Does your company hire professional translators/interpreters?

Yes, frequently. For translating marketing and sales documents, legal documents and technical material, as well as interpreting at trade fairs, meetings and in negotiations.

Yes, but not very often.

Yes, but only in exceptional circumstances.

No, we can suitably deal with everything internally.

Key: In order to be more competitive, it is important that your company comes across to customers as open and welcoming. A precise and punctual translation/interpreting provides credibility and earns the respect of your customers and foreign partners.

When does your company organise linguistic and/or cultural training for personnel?

Never, we trust in the skills of our employees.

When someone specifically asks for it.

Before entering a new market.

Frequently.

Key: For customers, a few words in their own language make all the difference in the way they perceive your company. It is also a message for the workers: "Communicating with customers in their own language is very important, and also fosters my own personal development".

Is your web site multilingual?

Yes, it has been translated into our main business languages and culturally adapted to the local markets.

Yes, it has been translated into our main business languages.

Yes, but only some parts have been translated.

No, we don't have a web site.

Key: Nowadays it is essential that your web site is multilingual if you want to be successful internationally. It is a powerful marketing tool and, for a small amount of money, it will allow you to speak directly with your customers in their language. However, the web site also needs to be culturally adapted. It will not be as effective if the style and format seem "foreign".

Are your employees provided with linguistic technology such as on-line dictionaries?

Yes, employees have access to and frequently use linguistic technology such as on-line dictionaries, terminology databases, etc.

Yes, the workers have access to linguistic technology, but they rarely use it/don't know how to use it.

No, we don't use these tools.

No, we didn't know that these tools existed.

Key: Linguistic technologies are the first step in enabling your company to work with diverse languages. On-line databases such as IATE (http://iate.europa.eu) are useful tools that are easy to access.

What percentage of your employees can talk at least one foreign language?

Less than 10%.

10-24 %.

25-50 %.

More than 50%.

Key: The Human Resources departments in the majority of successful companies have detailed records of employees linguistic and cultural skills as well as their international experience. This enables the company to place the employees in the locations that they know about in order to harness their skills.

When your company hires employees with linguistic skills…

… we hire native speakers of the languages spoken by our customers.

… we receive foreign students to do work experience placements.

… we hire people who are not native, but who know languages.

… we combine several of these measures.

… we do not specifically take linguistic skills into account when recruiting.

Key: Successful companies ensure they hire native speakers of the languages spoken by their customers. They offer employees linguistic and cultural training, which fosters the development of linguistic skills and greater awareness among colleagues.

Before entering a new foreign market…

We hire a local agent or distributor to deal with any linguistic or cultural problems.

We hire a native speaker or someone who speaks the language fluently and who knows the local culture.

We organise specific training for employees.

We translate and adapt the company's web site and documentation.

We combine several of these measures.

Key: When entering a new market in which your company lacks suitable local linguistic ability, it is a very good idea to hire local agents to be responsible for linguistic tasks. Many companies confirm that there is a clear link between the use of local agents and increased sales volumes.

Does your company approach local universities to help with linguistic and cultural problems?

Yes, we frequently rely on foreign students from our target markets or hire graduates with good linguistic skills.

Yes, we sometimes resort to foreign students or students with good linguistic skills to do work experience placements.

Yes, but rarely.

Never.

Key: Successful companies have found many ways to collaborate with universities in order to solve their linguistic and cultural problems. Agreements can be reached so that foreign students, who are native speakers of the languages spoken by your customers, do work experience placements at your company and help in linguistic matters, from answering the telephone to offering guided tours for visitors.

To what extent is your company prepared for facing cultural and linguistic barriers?

We detect the possible barriers at the start of the planning phase and we adopt the measures needed for personnel training, analysis of the impact of the culture on the business, etc. in order to prevent them obstructing commercial activity.

We keep a record of employees intercultural skills in order to send them where their local knowledge can be applied.

We learn on the go and respond quickly when any problems arise.

We have never faced any linguistic or cultural barriers, therefore we do not spend our resources on this.

Key: Approximately one in five companies face cultural or linguistic challenges in their commercial activities. How does your company respond to a cultural or linguistic barrier? If your company responds with interest and carries out a brief training course about cultural awareness, or a languages course, that is taught by a native of that culture or language, this shows that the company values and tries to understand the other culture or language and hopes to "get in the mindset" of the customer.