To meet ever-changing expectations of corporate responsibility, businesses around the world are taking a much closer look at how their activities and processes impact staff, local communities, supply chains and the environment.

For those with a global footprint, environmental, social and governance (ESG) and equality, diversity and inclusion (ED&I) policies must be made relevant for each individual territory based on its governmental legislation, and be adapted to the cultural nuances of the employees and audiences who will be affected by them. As such, translation services are playing a key role in this transformative period for the business world.

Here, Alan White, business development director for The Translation People, a leading Language Service Provider, shares the key things international companies need to consider in their pursuit of becoming more responsible at a global level.

Prioritise translation for your global ESG and ED&I policies

ESG and ED&I should now be a standard element of any business’ strategy, for several reasons. Research shows that 56 per cent of people won’t consider a job at a company if they don’t agree with its core values; questions about sustainability and diversity are now part and parcel of supplier tenders, and there are a growing number of legal penalties facing companies that don’t take the necessary steps to work ethically. And these aren’t demands that are isolated to one area of the world, so for businesses with an international footprint, having the ability to translate these policies into the local languages of wherever your teams and customers are based is just as important as having the policies themselves. Doing so ensures teams are engaged and invested, and that you are aligned with your customers’ requirements. So, before you start this journey, identify a translation services provider that understands the vital role these policies will play for your business today and into the future, and partner with them as soon as possible. 

Identify your territories’ different needs

From here, it’s important to work together with your translation provider to understand the differing needs of your various territories around the world. Each country has its own sustainability agenda and approach to ED&I, so what’s relevant in the UK when it comes to carbon emissions, for example, may not be relevant in other countries. As such, any materials that are translated need to be updated to reflect those differences. Something else to consider is that countries have different approaches to language, whether it’s around gender identity and equal opportunities, or the technical jargon they use in legal documents. These important nuances should be applied as part of the translation process to ensure that no matter which country you’re producing material for, it’s accurate, sensitive and above all, of the highest quality, for the benefit of both employees and customers.

Plan your global marketing plan around your policies

Once your policies have been translated for your different sites around the world, you can use the content to market your stance to the relevant stakeholders. For example, translated policies should be uploaded to the website relevant to each territory to ensure the most accurate information is presented to users. You should take this approach rather than uploading one hero document and using an auto-translate tool within the website’s CMS, as it is likely to use basic machine translation software which won’t produce the best results. You could create video content from senior members within your team sharing your organisation’s vision, which can then have translated subtitles or voice overs applied for audiences in different countries. Additionally, you can work with a translation provider to understand how pieces of content on your website can be adapted for the SEO algorithms in each country, to ensure you’re at the top of search engine results for keywords in each territory. 

Align your training materials with your policies

According to research by The Translation People, 78% of businesses say it’s important to produce e-learning modules in employees’ home language to achieve staff morale and engagement. Additionally, 84% said they believe employee wellbeing is increased when staff have access to content in their own language. With this in mind, it’s essential to have your training materials about ESG and ED&I translated. By its nature, making sure materials are available in the native languages of your team helps with inclusivity and diversity and shows your business values its staff. And just as your policies will differ by country, so too should your training, to ensure it’s relevant for the person on the receiving end. Use a translation provider to adapt your materials, mirroring the content to what’s included within your official documents then tailoring it for different international users. This will ensure you’re providing training that’s accurate and relevant for teams no matter where they are in the world, in a format they can fully engage with. 

Keep your finger on the pulse 

ESG and ED&I are ever-evolving subjects which will change the more we learn about the world and how people in it want to be treated. As such, there’s a high chance you’ll need to update your existing policies on a regular basis. To help with this, translation glossaries and memories can ‘memorise’ key translations – whether it’s previously translated phrases, particularly technical jargon or terms that may have multiple translation options, of which a preferential version has been selected. Using them ensures they’re always presented correctly, in line with what a business has previously agreed upon. Taking this approach makes the translation process quicker and easier in the future and ensures you’re maintaining a high standard of quality. Most importantly, it keeps your documents in line with specific regulations on two of the most culturally and globally relevant issues for responsible businesses today.