Interpreter: What is the cost of hiring?

Why recruit an interpreter?

Whatever your sector, if you are looking to sell your products or services abroad, having a good interpreter will mean that spoken communications with clients and customers will be both intelligible and have a friendly, accessible tone. When you have an interpreter who is fluent in your target language, it means that miscommunications are less likely to happen, smoothing the way for a successful expansion into new territory.

Qualities of a great interpreter:

• Helps your executives to communicate with speakers of other languages, such as clients or employees based in foreign countries, by interpreting both into and out of their language.
• Can accompany members of staff to meetings and on overseas visits.
• Specialises in the subject area in which your business operates.

Deciding between a full-time vs freelance interpreter

You might seek a freelance interpreter if you only have a one-off or occasional need for interpreting services, such as for an occasional meeting, whether in-person, online or as part of an overseas visit. If you have more regular requirements for a specific set of languages over the course of a year, you may prefer to recruit an interpreter on a six-month or annual basis. Many interpreters offer their services on a freelance basis, as this gives them the flexibility to travel or work from a home or personal office. As you can find interpreters remotely all over the world, this degree of flexibility may work well for your business. However, if you run a translation company offering interpreting services, or are looking to relocate your company abroad, it may help to recruit an interpreter on a permanent contract.

What are the different types of interpreter?

Which kind of interpreter is right for you will depend on the setting that you need them to work in. You also need to be clear about the languages that you need them to speak. Perhaps you are looking for an interpreter to translate from English into German, and vice versa, or into several other languages such as French, Italian or Mandarin. Your choice of interpreter also depends on the industry that you are working in, as you will need to find an interpreter with industry-specific knowledge, which may be medical, legal or technical. 

• Hospital interpreter: helps hospital staff such as doctors to communicate with patients who do not speak their language, by interpreting their speech in both directions.
• Court or legal interpreter: translates speech or sign language in a legal setting, for example when a witness is testifying in court.
• Face-to-face interpreter: helps to support users in local authority settings or hospitals whose first language is not used in that setting.
• British Sign Language (BSL) Interpreter: helps communication between Deaf BSL speakers and hearing people.
• Telephone interpreter: helps individuals who do not use the same language to communicate over the telephone.

Where to find an interpreter?

To find the right interpreter for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

• Searching language institute databases: find qualified interpreters with the right language experience via language institute databases like the Institute of Translation and Interpreting.
• Searching online directories: search through profiles of interpreters on specialist directories, where they advertise their services.
• Networking with language schools: become acquainted with language schools so that you can headhunt their best language graduates.
• Attending events run by language schools or institutes: network with language professionals and graduates via translator or interpreter meet-ups.
• Advertising locally on jobs bulletins or in language school bulletins: create adverts to seek freelance interpreters.

Post your job online: Try posting your job for an interpreter on Indeed to find and attract quality interpreter candidates.

Skills to look for in a great interpreter

A great candidate for an interpreter role will have the following skills and attributes as well as work experience that reflects:

• qualifications and proven interpreting experience
• creativity and a clear spoken voice
• ability to adapt to the situation
  
• flexibility and the ability to learn new specialist vocabulary in different subject areas
  
• lifelong learning, keeping up to date with changes in how languages are used by their speakers

Writing an interpreter job description

A thoughtful description is important for finding qualified interpreter candidates. An interpreter job description includes a compelling summary of the role, a detailed list of duties and responsibilities and the required and preferred skills for the position.

When writing your job description for an interpreter, consider including some or all of the following keywords to strengthen the visibility of your job posting. These are the most popular search terms resulting in clicks on jobs for interpreters, according to Indeed data:

• interpreter
• chinese
• mandarin
• nhs interpreter
• arabic
• cantonese
• turkish
• spanish.

Interviewing interpreter candidates

Strong candidates for interpreter positions will be confident answering questions regarding:

• why they are interested in your company
• why they are interested in interpreting
• their personal and professional approach to interpreting
• which clients they have enjoyed working for in the past
• their ability to adjust their tone, and interpret in a culturally sensitive manner.

Need help coming up with interview questions? See our list of interpreter interview questions for examples (with sample answers).