oversight, and a negative impact on the overall culture and morale.

To comply with federal law, a business must provide a certain set of legal documents and employee benefits to all employees. Some documents required by the government for employee consumption are:

• employee handbook
• employee contract and payroll information
• employee benefit programs
• company policies
• health insurance information
• safety procedures

Offering these documents bilingually through the hiring process allows for a company to ensure they are meeting the inclusivity and diversity needs of its employees. A new employee has a right to understand and review the policies, procedures, rules, and expectations of the business they are to work for. Furthermore, every employee regardless of the language they speak should be given clear information on their health insurance coverage options, and any other stock options or other financial documentation that relates to their role within the organization.

Making these documents available in Spanish allows a business to ensure they are supporting their diverse workforce as outlined by the law.

2. Bilingual Documents Can Improve Communication Between Employees and Management

Any time you have an employee who does not understand the clear expectations of their role at a company there is going to be an issue that human resources will need to handle. If a company’s employees do not know procedures for their chain of command, employer expectations, or where to get resources to support their time spent working at the company, this means there is an issue with communication on behalf of management. HR plays a huge role in the processes and situations employees experience, so it is important to voice the importance of the needs before they are even noticed to be missing.

Good communication between leadership, the personnel department, and new employees is crucial to the overall well-being of a company’s culture. Proper training, development, and ongoing support that is communicated through bilingual documentation is one of the positive ways to benefit employee relations with management.

3. Bilingual Documents Can Help Your Business Be More Competitive In The Global Marketplace

Globalization refers to the interconnectedness of the world’s economies, cultures, and populations. If your company is building a global workforce, this means that they are extending its workforce to include international employees thanks to its networking and production strategies.

Some benefits of building a global workforce are:

• Access to international talent: the pool of potential candidates as new hires increases, meaning there is more opportunity for new voices, creative talents, and skilled leaders to grow your business and brand.
• Cost-effective hiring: the labor costs and pay structures of developing countries differs from that of the U.S. This means that there is money-saving potential if your company invests in international employees.
• Diverse perspectives: hiring from different global markets allows your company culture to benefit from the ideas, perspectives, and experiences of people from various walks of life, which is a proven pillar of success according to thriving companies worldwide.
• New market expansion: hiring global partners and employees from different countries allows your company to gain some footing in different markets that you otherwise may not find accessible to you.

Companies dedicated to improving their standing within the global marketplace should consider getting their documents translated for their multilingual employees to continue to invest in the development of an inclusive workforce with high human capital.

4. Bilingual Documents Can Improve Employee Productivity and Morale

Even if a worker speaks English as a second language, only having important documents printed in English can lead to misunderstandings. Even more important when employees experience confusion, mixed messaging, or do not feel heard or understood, it often can negatively affect their productivity and morale. So for the sake of organizational development it is best to prepare and guide employees to success from the beginning!

Some important items to translate for your workers that will directly affect their performance, efficiency in their role, and overall morale are:

• job descriptions
• company mission
• performance reviews
• conflict resolution
• procedural steps

Every employer should have copies of important documents in Spanish or other languages that are popularly spoken in your geographic reason. If you knowingly have hired someone who speaks another language that is not spoken by anyone else in the business up to this point, it’s the responsibility of human resources to provide this information in a language the individual can comprehend. Only then can a business truly be considered inclusive in its hiring and training practices; and only then will employees truly feel they have the necessary support of their employers.

5. Bilingual Documents Can Help Your Business Save Money on Translation Costs

Having bilingual employees translate important documents can dip into their time spent in whatever role you are already paying them for, which takes productivity away from their day in order to channel it into a new task that is not part of their job description. Furthermore, hiring outside translators for interviews, meetings regarding disciplinary actions, performance review sessions, or organization-wide presentations can add up to significant costs over time.

If human resources take the initiative to translate all written documentation related to the business, work environment, and employee relations, your business will save tremendously on translation costs in the future.

6. Bilingual Documents Are A Powerful Tool For Recruiting and Retaining Bilingual Employees

When you offer bilingual employees information in their native or preferred language, you are investing in their long-term commitment to your company. Workers who feel respected, heard, and valued are more likely to:

• stay with an organization for an extended time
• become a strategic team player
• advance to leadership positions and career development
• develop advanced skills that benefit the company and its culture
• overcome language and cultural barriers in the workplace

Implementing bilingual communication strategies will open the door to more recruiting opportunities, allowing your company to find the right candidate for the position. Then continued use of communication through bilingual documents will keep Spanish-speaking employees in the know about expectations and regulations, which is a proven strategic approach to retaining bilingual employees. If you are still struggling to meet the needs of your bilingual employees, it is helpful to set up exit interviews with the hr department for any and all employees to receive first hand feedback of how to improve career development within the company!

Get Your HR Documents Translated with Us Today!

If you are serious about expanding your business’ global opportunities and finding the best ways to communicate with your diverse workforce, contact English to Spanish Raleigh today! Contact one of our translators by calling 919-995-2986 or filling out the form below to get started on furthering your Human Resources Department approach to inclusivity by translating your important human resource documents for bilingual employees.