Non-native English speakers make up a large percentage of the tech community. So, as Diversity & Inclusion efforts become more and more prevalent in Silicon Valley, why aren’t there more programs to support this minority group?
Watch as Lingo Live’s Charlie Cooper talks about the exclusion of non-native English speakers in current Diversity & Inclusion efforts.
Says Cooper:
“I went to this tech inclusion conference in San Francisco. I was excited to see what strategies they had. But they had no mention of non-native English speakers or communication barriers or language gaps. I couldn’t believe it. They’re the biggest tech companies in the world. They’re hiring thousands of international employees a year. And they’re not providing the support these people need to advance in their career excel in their jobs.
Don’t underestimate the power of communication. Communication is a fundamental component of being a human being. It’s a fundamental component of doing business. But talent and hard work don’t get recognized if you don’t have the communication skills you need.
86% of non-native english speakers say they’d like their jobs more, they’d be happier at work if they improved their communication skills.
82% of managers say their employees would be more effective at their jobs if they improved their communication skills.
We don’t have a silver bullet for diversity and inclusion in HR. We’ve done a good job of prioritizing minority groups in the workplace, but there’s another group that deserves a seat at the table. And that’s English-as-a-second-language employees.We talk about diversity a lot, but not really inclusion. So, assuming we have a diverse workforce, what are we doing to provide the tools and resources for this workforce to actually succeed?”
– The Lingo Live Team
Interested in reading more about Diversity & Inclusion?
Check out Language as Action and Diversity is Only the First Step Towards Inclusion