Communication is key to good relationships, and this is just as true in the workplace as it is in our personal lives. Without clear communication, it’s easy for issues to arise between employers and employees or among colleagues.
Not only can this affect working relationships, but it can also have a potentially detrimental impact on your business and prevent you from reaching your business goals.
In this article, we’ll take a look at two key issues employers may face concerning communication – literacy and language, and provide advice on how to deal with literacy and language barriers in the workplace.
The Impact of Poor Literacy Skills in the Workplace
In its most basic sense, literacy is a person’s ability to read and write. You may be surprised to learn that according to the National Literacy Trust, approximately four million workers in the UK (that’s 13% of the UK workforce) have very poor literacy skills. In this context, poor literacy is defined as having a limited vocabulary and struggling to read a lengthy text on an unfamiliar topic.
Not only does poor literacy hamper a person’s ability to gain employment, but it can also impact their ability to do their job once they are employed. The impact of poor literacy skills in the workplace can’t be overestimated since literacy affects so many aspects of an employee’s working life.
An employee with poor literacy may:
- Struggle to understand written or verbal instructions
- Have difficulty communicating with their colleagues or employer
- Struggle to meet customer or client expectations, particularly when liaising with potential clients or providing customer service, for example
- Be unable to contribute to meetings in a meaningful way
- Be unable to fully engage with training opportunities
- Suffer from low self-esteem or lack of confidence
- Be less productive than their colleagues
- Increase the likelihood of them having an accident in the workplace or sustaining a work-related injury due to an inability to read or understand health and safety guidelines or protocols.
How to Help Employees Improve Their Literacy Skills
As an employer, there are several things you can do to help an employee who is struggling with their literacy and to raise literacy levels in your workforce.
The first is to recognise when an employee may need help and to destigmatise the issue so that workers don’t feel embarrassed about seeking help to improve their literacy.
As an employer, you need to be aware of the potential problems associated with low levels of literacy and consider whether your workplace documentation and written materials are accessible, even to those with lower levels of literacy.
This means it makes sense to review any documentation in your workplace and where possible, break down important documentation into short, simple sentences that are easy to understand. This applies to documentation your employees may use day-to-day as well as training materials and risk assessment documents.
You may also consider using non-written methods of communication, such as diagrams, pictures, simple signs, or videos to convey vital information quickly, for example, health and safety information that employees need to understand immediately.
What Issues Can Language Barriers Cause in the Workplace?
Employers today are more likely to find themselves heading a diverse, multicultural workforce than ever before. UK employment rates increased for every ethnic group between 2004 and 2021, and with many employees taking advantage of remote working and companies looking to expand their reach globally, the chances of working with employees who speak a different language are much more likely than they would have been in previous decades.
Though working alongside people from a different country has many advantages, it can also present some challenges, chiefly when there is a language barrier to consider.
As with low literacy levels, language barriers can present significant communication issues in the workplace. Language barriers may lead to:
- Frustrations and misunderstandings
- Needless delays with work being missed or not completed on time
- Reduced productivity
- Reduced team-working
- Health and safety issues, such as accidents or near-misses
- Cultural insensitivities and faux pas, which can impact working relationships
- Lower satisfaction from clients and customers
How to Help Employees When There Is a Language Barrier
Fortunately, there are steps you can take as an employer to help reduce the impact of language barriers in your workplace.
As with dealing with low literacy levels in the workplace, aim to keep documentation simple if you feel that people may not understand written documentation. When communicating with employees for whom English is a second language, avoid using idioms or slang, be clear about what you’re saying and ensure that the person understands before you move on to your next point.
If appropriate, you might want to offer English lessons to employees who are seeking to improve their written or verbal English. If you have workers who do not have GCSE English at grade C or above English Essentials Skills training is provided free by the Government This investment in your future workforce can pay dividends by increasing productivity and safety as well as staff loyalty.
If a good standard of written and spoken English is a requirement of a particular role, then this should be clearly stated in any job adverts and included in the job description or person specification for the post. Be aware that potentially this requirement can be deemed as indirect discrimination. It is critical that any decision to specify a particular level of competency in English should be objectively supported by a relevant business case.
If you employ someone on the understanding that their language skills will improve, then you need to be clear about how this will be measured and in what time frame it will be assessed.
If you have a large presence in a particular country or a substantial number of your workforce speak another language, you may want to consider learning the language yourself and rolling out language training to improve communication and understanding amongst your employees.
Hire Translators and Interpreters
There may be times when you need to use translators or interpreters, for example for HR meetings with employees who don’t speak English or to translate critical signs around the workplace relating to health and safety with accuracy.
Language barriers can be frustrating for all concerned but a little respect and understanding can go a long way and prevent small misunderstandings from becoming larger issues. Your employees are more likely to want to improve their English if they feel supported and encouraged to do so.
Get Advice From Your Local HR Specialists
For advice you can count on, Metis HR are specialists in providing HR support that is uniquely tailored to the specific needs of you and your business. We’ve been helping employers with their HR needs for over a decade and no matter what the issue, we’re confident we can find a solution.
We’ll work closely with you to understand your requirements and find an outcome that’s beneficial for your business. If you’re dealing with literacy and language barriers in the workplace and are unsure about your next steps or if you simply want to find out more about the services we offer, get in touch with the experts at Metis HR.
You can message us via info@metishr.co.uk to discuss the next move for your business or, if you would prefer to speak directly to an experienced HR Consultant, please call us on 01706 565 332. We look forward to hearing from you.
