Creating a language-friendly workplace culture improves communication, collaboration and employee satisfaction, and many actions which promote this require nothing more than a shift in mindset.
Eight steps to start with:
Offer learning opportunities. This doesn't necessarily mean running courses. Get creative!
Understand that swapping between languages is normal for multilinguals. Unless it's a safety issue, respect employees' language choices.
Ensure important documents are written in a way which makes them accessible by as many people as possible, and be clear about how staff can check their understanding.
Nominate language champions to support anyone whose first language is not English, and those who have other language needs such as dyslexia.
Ensure interviews and other aspects of your recruitment process are conducted in a way which opens the door to applicants whose first language is not English.
Communicate your language-friendly approach across the organisation.
Include a focus on language and intercultural awareness in team building activities.
Use language which doesn’t offend; even if it falls short of being discriminatory, it’s jarring and distracts from your goals.
Don’t overlook your customers and clients either: user-friendly language opens doors.
It’s worth noting that being language-friendly doesn’t mean ‘dumbing down’ the way you communicate. It’s about communicating for ease, and what's right for that will depend on who you're communicating with.
Need a little help? We're always happy to have a chat to point you in the right direction. If you'd like a partner, we can offer one-off and ongoing support.