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The Real Costs of Using Employees as Translators

In a world where physical location has lost its meaning, chances are you can find a Swedish speaker in a large company. When documents like contracts or press releases need to be translated, many businesses might be tempted to rely on their multilingual employees as translators. On the surface, this makes sense. Not only do they know your product inside and out, but they also won’t need to get paid any extra for the work.

So, if it saves you time and money, what’s the harm in leaning on Anna in Marketing for that English to Swedish translation? Here are some good reasons not to use your employees as translators.

5 Reasons Why You Shouldn’t Let Your Swedish Employees Do Your Company’s Translations

In most cases, letting existing staff handle your translations does more harm than good. It can not only damage your company’s reputation but also lengthen the globalization timeline and erode employee relationships. There are several reasons not to do this, including:

1. Being Bilingual Doesn’t Make You a Translator

Contrary to what people think, there’s more to translation than swapping one word for another. There are idioms, metaphors, nuance, and gendered language to consider. Being able to speak another language isn’t the be-all, end-all it’s a prerequisite. Becoming a certified translator takes years of practice and ample education.

2. The Productivity Costs

While you might be impressed with Anna’s Swedish, that’s not why you hired her. Likely, you were impressed by her love of marketing knowledge and strategic skills. The stellar references and 10 years of marketing experience just sealed the deal. Let her do what she is good at, marketing, not translation and linguistics. Furthermore, the time she spends translating must come from somewhere. This means less time spent creating marketing campaigns.

3. It Doesn’t Save You Money

Even if the document isn’t something that can open you up to legal repercussions, attempts to cut translation costs often end up doing the opposite. Frederick Douglass once said, “It’s easier to build strong children than to repair broken men.” Though translated documents aren’t children, the same principle holds. Getting things right the first time is easier than constantly fixing shoddy work. Hiring a professional Swedish translator is often the more affordable option.

4. A Lack of Tools

To do translation well, you need preferred glossaries, external proofreaders, and a computer assisted translation software. Most businesses won’t invest in these for one-off projects. Professional Swedish translators already have these things in their toolbelts and incorporate their use into their rates. Hiring them allows you to reap the benefits of these tools without the budget battles.

5. Cultural Sensitivity Issues

Just speaking Swedish doesn’t mean Julie has a true understanding of Sweden’s culture. Even if she grew up there, things change. What was once acceptable, and trendy may now be wrong. Since translators make a living connecting with audiences in their target language, they often obsess with staying up to date on current options.

Ready to Let Anna Get Back to Marketing?

Now that you know better than to hand off your Swedish translations to the first bilingual person you come across, it’s time to find a qualified translator! Instead of using employees as translators, you need to find someone who’s experienced and strives to stay up to date on the latest language developments. It also wouldn’t hurt to hire someone knowledgeable in marketing and transcreation.

If you need Swedish marketing translations, transcreations, or localizations, I’d love to help out. Looking to expand outside of the Baltic countries? My wide network of linguists and translators means I can help you find a colleague in that field. To get started, fill out my contact form or visit my About page for more information about my qualifications.

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