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Seven Corporate Culture Lessons Learned from BELA 2018
30th November 2018
#Localization
Adaptive Globalization recently announced the winners of the 2018 Best Employers in Localization Awards. What did the selection process reveal about building a successful corporate culture in language services? Last week Adaptive was delighted to reveal the winning Language Service Providers across a range of employment categories in the 2018 BELA awards: Best for Employee Benefits Best for Employee Retention Best for Training & Personal Development Best for Employee Wellbeing Best for Career Progression Best for Recruitment & Onboarding Throughout the selection process, Adaptive’s panelists dug deep into the structures, processes and philosophies each participating LSP has adopted to build their corporate cultures and create positive work environments for their teams. By studying this year’s winners, we were able to identify some clear trends visible throughout the leading language agencies – factors which thriving corporate cultures have in common. Understanding how outstanding culture is built not only has value for owners and managers of LSPs but can be extremely useful for candidates looking to benchmark their current workplace and evaluate career options. From our work evaluating entrants and winners in this year’s awards, here are 7 lessons we learned about creating a successful culture. Having a voice matters Regardless of where an employee sits in the corporate hierarchy, successful cultures have channels in place to ensure that the business is receiving feedback from all angles. If team members have no structured opportunity to provide thoughts and ideas to management – be it via surveys, meetings, reviews or workshops – they’re given a passive role in overall company development and often fail to invest themselves fully in their work. Additionally, employees who are delivering services and building products (plus dealing with customers on a daily basis) often have vital insights to share to improve business performance, and failure to create pathways for this feedback to flow can stifle innovation and agility. Teams thrive when they see the bigger picture In a people-drive business like language services, talented and motivated teams are core of any successful agency. Attempting to unify effort and energy for complex teams without a shared vision of success can be exceptionally difficult, if not altogether impossible. There are natural and much-needed limitations in business concerning how transparent a leadership team can responsibly afford to be with their entire organization, but owners and managers who are excessively opaque about the mid and long-term goals of the company lose a valuable opportunity to bring teams closer together and drive performance. If large sections of the team don’t know where the company’s heading or what it’s aiming to achieve, how can they drive towards that goal? A clear financial path is a must Every business has ups and downs, and it’s not always possible for a company to guarantee fixed raise amounts or annual percentage increases to everyone in the organization (as much as a leadership team may wish to do so). Despite this, leading agencies work to ensure that staff – as a minimum – have a guaranteed opportunity to discuss earnings and to develop a path to advance their careers financially, even if that means being patient, learning new skills or helping the company reach performance goals. Employees in a role with no idea what it takes to get to the next level, what compensation will be if they get there or how long it will take can’t reasonably be expected to show the same patience and commitment as those operating within a more structured framework. It’s natural for even the most loyal team members to wish to progress in their earnings as their tenure and careers evolve, and working pro-actively to create formal dialogue on the topic can offer a vital platform for communication. Flexibility is key There’s a wide range of working arrangements across the language sector, with some agencies almost entirely made up of remote workers, some offering a hybrid in-office / home office structure and some firmly based around an office location. Regardless of the model, flexibility is on the rise as a major candidate driver when choosing new career homes. With so much investment by employers in recruitment, career development and staff benefits, it’s a major hole in the net for companies to lose well-trained and motivated team members to competitors simply because they make it easier for a candidate to do something as simple as supporting a spouse with a school run or keeping in touch with family overseas. Flexibility can take many forms, but adapting to build win-win relationships between employers and employees builds solid foundations. People notice if extra effort is rewarded There can be some stressful times in LSP life – from sales teams busting a gut to make big deals happen to PM and engineering teams working around the clock to deliver against impossible client deadlines… When that extra push goes unremarked, it can be tough for employees to swallow. Within an agency lifecycle there are times when this dedication and sheer hard work directly adds to (or even rescues) the company bottom line, and if the fruits of that effort aren’t reaching those responsible it soon gets noticed. Solving this doesn’t mean management splashing out on huge bonuses - nods of appreciation as simple as pizza lunches, half-days of vacation and other basic tokens go a long way to letting people know that their commitment in high-pressure moments is noted and valued. Investment in onboarding pays off The onboarding experiences for new hires across the translation and localization industry can vary drastically. At the less structured end of the spectrum, in some companies it takes people weeks (or even months) to fully understand who else works in the company and what everybody does. Particularly important with international companies that have multiple office locations, employees settle in faster and develop a stronger commitment when they feel oriented and integrated from the beginning. Agencies which take the time to prepare a program to help new arrivals understand who they’re working with, how they can excel in their role and what skills they should be learning to build (in addition to office basics, like where the fridge is!) see a clear reward in engagement, performance and retention. Corporate culture is a priceless investment Corporate culture impacts performance across agency life in so many ways that it is impossible to quantify its influence. From the calibre of candidate attracted to join the company (based on reputation), their mindset as they start (first impressions), their performance, resilience, commitment, team spirit, willingness to go the extra mile for colleagues and clients, propensity to innovate (and, of course, longevity), it permeates every area of the business. Beyond the scope of standard ROI calculations, culture is nonetheless a vital investment which connects all facets of successful business operations. Adaptive is proud to be supporting so many clients around the globe who place corporate culture at the centre of their organization, and welcome our annual opportunity to celebrate industry leaders and pioneers in this important field. *** Thanks again to everyone who participated in Adaptive Globalization’s 2018 BELA awards – you can read about the results and find a full list of winners here. *** Adaptive Globalization fills jobs in Sales, Account Management and Sales Leadership in the translation and localization industry around the world – browse our full list of vacancies here.
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How to Ace a Translation Sales Interview
22nd November 2018
#Job Role
Preparing for a career move in translation and localization sales? Here are five key steps to succeeding at interview. Sales professionals have a delicate balancing-act to perform at interview time. Often employers are hoping to see a range of skills and personality traits, several of which overlap and a few of which seem to flatly contradict. You need to be determined, focused and competitive when it comes to winning new business, but easy-going and collaborative as a colleague and member of the team. Employers want to see that you’re driven by financial incentive, but not just chasing dollars without a commitment to the company’s broader mission. Striking the right tone is no easy task. To help you showcase your experience in the best light, we’ve chosen our top five pieces of advice based on hundreds of language industry sales interviews. Understand the need To excel in interview it’s vital to know exactly what the company is looking for – and that’s sometimes not as obvious as it sounds. Interviewers are, of course, always vetting for someone who can fundamentally be trusted to hit a sales goal, but there are lots of nuances and details beyond that which could be important clues as to how you should present or discuss your experience. Do they need someone who can upsell and expand existing accounts, or simply kick in new doors? Are they on the lookout for someone with management potential, or is it a solo role? Have there been issues with previous hires which have shaped the focus of this search? Often interviewees can be so eager to share their accomplishments that – although impressive – they may be missing the mark and talking about issues that don’t resonate with the company’s more important needs. Early on in the interview, try and establish what the hiring company is really trying to find. Not only will this help you understand if the role is truly a match for you, but it will enable you to shape the way you present your achievements and background. Show that you can evolve In a fast-moving and competitive global market, translation companies are always changing – exploring new customer sectors, reacting to pricing pressure, implementing new technologies, hiring new personnel and adopting new marketing strategies. A recurrent concern among hiring managers is whether sales candidates will be able to adapt and succeed throughout the inevitable change ahead. Sales candidates who set out to demonstrate to an interviewer that they have a ‘tried and tested’ approach to sales risk inadvertently signalling to that interviewer that they are uncomfortable with change or may struggle in a new environment. While a company needs to know that you have a formula for success, it’s important to make clear that you’re able to adjust to evolving circumstances and have done so successfully in the past. It’s great to be focused, but avoid coming across as rigid. Focus on growth Above all else, make sure that what shines through from your interview is your ability and drive to create top-line growth. “If we hire this person, are we going to see increased clients and client spend?” With so many other variables in play, it can be easy to get taken off track into a discussion about marketing, management, training or other areas of conversation – and while it’s fine to show a broad perspective and hold opinions on these topics, it mustn’t come at the cost of convincing the interviewer that the net effect of your hire will be customer growth. As a guiding principle, there are few better ways to formulate your answers to interview questions or to choose your own anecdotes to illustrate your experience. The interviewer may decide you’re smart, thoughtful, well informed or a thousand other things – but if they don’t decide you’ll create new revenue, it’s all been for nothing. Give examples of being a team player The translation industry’s most successful salespeople go beyond the basics of a standard sales role – they are company ambassadors, with great relationships across the organization they represent and the ability to engineer ‘win-win’ scenarios for their agencies and their clients. Hiring managers want someone who is an asset to the business, and not just someone who can bring in their numbers (especially if that means disrupting morale, causing internal rifts or draining time from management). Showing your ability to collaborate with marketing colleagues, production teams and other areas of the organization goes a long way to helping set interviewers’ minds at ease. Analyze what YOU do well Stepping into the interviewer’s shoes, one of the most important things they’re trying to figure out is how much of your performance in previous positions was down to the environment, team or market you worked within, and how much was down to your contribution and skill set. This is critical – an employer isn’t buying your past, they’re hiring you for your future contribution. You can swing the interview in your favour by actively helping the interviewer to make this distinction. Go back over your previous roles and identify all areas where your impact influenced events, and analyze what you did well to achieve positive outcomes and hit goals. Have you been successful mostly because of high activity volumes? Determination? Deep subject-matter understanding of client markets? Rapport and relationship-building? Willingness to go the extra mile, take calls late at night or schedule meetings on weekends? This helps you understand exactly what you’re bringing to the table. Working out your personal strong suits and ensuring they are clearly communicated during your interview lets a prospective employer cut through the distractions in your CV and understand the core abilities you offer, regardless of environment. *** Adaptive Globalization fills jobs in Sales, Account Management and Sales Leadership in the translation and localization industry around the world – browse our full list of vacancies here.
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How can M&A impact your localization career?
9th November 2018
#Localization
M&A activity is shaking up the global language services industry as ambitious LSPs buy and sell to capture market opportunity - but what effect does this have on agency employees? The translation and localization sector has experienced rapid consolidation in the last five years, with unprecedented levels of M&A activity: LanguageWire purchased Xplanation. Technicis acquired AAC Global. Straker Translations added Eule prior to their recent IPO… In the mid-market, multiple deals are published each month. Anyone with a broad network in the space will know someone whose company was bought out or merged with another LSP, and plenty more will have seen their company management in talks with potential buyers or private equity investors behind closed doors. While for shareholders this rush of deal-making can mean exciting new opportunities to grow quickly and generate profits, the impact for employees affected by corporate restructuring can be different. What managers describe as the ‘integration’ period following a deal often translates into months of uncertainty, rumours, meetings, re-trainings and stress over job loss. So what can you do to make sure M&A doesn’t detail your career, and what opportunities can it bring? Look for opportunities to upskill Even when two companies are not formally merged following an acquisition, M&A inevitably brings about change within both the buyer and the seller as the two companies interact. While this change can be intimidating, it can also be a great opportunity for learning and personal development. Whether it means a new direct manager, working with new regional offices, adapting to new corporate cultures or working to support a new client base, the environment created as a result of M&A is usually one that opens multiple doors for ambitious professionals looking for ways to broaden their experience. Often acquisition brings together two organizations with contrasting strengths, and this opposition offers plenty of scope for employees on each side to learn about the other’s domain. Explore your new environment Employees have two options when it comes to how they react to M&A: waiting in a state of perpetual nervousness, following rumours about office closures and speculating on the outcome of closed-door management meetings, or meeting the situation head on and looking to see how they can benefit from the situation. For those being acquired, opportunity can mean becoming part of a larger parent company with more extensive resources and a bigger global structure. It can also involve working beneath new leadership teams, often with decades of industry experience and expertise. It can include learning to work with new technology platforms, or customer markets. Although layoffs and downsizing can be part of creating an efficient new organization as two businesses merge together, acquisitions also create new business needs and can provide chances for promotion, retraining, travel and more. Focus on what you can control A lot of the tension following the announcement of M&A deals stems from employees not being fully informed of the changes that lie ahead. This can be deeply frustrating – loyal and long-serving team members may worry that their jobs are at risk, and as much as management may wish to calm fears by keeping everyone looped in on evolving plans and discussions, there are lots of moving parts to a post-acquisition integration and leadership can only responsibly share what is certain (rather than what is ‘likely’). Sage advice in this scenario, from Adaptive candidates who have been through disruptive M&A integrations, is to concentrate on the elements of the situation that you can control and avoid wasting energy worrying about the parts you can’t. In practice, this means doubling down on doing great work and making a positive impact to the business. Delivering results, projecting a positive attitude, building networks and working to close skills gaps are all positive steps that position you optimally to emerge in a good situation from any change, and if you are impacted by something outside your control – such as a restructure or layoff – then these things will carry with you into you next career step. Keep your network warm Although there is often a lot of positive opportunity that comes with M&A, it may not work out perfectly in every case. It’s better to be prepared than surprised, so it can sometimes be helpful to refresh contact networks in case the changes resulting from an acquisition make your position uncomfortable or untenable. You may not see eye to eye with your new boss, may find yourself bumped onto a new team, or may simply not gel with the newly-established corporate culture the change brings about. Although it’s always best to give the new situation a chance before jumping ship, leaving it too late can also be costly. You may not be the only person thinking about making a move elsewhere - if multiple colleagues all decide to take the same route, you don’t want to find that the best jobs locally have already been filled by the time you start applying. Learn from the market Along with the micro-level impact that M&A can have on individual careers, acquisitions do offer insight into broader trends of where management and investors perceive value in the industry to be. Although short-term adaptation when your company is bought or sold may be all about survival and making the best of an uncertain transition phase, there are long-term lessons to be learned in many M&A stories. Why was your company acquired, and why did investors find it attractive? What is the vision for the future of the business, and what kinds of skills will team members need to excel in delivering that vision? Look at who’s staying and who’s going as teams are re-engineered – who keeps their place, or gets promoted, and why? Responding to these clues can help you build your professional profile to weather future storms and ensure you have the upper hand in guiding your career trajectory. *** Adaptive Globalization fills jobs in Project Management, Sales, Account Management and Localization Engineering around the world – browse our full list of vacancies here.
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Navigating Localization Careers – Which Sector?
23rd October 2018
#Translation/Localization Project Management & QA
A guide to 10 major vertical markets in the translation and localization industry. With so many niches and sub-sectors, it can be hard to take a backward step and objectively assess your options and think clearly about the range of different business environments and project types that are available for your next move. But along with salary package and working environment, the sector of the industry in which you work can also have a big impact on your daily role, the skills you build and the long-term direction of your career. Whether working as part of an in-house team or within an agency, there are significant differences between different vertical markets. If you’re curious to know what’s our there, take a look through our quick-start guide to 10 of the most prominent sub-sectors of the global language services market. 1. Transcreation What’s involved: Transcreation is a term commonly used within the marketing and PR sectors, and usually refers to the local adaptation of promotional or advertising materials. A nuanced form of localization, transcreation deals with how to successfully adapt things such as ad campaigns, slogans and endorsements into new markets. As opposed to traditional translation, transcreation may involve creating entirely new content in the target language to accurately replicate the tone, style and context of the original in a way which will resonate with local audiences. What to expect: Exposure to marketing, PR and advertising communities, working with creative professionals and copywriters, developing an understanding of international brand management as well as online and offline marketing channels. 2. Legal & Financial What’s involved: Legal and financial are among the most highly specialized niches of the translations market owing to the high levels of accuracy demanded by documents supporting major financial decision-making or legal processes. Within legal a growing sub-sect is Intellectual Property translation (IP), which deals with the management of international patents and protection of innovation. What to expect: An environment centred on quality and specialism (from vendor selection to rigorous QA processes), potential late hours accommodating ‘rush’ projects, a geographical focus on major global cities, awareness of information governance and possible exposure to e-discovery and data forensics technology. 3. Gaming What’s involved: Supporting the videogaming sector blends multiple service and technology requirements. Localization of game content requires not only translating in-game content, but also access to resources such as foreign-language voice artists and recording studios for in-game audio and advanced graphic design capabilities. What to expect: Colleagues passionate about gaming (many gamers in their free time), understanding of platform nuances (mobile, PC, console), robust QA and testing services to detect and fix functional and linguistic bugs. 4. Life Sciences What’s involved: ‘Life Sciences’ is a broadly-used umbrella term that usually covers scientific industries including Medical Devices, Pharmaceutical, Biotechnology and related fields. Language projects within the sector can range from adapting marketing and promotional materials much like any other sector to supporting deeply specialized processes such as Clinical Trials and Linguistic Validation. What to expect: Focus on Quality Assurance (quality audits, securing and maintaining ISO certifications), highly specialized translator vendor base, awareness of regulatory constraints and requirements. 5. Multimedia What’s involved: Language services for the media and entertainment industries typically have a greater focus on audio localization (e.g. dubbing) and on-screen captioning / sub-titling. With an ongoing explosion in digitally-available content as platforms including Netflix and Amazon Prime Video begin to generate their own content, multimedia localization continues to expand rapidly. What to expect: Local and in-country networks of recording studios and voice-over artists, captioning, dubbing and sub-titling, supporting traditional broadcast and digitally-distributed media, potential exposure to related markets including e-learning. 6. E-commerce What’s involved: E-commerce localization focuses on helping e-retailers successfully reach and engage customers on a global basis. With its origins in website localization, the industry has now evolved to include many elements of digital marketing to ensure that translated websites and digital stores not only read and function correctly for the user but also convert visitors to sales. What to expect: Multilingual SEO, User Experience / User Interface design, e-commerce infrastructure platforms (e.g. Magento, Shopify) omnichannel marketing and conversion rate optimization (CRO). 7. IT (Software & Hardware) What’s involved: The ‘IT’ bucket remains a large and complex sector in itself, incorporating giant technology corporations (such as Oracle, Facebook, Microsoft and Salesforce), up-and-coming Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) companies, mobile apps and hardware providers (think Hewlett-Packard, Dell and Canon). Depending on where you are in the market, you could be working on the technology industry’s next hottest thing, or helping translate a troubleshooting manual update for an obsolete device. What to expect: Exposure to product development, internationalization, content management systems, localization engineering, QA and in-language testing and UX/UI design. 8. Industrial & Manufacturing What’s involved: A market sector traditionally centred on high volumes of technical documentation, Industrial & Manufacturing can include industries such as automotive, aerospace, mining, chemicals, construction and energy. Projects can be varied in nature, from technical manuals to health and safety communications or training materials. What to expect: Technical documentation and drawing, user manuals, installation and maintenance guides, regulatory compliance, R&D, catalogues and inventory lists. 9. Travel & Hospitality What’s involved: The global Travel & Hospitality niche combines a few elements from several other categories, with obvious components from E-Commerce and also Transcreation. Largely focused on website localization and online sales, this space focuses on successfully reaching global audiences for hotels, resorts, accommodation rental and the travel sectors (airlines, car rental etc). Along with site design, effective international branding and seamless user experience, multilingual SEO is also part of an integrated strategy to drive relevant traffic to sites. What to expect: Website localization, app development and adaptation, exposure to multicultural marketing and branding, social media strategy, booking engines & pricing algorithms and international search engine marketing. 10. Government What’s involved: Both at the national and regional level, government translation requires much of the same service delivery as other sectors whilst remaining commercially unique. Typically controlled by rigid procurement processes which aim to be both selective and inclusive simultaneously (ensuring service quality whilst sharing spend across a diverse range of business suppliers), the public sector can mean predictable long-term contract opportunities across areas like health services, defence, finance and communications. What to expect: Complex purchasing frameworks, highly structured bid & tender processes, focus on document and website translation projects, multi-year contracts, transcription and exposure to security clearance requirements. *** Are you looking to explore new areas of the global translation and localization market with your career? Adaptive Globalization places professionals in 30+ countries from our 4 office locations across the US and Europe. *** You can check out Adaptive Globalization’s full list of jobs across the translation, localization and interpreting sectors here.
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