5 Mistakes to Avoid While Hiring a Language Service Provider

Hiring a translator or a professional translation agency for the first time can be a daunting task, as most companies are unsure what to expect. They tend to depend hugely on the hired translators, minimising their own role and contribution in the process, which leads to dissatisfaction and misunderstandings.

It is crucial to get the translation right the first time; otherwise, you may run the risk of embarrassing yourself or, worse, insulting someone else – which, as a responsible business, you should avoid at all costs.

You can easily avoid this faux pas by setting your expectations right the first time and avoiding a few mistakes while hiring a translation agency. Let’s have a look:

1. Hiring Without Understanding the Scope of Your Project

Once you decide that you want to cross your country’s geographical boundaries and take your company global, you need to do a lot of planning before hiring a translation service provider. One of the main decisions you need to make is about the workload and quality that you expect from the vendor.

To get fair pricing and correct turnaround estimates, you need to convey clear expectations regarding target languages and project scope.

2. Hiring an Unqualified Team

You need to do your research before hiring a translation agency. As mentioned earlier, incorrect translation can lead to embarrassing situations; thus, thorough research on the translation agency is crucial before hiring.

You may want to ask for the translators’ credentials, their certifications, samples of work and client testimonials. Also, ensure that the translation agency has cultural knowledge of the language your company is targeting.

3. Going the Cheapest Route

Your documentation regarding marketing, business operations or legal terms is not meant to be taken lightly. Hence, to translate these critical documents, you should give more focus and weight to quality than to price. Saving money is fine, but it’s never worth sacrificing quality to save a dime.

Translators and linguists spend years acquiring the expertise and skills that enable them to provide an accurate and effective translation service you can rely on. The price you’re paying is for that expertise and the accurate completion of your projects. After all, the idiom “if you pay peanuts, you get monkeys” exists for a reason!

4. Failing to Set a Budget

Translation and localisation is a complex process. It includes a series of technical adjustments and, depending on your industry and needs, the involvement of multiple linguists and local specialists.

Naturally, it’s hard to keep track of expenses with so many people working on the project. Thus, it is crucial to set a budget and communicate it to your translation service provider before starting the project.

Many companies, especially when they are hiring for the first time, do not know what kinds of costs could be involved in their projects – for instance, images may require editing, or video content may require a professional voiceover. Thus, you need to discuss this with your agency.

A professional translation agency will clear up all your doubts and give you accurate information on the project’s requirements and the costs involved. Moreover, they will also help you work out the best solution based on your needs and budget.

5. Failing to Select a Professional Translation Company

Facing language barriers can be challenging, frustrating and confusing, but it doesn’t have to be if you choose the right solution for your project. A trusted and capable translation agency can ensure that you get accurate interpretation and translation every time and strike the right chord with your target audience.

Translationworks is a professional translation agency with native expertise in over 150 languages. Our professional translators and interpreters ensure that your projects are completed with the highest regard for accuracy and are culturally sensitive.

Get in touch to see how we can help you reach your audience in the right way.