4 Ways Organizations Can Use Pocketalk to Enhance Their Workplace

Earlier this year, Forbes published an article highlighting the top ten issues facing human resource leaders in 2022. The issues include improving diversity, equity and inclusion, paving the way for remote work, finding talent during a shortage and more. More than half of the issues listed have one core commonality: communication

As the employment landscape continues to change, the workforce is becoming increasingly more diverse and international due to the advent of remote work and the talent shortage. This has led to an increased need for businesses to adopt translation services. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the number of translator and interpreter jobs is projected to grow 20% in the next ten years. Currently, organizations spend over $3 billion on translators annually.

Pocketalk is leading the way for HR professionals to communicate accurately and easily in 82 languages with the first HIPAA and GDPR compliant handheld translation devices. Here are a few ways Pocketalk supports HR professionals:

Inclusivity

Language barriers can be a big challenge for organizations looking to create an inclusive environment for an increasingly diverse workforce. There are limited resources for translation services at most companies, oftentimes only providing employee communication in one language, let alone multiple languages to meet each employee in their native language. This is where technology can play a significant role in connecting employees and HR professionals. Pocketalk devices are capable of verbal translation, text to translate, and currency conversion. Translation with Pocketalk can help employees communicate with new people, departments and areas within the company in a streamlined manner.

Recruiting 

Working from home or remotely is likely to remain an option for workers, at least in some capacity. The COVID-19 pandemic taught many business leaders that they didn’t always need their employees in the office. This has dramatically changed the way organizations source and recruit new talent, as their talent pool doesn’t have to be limited to a specific location. Now, organizations can hire talent from anywhere in the world.

So, what if they do? What if the top talent for a position is on the other side of the globe and they speak a different language? No problem! Pocketalk can help expand the talent pool to the whole world and assist any international candidates through their onboarding process. Having the technology available to employees could even be enticing for potential members of the workforce.

Safety

Clear communication to keep the workplace safe is paramount for any organization. In certain industries, like manufacturing, safety is crucial but communication can be difficult depending on the diversity of the workforce. The need for translation services in these circumstances is incredibly high and Pocketalk is the perfect solution.

As mentioned earlier, Pocketalk is a great alternative to hiring translators. In a crisis, safety concerns need to be communicated very quickly. Pocketalk can help immediately remedy the situation without having to wait for a specific employee to be available. Anyone can turn on their Pocketalk and start communicating with someone in another language.

Benefits 

In today’s competitive hiring landscape, benefits serve as a key differentiating factor between a good employer and a great one. It’s more important than ever that employees understand what benefits are available to them.

Although, benefits can be a sensitive subject, especially when speaking about sensitive information like your health or personal information. Typically, this information is not shared between coworkers, but in some cases it may be necessary. For employees who do not speak the dominant language, they may require a translator to help complete the benefits enrollment process. This may feel very invasive for the employees, and could even violate privacy laws. As the first HIPAA and GDPR compliant translation device, this means an employee’s healthcare data and sensitive information will be protected when using a Pocketalk device.

An Example: Pella Windows and Doors

In Sioux Center, Iowa, Pella employees are very familiar with the benefits of Pocketalk devices. Almost one third of this branch’s 400 employees are non-native English speakers, and that number is growing as the company continues to tap into the Spanish-speaking labor pool in an effort to attract more talent.

Pella is doing a variety of things to ensure its English Second Language (ESL) employees and its English speaking employees can communicate efficiently, like offering English and Spanish lessons in between shifts. In addition to the language classes, Pella employees use Pocketalk devices to communicate with one another on the job. The use of these devices has allowed critical information to be disseminated quicker than ever, and has led to incredible organizational efficiency.

In a very competitive labor market, Pella managed to reach a previously untapped talent pool by leveraging digital translation tools like Pocketalk. If you’d like to learn more about this case, you can read the full article here.