How To Speak to Everyone: Multinational Communication Done Right

How can you communicate an urgent update everyone needs to know about, to teams scattered across five continents, speaking a dozen different languages, all while making sure the frontline teams get the memo?

That's the everyday reality for multinational companies, and let me tell you, it's a hot mess.

Sure, I know this sweet feeling you get after you finish researching, writing, editing, approving, rewriting, adding the right emojis, and finally hitting ‘send’. 

But here’s a million-dollar question: did your message actually land?

With our frontline heroes, the challenge is even greater. You can't assume that everyone – from your warehouse staff in Poland to your customer support squad in the Philippines – has read the new 90-page employee booklet.

Some orgs struggle with the ‘Did You Get That Email?’ syndrome only to realize the email never made it past the language barrier, lacked the nuance to survive cultural misinterpretation, or simply got lost in the frontline worker's nonexistent inbox.

And just because English is your company’s official language doesn’t mean everyone's Shakespeare-level.  Your non-English-speaking colleagues are doing their best to keep up.

But when misunderstandings happen, there will be consequences. 

In fact, a study by the Economist Intelligence Unit found that communication barriers can lead to significant delays or failures to complete projects in nearly 50% of cases.

But it doesn't stop there. 

Other implications include low morale (31%), missed performance goals (25%), and even lost sales (18%), some worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.

The stakes are clearly high, so let’s break it down.

Get to know your audience

Who are these people, really? Yes, you have their titles: engineers, cooks, regional managers. But to truly connect, you need to dig deeper into their actual communication needs.

What languages do they speak?

How comfortable are they with English?

What’s their preferred communication format?

Side note: Generational differences matter. If you’re already in a meeting with the people analytics team, don’t forget to ask about their demographics. Are they Gen Z employees who thrive on bite-sized TikTok-style updates, or are they seasoned Gen Xers who expect detailed emails and structured messages?

Getting to the heart of these questions means you're not just guessing what messages will land. You're delivering tailored, thoughtful communications that resonate.

Multinational comms 101: Use captions

Let’s be clear: if you're not adding captions or subtitles to videos and presentations, you’re failing your non-native English-speaking employees. 

Sure, it’s tempting to think, “Who needs captions when the visuals are so sleek and cool?”

Well, just about anyone who can't catch every nuance of spoken English (and that includes a whole lot of native speakers, too, who watch on mute!).

Captions bridge the gap between understanding and confusion.

Build captions into your content strategy from the get-go.

The power of localized content

Here’s where most companies get it wrong: translation is not localization.

For instance, your next company-wide announcement might need to be softened or adjusted to fit the norms of other regions. 

In some countries, directness is appreciated. In others, the same message can be perceived as rude or abrasive. What’s funny or relatable in one culture might not fly in another.

There are local idioms, or references to pop culture that can make your communication feel more authentic and relatable in one place or carry unintended connotations in another. 

You should also mind non-verbal comms and consider how visuals, colors, and design elements might be interpreted differently across cultures and regions.

And then there’s the local reality. Times of heightened polarization, such as elections, periods of social unrest, or regional conflicts, can significantly impact how your messages are perceived. Similarly, memorial days or cultural events that may be unknown to your HQ can be deeply sensitive for local teams.

Practical tip

Partner with local teams to review content before distributing it. 

Ask them:

• Does this message sound natural in your language?
• Are there any cultural nuances we should adjust or avoid?
• Does this tone resonate with your local teams?
• Is this the right time to send this message, considering current local events or sensitivities?

Frontline empathy starts with asking questions, listening, and actively learning. Regularly check in with your teams around the world and adjust your communication strategies based on their feedback and needs. And by inviting champions to contribute to the content, you make it far more likely that the content speaks to their unique challenges. 

Your London office isn't just ‘English-speaking’

We've talked a lot about global teams, but let's not forget the micro-multicultural environments within our offices. I mean, if your HQ is in the heart of London and everyone around you speaks English, your team is likely a melting pot of accents, language levels, and cultural backgrounds. 

If you only speak one language, and that is the official corporate language, that’s your good luck. 

But let me tell you something: there are a lot of smart, experienced, qualified professionals who struggle with English. They might have strong accents, make grammatical errors, or hesitate to speak up.

As comms pros, it's our job to create a space where everyone feels comfortable sharing, even if their English isn't perfect. Focus on the message, not the accent, and appreciate the unique perspectives that come from different language backgrounds. When everyone feels heard and valued, regardless of their English skills, your company benefits from a richer pool of ideas and a more inclusive culture.

Next steps

Ready to stop pretending your multinational teams are all magically aligned? Try these six steps.

• Get honest about your current mess. Conduct a cross-cultural audit and map where messages die in your organization.
• Put your frontline first. If it works for people on the move, it'll work for everyone.
• Embrace ‘good enough’ over ‘perfect’. Simple, clear updates beat long corporate messages every time.
• Let AI handle the heavy lifting. Turn on real-time translation and create a first localized draft with your favorite AI in a matter of seconds. 
• Measure what matters. Track understood actions, not just sent messages.  
• Start small and scale. Fix one region’s communication challenges, prove success, and expand.

Q&A: The stuff you're too afraid to ask

Q: Should I hire a non-native-English-speaking comms manager?

Absolutely. Whether for your HQ or a global team, removing the ‘native English’ qualification from the job description can only benefit you and your organization and reach a wider audience. Multilingual communication managers can be your strategic advantage. They've lived the challenge of navigating language barriers, so they understand communication nuances and potential misinterpretations.  They're creative problem-solvers and experts at pointing out problems (and finding solutions) native speakers might miss.

Q: We have a corporate language policy. Isn't that enough?

About as much as having a ‘no hunger’ policy solves world hunger. Having English as your official language doesn't magically make your Vietnamese production team fluent. Even when people technically understand the words, cultural context gets lost.

The best companies use a common corporate language and provide critical information in local languages.

Q: How can AI help with localization and translation in multinational comms?

AI-powered tools streamline the process, but don’t rely on them blindly. Always have local champions review your messages.

Q: How do you make sure that frontline employees, especially those who speak different languages, don’t feel excluded?

Give them an easy-to-access platform with tailored content. Use visuals, captions, and localized updates. And most importantly, ask for their feedback. (Try Workvivo!)

Q: What’s the role of cultural differences in multinational communication?

A massive one. Different cultures have different norms around tone, formality, and humor. What’s acceptable in the US might be completely inappropriate in Japan. Check before you hit ‘send’.

Q: Should I be translating everything or just key messages?

It depends. If your company is spread out globally, you’ll want to make sure critical information is translated or localized – especially policies, safety instructions, and important updates. For less critical content, sometimes you just need a quick simple takeaway.

Q: What metrics should we track to know if our multinational communication is working?

Look beyond simple open rates or delivery confirmations. 

Track comprehension (through brief pulse checks), action rates (did people do what was needed?), and regional response variations (are certain locations consistently underperforming?). The most telling metric is often the ‘time to aligned action’ – how long it takes from message delivery to consistent implementation across all regions.

If your European teams implement within days while your Asian teams take weeks, you've identified a communication gap worth investigating.

Moving from Google Translate to global mindset

Multinational communication is a lot more complicated than throwing everything into Google Translate. 

It’s about adopting a global mindset: working out cultural nuances, language barriers, generational gaps, and the subtle art of making sure everyone feels included.

Done right, it builds trust and fosters engagement worldwide.

Do it wrong, and you're just another HQ suit who assumes ‘everyone understands’. And let me tell you: they don't.

Your move.