Multilingualism in the Workplace – Part 3, Managing Multiple Languages to Benefit an Organization
The use of several or multiple languages by employees in the workplace can be beneficial if it is tailored to business needs. To address the negative impacts of using languages other than the language in which business is conducted, some employers have instituted monolingual or single language rules.
Some human resource professionals and legal experts in employment law advise that one of the things that employers can do to address the problems of multilingualism in the workplace is to involve employees in creating or mutually agreeing on the appropriate use of other languages in the workplace. work place.
This final review on the use of multiple languages in the workplace would discuss the advantages and disadvantages and recommend measures that would improve the benefits to the workplace.
Advantages of using a single language in the workplace
- Using a single language that is understood by all employees on a team is helpful for team building, be it the language in which business is conducted.
- Employees communicate best in a single language environment and serve as a resource if they are allowed to use a second language when business requires it.
- It is easier for supervisors to monitor the work, develop and manage the performance of employees.
- The valuable workplace principles of transparency, respect, integrity, and safety are easy to implement in single-language workplaces.
- Employees of diverse ethnic and social backgrounds who use a single language create highly innovative, high-performing teams.
- Employee engagement and team productivity are fostered in organizations that value diversity.
Disadvantages of using other languages in the workplace
- It makes team building difficult in workplaces where the use of a single language is a business necessity and strong teams are required to improve performance.
- Employees in the workplace who do not understand the language used by some of their co-workers may suspect that they are “talking behind their backs” and could create tension in the environment.
- Sometimes it undermines a workplace’s core values of professionalism, respect, and integrity.
- It is a major cause of employee misunderstanding and stress, which has the potential to lower morale and performance.
When it is appropriate to use another language(s) than the formal business language
- When necessary for business needs, for example, when a customer finds it difficult to understand the “official” business language and requests assistance from a worker who can explain it in the customer’s language.
- When the company operates in a community dominated by people who speak a different language than the workplace and employees understand the local language.
- When all members of a work team understand the language used.
- When employees in a work team have agreed that it is appropriate and feel comfortable using the language in team settings.
- When an employee using a foreign language is prepared to immediately translate the conversation for the benefit of other employees present, this practice may be permitted under certain circumstances. For example, when two deaf employees sign in front of an employee who does not speak sign language and one of the deaf-speaking employees quickly explains the conversation.
How to respond to complaints about inappropriate use of multiple languages in the workplace
Recommend the following or a combination depending on the circumstances:
- Through teams and discussions to agree on appropriate modes of communication when other people who do not understand the language used are present.
- Create a guide to help employees interact with the team if they have to use a foreign language in the workplace.
- Managers should manage isolated complaints on a case-by-case basis using a script as a guide to ensure consistency throughout the organization.
- Using the “Respect in the Workplace” policy to address some of the issues related to inappropriate use of foreign languages on the team
- Inclusion of the topic in the curriculum for the training of managers where the topic is a problem in an organization.