HR and Translation – Part 1: Eliminating Language Barriers at Work

Human Resources departments play a significant role in setting the cultural tone of a company. Employers have an obligation to provide a safe and effective workplace for all employees, including those who speak a different language. In the first of this two-part series, we look at the role HR plays in translation and language learning in the workforce.

The American workplace is more multilingual than ever. More than 22% of the U.S. population speaks a language other than English at home, according to the Migration Policy Institute. Spanish is the most common language, followed by Chinese, Tagalog, Vietnamese, Arabic, French, Korean, and others.

The workforce reflects this diversity. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that foreign-born workers made up 19.2% of the civilian labor force in 2024, nearly one in five workers. That level of language diversity affects every part of the employee experience, from onboarding and safety training to benefits enrollment and career development. HR teams are best positioned to address it, and a strong approach combines professional translation for critical documents, AI tools for everyday communication, and language-learning programs that help employees build skills over time.

Why language barriers are an HR problem 

Language barriers hurt productivity, slow down collaboration, frustrate customers, and create serious safety risks. When employees can't fully understand company policies, safety procedures, or benefits information, the consequences can be costly.

That's why HR should take the lead on building a language strategy.

Start with translation. If your workforce includes employees who don't speak English fluently, they still need access to the same information as everyone else. Company policies, tax documents, safety protocols, and benefits materials should all be translated into the languages your employees speak. When every employee can read and understand these documents, you reduce risk and build trust.

Then invest in language learning. If your organization is expanding globally or serving customers in other markets, your team may need new language and cultural skills. Assess what skills already exist in your organization, identify the gaps between where you are and where your business goals require you to be, and invest in training that helps employees communicate with international partners and customers.

Use AI tools to fill in the gaps. Professional translation and language training can't cover every email, chat message, or meeting. AI translation tools can handle the everyday communication that falls between formal documents and face-to-face conversations.

AI tools can help with daily multilingual communication 

AI translation tools give HR teams a practical way to support multilingual employees in their daily work, without needing a professional translator for every interaction.

In meetings: Real-time translation tools integrate with platforms like Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and Slack. They generate live translated captions so employees can speak in their native language while colleagues follow along in theirs. For multilingual teams, real-time captions remove one of the biggest barriers to meeting participation.

In writing: AI-powered chat translation lets employees send messages in their preferred language. The recipient sees the translation instantly. For routine updates like shift changes, schedule reminders, and internal announcements, chat translation cuts down on delays and miscommunication.

In person: AI speech translators allow employees at town halls, safety briefings, or training sessions to listen in their own language through a phone or earbuds. On manufacturing floors, in warehouses, and at job sites where safety information must reach every worker, speech translation can quickly close the language gap.

AI tools work well for informal, everyday communication, but they don't replace professional translators. HR documents, legal materials, benefits packages, and safety manuals still need the accuracy and cultural understanding that qualified human translators provide.

The key is knowing when AI fits and when it doesn't. Use AI for speed in daily communication. Use professional translation for precision in high-stakes content.

Language learning programs pay off

Even with AI tools and professional translation, there's no substitute for helping employees build their own language skills. Yet according to the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages, 19 million U.S. working-age adults have limited English proficiency, and only 29% of companies invest in foreign-language training.

That gap between the need and the investment is significant, especially as worker shortages make it harder to hire new talent. More employers are focusing on developing the people they already have.

McDonald's is a good example. Their "English Under the Arches" program helps employees improve their English skills so they can take on more responsibility and advance within the company. The program has produced more than 8,300 graduates and contributed to stronger employee retention in an industry known for high turnover.

McDonald's broader Archways to Opportunity program, which includes English Under the Arches, has awarded more than $185 million in high school and college tuition assistance. Managers of participants have reported significant improvements in customer service and store productivity.

Language instruction serves a clear business need, and it also has a personal impact. When employees improve their English skills, they communicate more confidently at work and in their daily lives outside of work.

Building on programs like these, major corporations, including Walmart and Chobani, have joined the Corporate Roundtable for the New American Workforce to develop best practices for integrating immigrants into the workforce. As more companies and HR departments invest in language programs, the workplace language gap will continue to shrink.

How HR can lead a language strategy

Professional translation ensures accuracy where it matters most. AI tools make daily communication faster and more accessible. Language learning builds long-term capability across your team. Each of these three approaches addresses a different part of the problem, and together they give HR a complete approach to language access.

Language access works best as an ongoing priority, not a one-time project. Start with the area where your organization feels the most friction, and build from there.

Check out our continuation of this discussion, "HR and Translation: Benefits of Corporate Translation and Language Learning," for a breakdown of how language learning impacts each stakeholder.