3 Tips to Help Businesses Work with Global Workers

As more companies outsource some of their jobs to independent contractors, the need for improved business communications continues to grow. It can be confusing for one outsider from another part of the nation or another country to understand the language and culture of the company. The business employees must also learn how to work with someone who has no shared history with the company. Here are three tips to help make the relationship go smoothly.

1. Hire an Accent Reduction Coach

If your staff speaks with accents, it may be necessary for one or two of them to take classes with an accent reduction coach. This course helps them learn how to speak more clearly and enunciate their words correctly.

Reducing a heavy accent allows people from other parts of the world to understand your words. Most cultures have specific ways of saying certain words that make them difficult to understand. Accent reduction focuses on teaching students how to use their mouth, tongue and voice in the correct way.

2. Select Specific Employees as Go-betweens

Limit the chance of miscommunication between the company and the independent contractors by choosing only two or three people to work with them. Have them handle all communications after teaching them proper procedures. Just make sure they report in to you on a regular schedule so you always know what’s going on.

When contractors work with the same people, it increases efficiency, which decreases cost for the company. It also reduces the chance of errors because of miscommunication. The contractor can feel more comfortable communicating with someone they are used to working with. They know who to go to when they have problems, and they are more likely to understand instructions from the same person.

3. Create Written Procedures and Processes

Larger companies aren’t the only ones hiring outside contractors. Small companies also benefit from outsourcing work. However, they often don’t have written procedures for every detail. They haven’t needed it in the past since they have fewer workers and do most of their communication verbally.

Once you start working with people who aren’t employees, you need to make sure all processes are clearly explained. Since your company likely won’t be the only one the contractor is working with, they need to have written instructions so they don’t forget or mix anything up with another client.

You must also remember to limit their access to other areas of the company. Even a trustworthy contractor can be a liability if they accidentally share confidential information or fail to protect their own technology sufficiently.

Hiring independent contractors for your business can save your business money. However, this process also presents its own set of challenges. Learn how to communicate with your contractors to ensure your business continues to operate smoothly and efficiently. With the right processes in place and people on your team, you can enjoy the benefits without the concerns that come with outsourcing certain components of your company.

Claudette Roche is a dialect coach who teaches accent reduction in the Los Angeles area. She teaches foreign and American accents to actors and business persons/executives. In 2010 she was named as one of The Top 5 Voice Coaches by Hollywood Weekly Magazine.

Claudette Roche is a dialect coach who teaches accent coach.