The Challenge in the Workplace
Today, staying competitive in a global economy continually presents challenges to companies in the US. Manufacturers must produce their goods better, faster and cheaper than their competition. The construction industry struggles to find skilled labor for hanging dry wall and masonry work. Hospitality industries face high turnover rates for their entry-level positions.
Managing human capital is a key component to improving productivity and quality. Given the predicted labor shortage, especially for skilled laborers, employers must look to non-traditional sources. For many, the immigrant labor pool is the answer, but the costs of the language barrier must be controlled.
What is the cost of reduced safety, quality and productivity due to language barriers? $20,000 - $500,000+ per year depending on the company. Here are a few examples of where money is lost:
Supervisors cannot communicate well with immigrant employees, so ...
- unreported problems result in wasted product, unhappy customers, and decreased production time
- instructions to immigrant workers take 3 times as long
- lack of understanding safety procedures results in fines, lawsuits, days lost and increased insurance premiums
Human resources staff have difficulty conducting ...
- interviews / orientation / training
- benefits enrollment
- counseling sessions
Company leaders struggle with the integration of immigrant employees which results in ...
- lost opportunity to fulfill diversity initiatives because of language barriers
- wasted time and money when focusing on short-term coping strategies instead of long-term capacity-building strategies
- failure to update policies that maintain a safe, productive and quality-focused workplace
Find out more about proactively managing language barriers in the Workplace.