Imagine you are a recruiter for an IT position at a small tech company. You interview two applicants. The first, a native English speaker and with a bachelor's degree in finance, has little experience. The second, who is still learning English, has a double major in finance and accounting from their home country plus several years of relevant work experience there.
You offer the job to the first candidate. You feel like the second candidate isn't “the right fit,” even though the first candidate has less experience than you wanted. This is unconscious bias at work, shaping your decision without your awareness. In hiring, this often shows up in how we interpret language and communication.
Language barriers are a huge issue for many Daily Work job seekers, creating a wall separating qualified and competent candidates from jobs they can excel at. Many English language learners (ELL) get turned down after interviews regardless of their education or ability to do the job. Candidates with less experience are often picked for jobs over more qualified candidates from other countries simply because they are perceived as “harder to understand” or assumed to need more time to learn or follow workplace procedures. These assumptions are often rooted in bias rather than ability and they need to be addressed.
In the past, it was more understandable that this barrier posed a bigger issue, but with technology a presence in the workplace for over three decades, it is shocking how simple tools, like online translation, are overlooked, limiting opportunities for many qualified and capable individuals. Yet, racism and bias embedded in our systems continue to block inclusivity in hiring and advancement. Technology is the key to creating opportunities for ELL’s to excel and contribute, not only in companies, but our whole community and beyond.
Daily Work is an organization familiar with job seekers who are still learning English, and in our work, we’ve started to break down the linguistic wall separating people from their potential. Simple and free tools like Google Translate can be used to turn confusion and frustration into efficient conversation. While volunteering with Daily Work, I shadowed a meeting between our lead case manager Edder Hernandez and a job seeker who speaks Arabic.
Edder does not know Arabic and the job seeker speaks very little English, but with phones acting as free interpreters in our pockets, Google Translate was an instrumental tool, keeping the meeting brief and succinct, and effectively bridging the language barrier.
Many workplaces still shy away from using technology to break down this wall, citing rules like “phones are not allowed on the floor.” Yet policies like these reinforce systemic barriers by limiting access to translation tools that support communication and workplace success.
We’ve adapted to using technology to fix so many everyday problems, so why isn’t it used here as well?
The racism that is built into our systems, policies, and practices prevents talented and educated people from getting jobs where they can thrive and contribute to our shared future. Daily Work’s approach to language barriers is one example of how we can change this. Being able to recognize unconscious bias is the first step.
Acknowledging and addressing biased assumptions and listening to and advocating for job seekers whose qualifications may be undervalued due to language can make a meaningful difference.
We all have a role in breaking down these barriers and stereotypes. That is how real change happens, and with time, the world can start to heal.
Sloane Blomquist is a high school student at The Blake School with interests in volunteering, STEM, and musical theater. She deeply supports Daily Work’s mission and relationships with job seekers all over the Twin Cities. She appreciates how Daily Work strengthens the community by fostering meaningful connections and empowering individuals to grow.
