Why exactly is it so important to strive for quality translations from the outset?
Whilst there are many areas where failure teaches as much as success, it’s unlikely that anyone ever went into anything thinking, “I’d like to get it wrong a few times before I get it right.” The importance of getting it right first time in translation seems obvious: save time, money and face. Yet it’s an area where corners are often cut, at the expense of the final result.
Translation is a written medium, leaving a legacy long after the linguist has finished their work. Fundamentally, a translation needs to convey the same meaning, impact and resonance as the source text to be considered a success. By ensuring the translation is accurate, you can be confident you are saying the same thing to your audience, wherever they may be in the world.
In market research, a multi-country study seeks to gather data from businesses and consumers irrespective of their location or language they speak. The end client will review the data gathered, using it to better understand their employees, customers or the global marketplace. They will also use it inform to their business-critical decisions, from product development to marketing. It is therefore essential that market research translations be accurate to generate comparable results across markets.
The importance of quality translations is made evident when things go wrong. This is especially true in the healthcare sector. It’s well noted that language barriers can result in misinformation and misunderstanding, whether it involves physical or mental health. For this reason, accuracy in healthcare translation is vitally important when ensuring non-native speaking patients understand the information presented to them, be it a support leaflet or a medical report. By removing the language barrier, patients will receive a better healthcare service and, crucially, a quicker diagnosis and treatment plan.
Communication is an essential requirement for any HR department, and when you need to convey messages across multiple regions and cultures, accurate HR translation is a must. Employees are the backbone of any organisation and to attract top talent, hiring a translation agency with linguists who are experts in the nuances of the target language guarantees employees receive the same quality and consistent messaging wherever they are in the world.
Of course, once you’ve got your top talent, you want to retain them. Accuracy in translating HR materials, from brand promotion and communication to training and development, will help your employees across the globe to engage, develop and stay. The by-product of this is that, over time, you will enhance your reputation as a top global employer. You will gain a reputation as an organisation that champions employee investment, development and inclusivity, which will ultimately make you even more desirable to future employees and investors alike.
By focusing on obtaining quality translations from the start, the process becomes more time and cost-efficient. Getting the translation right the first time will see your survey fielded sooner, ensure your brand voice is clear across borders and get your employees onboarded and up to speed before the ink has even dried on their contracts! Avoiding multiple iterations in the translation process is also, when all is said and done, more cost-effective. A reliable professional translator will accurately translate your materials without the need for internal and external reviews, which are time-consuming and costly processes.
If you’re looking for quality translations delivered on time and within budget, get in touch with our friendly team. At The Language Factory, quality assurance is our number one priority. It influences every stage of our process, from ensuring your documents are translation-ready, hand-picking the right linguist, overseeing the delivery and checking the completed translation.
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