How to Keep Your Team of Interpreters Motivated 

by | Dec 26, 2022

The role of Interpreters, though it has always been important, has gained much traction, especially since the onset of the global pandemic. In the United States alone, over 33,000 professional interpreters are actively serving in various fields. But the question we want to answer today is, how do interpreters stay motivated doing their job? And if they aren’t as motivated as they’re supposed to be, how do you motivate your team of interpreters and keep it that way?

Keep reading our Day Interpreting blog to find out.

 

What is Motivation?

One of the obvious questions that we can begin our conversation with is, what is motivation? 

  • Motivation has everything to do with the needs, desires, drive, and wants of an individual. We can put it another way and say that motivation is the driving force behind the outward actions of a person.

Based on this working definition, anything that defines or describes what a person does and why they do it is motivation. In general, there are 2 types of motivation:

Intrinsic Motivation 

This means that your motivation comes from within you. It has everything to do with the things you love and have a genuine interest in. For example, your love for art. You love it so much that you decide to pursue it as a career.

Extrinsic Motivation 

This type of motivation comes about as a result of outward influences. With this type of motivation, rewards play a key role. This can include money, awards, social recognition, validation, and praise.

 

Why is it Important to Keep Your Team of Interpreters Motivated?

We could think of so many reasons why motivation is important for professional translators, but here are our top 4 reasons:

Improved Efficiency and Accuracy

When your interpreters have a goal to work towards, it gives them the boost they need to work towards their goals. These goals can be for themselves as well as for the company.

Promotes the Drive to Take Action

Taking the initiative on the job is not as common as you would want to think. When you keep your team of interpreters motivated, it encourages them to go the extra mile and be proactive as opposed to reactive.

Avoidance of Unhealthy Professional Behaviors 

When it comes to developing habits and acting them out on a daily basis, if you’re not careful, these habits can become unhealthy and show up in ways that are deemed to be professional and unhealthy in nature. That said, the right type of motivation helps your interpreters to avoid or reduce their unhealthy behaviors within the professional space.

Improves Overall Mental Wellbeing

Who doesn’t want to have a handle on their life? With the right motivation, your professional interpreters are able to feel more in control of their lives as well as develop the confidence to improve their overall well-being and happiness.

 

What are the Best Ways to Keep Your Team of Interpreters Motivated?

The truth is that for each individual, there are things that motivate them on an intrinsic level and other things that inspire them on an extrinsic level. Either way, as a team, there are goals that you’re working towards collectively that spill over and motivate each person on an individual level. That said, here are some tips to help you keep your team of interpreters motivated collectively. 

Practice Effective Communication 

No team thrives without the presence of effective communication. Regarding communication, there is a very thin line on whether or not it motivates your team members. This is why it is important to polish up on both your verbal and non-verbal cues and then create a strategy that works best in exchanging information. 

Additionally, effective communication also includes communicating the values and goals of the organization to all members of your team. By doing this, you establish an understanding of what everyone is supposed to be working towards and set targets you want to reach.

Boost Your Team Members’ Autonomy 

Micromanagement is probably one of the greatest demotivators within the work environment. Conditions such as this can impact a team member negatively and cause a ripple effect of acting out. That said, consider giving your team the space to breathe and to be themselves. If they are motivated enough, they will take the initiative and get the job done.

Give Ongoing Incentives 

Incentives are always great motivators.  Rewarding your team’s success is never a bad idea. What should be put in place however is that this reward is ongoing and never a one-off instance. Of course, there are so many ways to reward your team; you can make a list a rotate them as time goes by.

Provide Attractive Benefits 

Offering attractive benefits to your team members is always a great motivator. These benefits include competitive salaries. It is important that the benefits you offer your team are on par with industry standards and are up-to-date with the information needed to design these great benefits.

Enhance Working Conditions

Optimizing your work environment includes improving your team’s working conditions. Whether you work face-to-face or remotely, the environment that you set for your team is very important. It is always best to assess the state of the situation now and create a plan that you’re going to work towards on an ongoing basis to make and keep things in the best conditions for your team.

 

The Bottom Line 

Your team of interpreters is no doubt very important to you. It is up to you to keep them happy and motivated. That’s the only way you’re going to be able to have a world-class, high-performing team. 

At Day Interpreting, we know what it means to motivate your team and keep them motivated. We’re always looking for reliable and professional interpreters to be part of our team. We offer interpreting services in every language. 

If you’re looking for on-demand interpreters, download the Day Interpreting app on Google Playstore or the App store.

Seldean Smith

Seldean Smith

Seldean is a multi-skilled content wizard that dedicates herself to writing content that goes beyond merely sparking interest in the audience.

Seldean Smith

Seldean is a multi-skilled content wizard that dedicates herself to writing content that goes beyond merely sparking interest in the audience.

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