Many organizations recognize the value of improving their communication strategy with their Hispanic workforce.  One of the ways they do this is by  translating company policies and procedures as well as safety information into Spanish. This is especially useful for many non-English speaking, front line Hispanic employees.

It is important however; to monitor how the information is transmitted to first generation Hispanics in the workplace.  Before proceeding with the translation effort, make sure that the translator’s skills and Spanish fluency  meet the intended needs of the production employees.  There is no room for doubt or error when you’re attempting to communicate crucial issues such as safety guidelines or production goals.

The problem with most translated materials however, is that they don’t take the end user into account. Often, the literature is translated at a level of Spanish that few front line employees can understand. We need to be mindful that most first generation, front line Hispanic employees have less than a public school education. There are also a considerable number whose level of  literacy in their own language is somewhat limited.

Unfortunately, most translated material ignores this important fact as it contains language that is meant for a high school or college level audience. The literature they receive is of little value to the production employees as they attempt to decipher the meaning of  unfamiliar words.

Ideally, the translated literature and training courses should be provided in Spanish and in line with their level of literacy and communication skills.

There have been many instances where Hispanic employees have asked me to clarify numerous points from the Spanish literature they received at orientation meetings or company mail. Some of the literature the employees received contained important information that pertained to medical benefits, company retirement plans and other relevant employee issues. A few employees were too embarrassed  to ask for clarification and just gave up reading.

Unfortunately, many companies are investing a great deal of time and money by attempting to deliver valuable messages that are not understood by their intended target audience.

Whether verbal or written, first generation, non-English fluent Hispanics in the workplace have special communication needs. When you take the extra effort to communicate in friendly, easy to understand Spanish, you are delivering a very powerful message. You are letting your Hispanic workforce know that you genuinely care about their professional growth and specific learning needs.