4 Top Tips for Successfully Outsourcing a Translation

Do you need to outsource a translation for the very first time? If you’re new to the translation and localization industry worth billions of euros per year this can be a daunting task. It’s a fiercely competitive market and heavily fragmented into large language service providers (LSP), boutique translation agencies, online platforms, and individual translators—all fighting for their piece of the pie And wherever there’s money to be made, there’ll be dubious vendors who are happy to jump on any easy victim.

This article will help you to avoid wasting your money and losing sanity when outsourcing a translation for the first time. I’ve teamed up with three fellow translator colleagues – Charlotte Marti, Lucie Gallen, and Elzbieta Dubois – and asked for their top tips on how to hire a translator for the best result possible.

Together we’ll answer the following questions:

Where do you find a professional and reliable translators?
Should translators be native speakers?
Should translators be generalists or specialists?
Why should you welcome questions from your chosen translator?

1. Where do you find a professional and reliable translator?

First things first, before you can outsource a translation you first need to find a reliable and qualified translator. Since translation is not a registered profession anyone can claim to be a translator. So where do you find a good linguistic partner for your business? Here are my top tips:

Word of mouth – Many of my clients came to me via word of mouth from colleagues or acquaintances, like Fair Ferry and Sweet Babydreams. And many of the people I hired over the years, like web designers or my bookkeeper, were recommendations. Before you look anywhere else reach out to your network. They might be able to recommend exactly the person you need.
LinkedIn – This social media network is one of the best places to find professionals of all sorts. Either write a simple post with Hashtag #translator or #translation mentioning your requirements or use the search function. Have a closer look at their profile and experience. Do they have a website? Do they have experience in your industry? Are they actively looking for new clients? Do they have a large network? If they tick all your boxes, move on to the next step.
Translators’ Directories – Almost every country has its own translators’ association with a database of verified professionals. If you need to hire a highly-specialized translator, for instance in the medical or legal field or you need a certified translator for official documents, these directories can be gold. Check out the American Translators Association (ATA), the German Bundesverband der Dolmetscher und Übersetzer (BdÜ) or the French Société française des traducteurs (SFT).

I haven’t listed platforms like Fiverr or Upwork here. Those don’t have the best reputation in our industry and I personally do not recommend them. Sure, you might find a good and reliable translator there but chances are high that you end up with an amateur or a side hustler.

2. Should translators be native speakers?

Charlotte has the following tip for you: “When it comes to outsourcing a translation, my #1 tip would be to hire a native translator. They'll have perfect knowledge of not only the language but also the culture of your targeted audience. Ideally, you also want to hire a translator who lives in the country the translation is intended for as they’ll have insights into the local trends and cultural nuances. This is particularly important for the translation of marketing content, where cultural differences are key.

You also want to hire someone with great writing skills, who can translate your content in your tone of voice. How can you make sure a translator is a good writer? The best way to do that is to go through their blog. If they don’t have a blog, you can check out their social media or pay attention to their writing in your email exchanges. The more information you can get on their writing skills and style, the better. Working with a great writer will help you get your message across in a way that speaks to your audience.”

3. Should translators be generalists or specialists?

Lucie says: “You know that if you have technical issues with your heating, you will need a tradesman to fix the problem, but you also know that a carpenter isn’t the right person to do it. This also applies to translation. You have your native translator, but do they know your business? While having a particularly good comprehension of the source language and having the language that the text is being translated into as their mother tongue, it is also important for them to know your industry, so the correct terminology and style of language are used.

Have you ever read a legal document and, while recognizing the words of your native language, not grasped the full meaning of the text? A legal translator would help perfectly, whereas an automotive specialist will most likely be in the same boat as you are here.

Translators will showcase their specialisms on their websites, LinkedIn profiles, etc., be it through recommendations or samples in their portfolio. Never be afraid to ask what experience they have in your field. A good translator will happily discuss their level of experience and point you in the direction of a better-suited candidate in the event of none.”

4. Why should you welcome questions from your chosen translator?

Elzbieta recommends: “Why should a translation provider ask you questions? From very generic ones before the project starts, such as asking you about the goals of your project, the purpose and audience of your content, to more technical ones, such as preferred terminology or style, questions are a sign of a professional approach. This is the equivalent of the gathering of requirements in business analysis speak. Like any service provider, they will also ask you about the deliverables, timeline and specific needs associated with your project (e.g. formatting).

“Yes, but”, I may hear you say, “you are asking your clients to do your job for you, isn’t searching for information part and parcel of translators’ job?”

Absolutely yes. The questions that your translator asks can reveal errors or inconsistencies in your source files, and consequently help improve these documents. Questions can save you legal issues in the target market. For instance, a translator may ask you whether you considered including relevant allergen information if they adapt a marketing copy for your food product.

Dealing with questions can be time-consuming. It can be frustrating, especially if you are swamped with them every hour. A good translator will batch them for you and communicate regularly.

Pertinent questions, transferred to a qualified person in your organisation, answered willingly, are crucial for a good end result. This communication flow will ensure that everyone gets the right information without wasting time and can meet the expected quality level.”

Are you ready to outsource?

We could’ve written an entire book about how to hire a translator and what selection criteria to watch out for. I’ll cover some of this in future articles. In the meantime, please leave a comment below if you have any questions or if want to add another important item to this list.

Photo Credit: Unsplash Christina @ wocintechchat.com

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