Language Barrier during Interview

March22Collector

Let's pretend this really happened: A candidate for a manufacturing position comes to my office for an interview. The candidate sits down and I begin with the interview. The only problem, the candidate speaks little to no English. I can't understand a thing this person says, and this person understands nothing I say. I don't have anyone in the company who can translate, and the candidate does not have a translater either. The candidate does hand me a resume, done in English, which looks great. The candidate has super qualifications, but I just cannot communicate with him..............What are my responsibilities in this situation?

jmpmo

Whenever we are really interested in someone, we bring an interpreter in, whether it be language or other. I don't know that you HAVE too, but if you are passing a good person up because of it, why wouldn't you? On the flip side, how will this situation affect your training of this person and their ability to learn?

March22Collector

>Whenever we are really interested in someone, we bring an interpreter
>in, whether it be language or other. I don't know that you HAVE too,
>but if you are passing a good person up because of it, why wouldn't
>you? On the flip side, how will this situation affect your training of
>this person and their ability to learn?


Exactly. This would effect every aspect of this candidate's employment. We would not be able to train, communicate about safety, or anything. So I guess I'm asking if there is any legal reason why I couldn't just say "Thanks, but no thanks".

Don D

Without appearing condescending, I would smile, thank the applicant for the resume, gesture at it and again thank him/her for it and tell him in plain English, "I appreciate your interest in xyz. Thank you for the resume". Then if he/she is totally unable to comprehend, I would gesture with my outstretched arm and hand, kindly, and usher them to my door and perhaps back toward the reception area, walking them out kindly if necessary. Not by any means a case of dismissing his/her interest; just simply trying to handle it appropriately without other opportunities to proceed with an interview. Then review the resume with other candidates who applied and view it in total context of the job, its requirements, your ability to communicate and train moving forward and any possibility you have of adding supervisory staff who speak that language. In the absence of rearranging your staff, hiring interpreters, rewriting manuals and work instructions, etc., you might be unable totally to bring this person on board. There is no law that would require you to. Aside from all the good advice you'll get about diversity and bringing in the best people and strengthening your workforce and supervisory ranks, you simply can do only what you can do.

jmpmo

I am probably wrong and will get hammered by some of the more um, mature, forumites, but I say, if you can't safely train someone to do a job, then you have no legal responsibility to interview and/or hire them. Let's see if we can get some of the attorney's to answer that.

March22Collector

Thanks Don, that's pretty good advice. And jmpmo, I'm with you on what you said too. Thanks!

Parabeagle

Unless you're fortunate enough to have bilingual employees with whom he would be working, you're asking for nothing but trouble and frustration in this situation. I see no obligation to interview/hire this person, despite his qualifications.

lorrie

Don's response is well-worded and right on. It seems to me that if a person does not speak English (or the primary language of the company at which they are applying) then it is THEIR responsibility to call ahead of the interview and arrange for an interpreter. If I wanted a job somewhere, I would not leave this 'little' detail to chance.

The issue of training, and actually completing work, is critical. I am not aware of any law that requires an employer to provide language interpreters. In our community we have a large hispanic population and many of the larger companies have interpreters on hand for training etc. and if the work is primarily physical, then they can get by without knowing English. Ours is a smaller company, and nearly every job (98%) requires the ability to read & write in English. We have a note on our application that states that employees must be able to read and write conversant English.

Shadowfax

As usual, Don is dead on! And, while Don does not want to "appear" condescending, I do not want to appear "flippant" but consider "...and the chair you are sitting in is on fire and unless you jump up immediately and..." you get the drift. If you are serious ablut safety, you've just proved your defense! Serioulsy, I can think of no legal issues here at all. I only wish I thought I would be as clever as Don if it had happened to me.

Balloonman

Don, you were to kind. If they cannot communicate they cannot be hired is my thought. I also would mention to folks, make them fill out the application in the office, do not allow them to leave with it and bring it back in. I had one gentleman, very nice handed me a resume that was obviously filled out by a woman, with beautiful hand writting. But his signature was barely legible. Again, there is issue with training and understanding of the material presented.
I make everyone fill the app out in our office.
My $0.02 worth.
DJ The Balloonman

mwild31

I also work in the manufacturing industry and have had quite a few applicants with ESL difficulties. Unless I already have an employee working for us that speaks both English and the applicants language, I don't hire them.

gillian2

I agree with all.

Don D

Well, I don't Gillian! It's quite possible for a man to write with really nice handwriting!

ritaanz

Although all the responces are correct, I need to relate an expierence I had. We were hiring dozens of people. It was our peak season. Could not locate enough qualified applicants. In walks a Vietnamese fellow, resume in hand. He could not speak a word of English but his resume was very impressive. I took him out on the production floor and showed him the type of work we have available. He watched our employees for a few minutes and then bowed to one of the employees and indicated to her he would like to try it. He then proceeded to put together the product she was working on. I spoke with the department supervisor and we decided to give him a try. Training and safety was more like show and tell. He picked up very quickly and soon he was speaking broken English. As he progressed with his training and his English, he brought other Vietnamese people to the company. Acting as their translater, he created a whole pool of hard working diligent employees.

Although it was a win-win situation, the one drawback was turnover. As they learned the language and the American ways, they left the company to go to school or other professions that they were suited for. Many came back to visit and bring us up to date on their accomplishments. Great Country America.