Is Your Welcome Mat in Their Language?


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Imagine this. You're a new employee. Remember how that felt? Remember the pride you felt
that you were selected to be part of a team that ran a company. It didn't matter how 
small the job was, you were now part of something big and important. You couldn't wait
to get started. Remember the nervousness at the realization that now you would have to
live up to claims you made in your interview. Am I up to the job? Where do I park? How
do I get supplies? What is this complicated document that Human Resources wants me to 
read? Somehow you got through it all. You were good at your job. Your bosses 
appreciated your effort and your skill. Your co-workers liked you. And you got better 
and better until one day you were able to move on to an even better job.

Now imagine this. You are a new employee of a U.S. company and English is not your 
first language. All the HR documents you need to read, understand and sign are in English. 
Everyone you meet speaks English. And they speak it so fast you seem to only understand 
a few words at a time. You are just the person for the job and you know it. The person 
who made the job offer knows it too. But everybody seems so impatient. It's not easy 
adapting to a new business culture and a new language as well.

The demographics of the United States are changing more and more toward a country
made up of many people who speak other languages before they speak English.
These people are or will be your customers. They are a profitable and accessible 
new market. So you are finding ways to do business with them. Among other things,
you use translation services to make sure your advertising messages and your
marketing campaigns are as appealing in their language as it is in English. 
You adapt to their needs.

Nobody denies that an effort is being made through different means to learn more
and more English. But in the meantime, not only as a morale booster and a 
turnover reducer, but to prevent accidents, improve productivity and reduce
liabilities, do you publish some of your HR documents in their language? How about
those important safety manuals? Do the policies and procedures that are an integral
part of your daily operations come in more than one language? Does your internal 
website come in more than one language? Your newsletter? Anything?


Now imagine yourself as a new employee of a major German or Brazilian or Chinese 
company. You know what you can do but you are nervous and anxious to make a good
impression. If only they would provide you with a little help and understanding.
Doesn't feel so good, does it? Unfortunately that is just how it feels to many
employees of U.S. corporations across the nation. 

If you look at the social and economic changes the United States has gone through
over the past few decades, you see a true multicultural transformation. The 
melting pot has transformed people from different backgrounds, countries, and 
walks of life into employees whose productivity is greater than at any time 
since the Industrial Revolution began. The rising expectations of these newcomers 
to the American Dream have raised all our boats. That dream continues. And the 
next generation of dreamers is at the door. Does your welcome mat come in their 
language? 

 

See you soon ! 

 
Martha. 

 

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About the Author, if using, please include:

Martha E. Galindo, President and CEO of Galindo Publicidad, Inc.
A multilingual translations agency, selected twice as 
a Florida 100 company. Author of “How Do You Say…?” 
an eNewsletter designed to help you improve your 
business communications in other languages,
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