This blog will feature questions (ranging from leadership and diversity to culture-specific communication, global team-building, and the nuances of business and social protocol in different countries and cultures) raised by working, adult students in higher education. You are invited to share your insights and perspectives based on your own personal work experiences. See "Welcome . . . more about this blog" for additional information about the blog's history and purpose.
Tuesday, October 6, 2015
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One of the strategies at the local government level is to consider bilingual candidates for customer service positions and use translation services on our phone systems.
ReplyDeleteAs a bilingual Coordinator, I highly encounter this challenge as well. I support Amy's ideas to use translation services but sometimes the meaning of things is lost through translation. So should agencies hire specific types of bilingual candidates (first language vs second language acquisition)?
ReplyDeleteOooo - this is a big one. I used to work at an office where a few of my coworkers had really strong accents and I sometimes had a hard time understanding them. It was awkward and painful for all parties. One of the things I did, which helped a little, was to send an email reviewing what we had talked about in person and ask for confirmation that we were all on the same page - but I would love to hear other strategies for dealing with this common problem! -Kelly Roark
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