Why companies should promote multilingualism

Switzerland is a small country with a high level of linguistic diversity. Multilingualism has been nurtured both by the country’s geography and by immigration. In addition to the four official national languages of German, French, Italian and Romansh, many other languages are spoken, including Portuguese, English, Turkish, Spanish, Serbian, Croatian and Albanian. Multilingualism is also particularly widespread among people with an immigration background. According to an assessment by the Swiss Federal Statistical Office (SFSO) in 2019, this group uses at least three languages on a regular basis.

Improving language skills for professional reasons

According to the SFSO, 65 percent of the population regularly speaks Swiss German, 39 percent French, 15 percent Italian and 0.9 percent Rhaeto-Romanic. The most common non-national language is English, which is spoken by 46 percent of people in German-speaking Switzerland, 43 percent of people in French-speaking Switzerland and 37 percent of people in Italian-speaking Switzerland. Although almost half of children in Switzerland encounter several languages at home, language skills are expanded mainly for professional reasons.

Multilingualism in companies

Companies that are active internationally or in multiple country regions appreciate employees with good language skills. Whether they are involved in contract negotiations, in cooperation with service providers or, of course, in contact with customers who speak other languages – multilingual employees are a real asset. Every national language is a plus. Knowledge of English, Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese and Russian is also necessary if you want to focus on world markets.

Swiss Post Group promotes multilingualism

While in the past, employees with the appropriate language skills often had to be sought out specifically, employees now often bring those skills with them due to cultural diversity. This is also the case at Swiss Post Group, where people from over 130 nations with around 75 mother tongues work together. To promote tolerance and acceptance of this cultural diversity in everyday life, the MOSAICO network was launched in 2013. Co-chair John Léchenne explains the goals and benefits of MOSAICO.

John Léchenne, what is the goal of MOSAICO?

MOSAICO is committed to living linguistic and cultural diversity within Swiss Post Group. In this way, it seeks to break down barriers and prejudices. The network increases awareness of diversity through targeted actions such as talks or theatrical productions and promotes the understanding of different cultures. All employees should be able to live their language and culture. For example, we encourage managers to read e-mails even if they are not written in their native language.

To what extent do multilingual employees benefit?

Anyone who can speak two or three languages has a huge advantage over other applicants when looking for a job. The same is true at Swiss Post, although this varies depending on the unit. In any case, it is striking that our Western Switzerland team also speaks German. In general, employees get by well with the national languages – specifically German, French and Italian. However, English is also very popular, especially at Swiss Post Solutions. If managers want to create teams with a linguistic mix, these skills are in demand.

How does MOSAICO support employees?

The network helps employees from very different jobs to find a language tandem partner. Two employees with different mother tongues help each other to improve their knowledge of the other language. MOSAICO also provides the opportunity for discussions in German, French, Italian or English at various locations during lunch breaks.

Multilingualism at PostFinance

PostFinance employees of course also benefit from these offers. The innovative financial institution has been investing in language training for its employees for years. In this way, it contributes to each individual’s ongoing development, creates new social connections and promotes employee satisfaction. According to a study by the Harvard Business Review, promoting multilingualism can also improve non-linguistic activities, as multilingual people are better able to carry out several tasks at the same time. Promoting multilingualism is an investment that is worthwhile for everyone.