This article was originally published in the seventh edition of the ESOP Communications Sourcebook by the National Center for Employee Ownership (NCEO).
The United States is growing more diverse, both ethnically and linguistically. In 2010, the U.S. Census reported that 20% of the U.S. population spoke a language other than English at home. The Pew Research Center, extrapolating current trends, predicts that by 2050 one in five Americans will be an immigrant. Many ESOP companies reflect this diversity in their workforces, where some employees may speak limited English.
Ensuring that these English Language Learner (ELL) employees understand employee ownership, and are treated like owners, is important to developing their skills and talents for the company. This chapter shares examples from companies that actively reach out to their ELL employees, and identifies principles for leveraging a linguistically diverse workforce to improve company performance.