I don’t follow American football, but I do love the Super Bowl halftime show. I’ve spent the past four months trying to learn the Spanish lyrics to Bad Bunny in preparation. Sadly, I had to give up when my daughter, who does speak Spanish, told me to stop destroying the songs! All was not lost. Music is a universal language, as they say, so I was still able to enjoy the show and engage with the storytelling.

Internal communication, however, doesn’t work like that. We need people to understand our words if we want them to act, engage or change behaviour.

Having spent most of my career in global organisations, I’ve lost count of the hours spent debating whether internal content really needs translating if English is the official business language. The reality is that while many employees can operate in English, functional English and confident understanding are not the same thing.

Employees may read English well enough to complete everyday tasks, yet still struggle with nuance, complex phrasing or emotionally sensitive messages. And when communication involves change, uncertainty or risk, misunderstanding can heighten anxiety and erode trust.

Previously cost and time were cited as barriers but with AI able to translate quickly that argument has largely disappeared.

If we want people to feel genuinely included at work, language has to be part of the conversation. Inclusion isn’t just about policies or representation; it’s also about whether people can easily understand the information they need to do their jobs and feel connected to what’s happening in the organisation. When key messages are only available in one language, some employees are inevitably left working harder to access information or feeling slightly outside the conversation. Thoughtful translation and, where needed, transcreation helps ensure everyone has the same opportunity to understand, contribute and feel part of the bigger picture.

If you are translating internal content, here are five things to consider:

• Decide which content is translated. If you want employees to do something — follow a process, respond to change, or understand policy — the content should be available in a language they fully understand. Comprehension drives action. Focus first on communications that affect safety, employment, operations or major change.

• Think transcreation, not just translation. Transcreation combines translation with cultural and creative adaptation, ensuring a message has the same meaning and impact in another language, rather than being translated word for word.

• Support translation with conversation. I’ve seen some impressive multi-language intranets but translation alone doesn’t guarantee understanding. Employees don’t just need information in their language; they need messages that make sense in their local context and help them act with confidence. Encourage local discussions and feedback to check understanding and refine messaging where needed.

• Always involve native speakers. Whether you use agencies or AI tools, always have human review — ideally with native speakers — who should review translations for accuracy, tone and cultural context. And remember: if you ask colleagues to do this “off the side of their desk,” ensure they have sufficient time to do this and receive recognition.

• Agree which languages will be translated. It’s not always practical to translate into every language. Don’t assume language preference based on geography. Where feasible, allow employees to access materials in the language they are most comfortable using.