Factors to Consider When Choosing a Translation Agency

The language sector has recently grown into a $30 billion-a-year industry. The exponential growth has been attributed to the increasing demand for translation services. There are so many translation companies and deciding can be daunting. Due diligence is needed before you settle on just any certified translation service. There are a couple of factors that you should keep in mind as you search for translation services.

Financial Security

You want to avoid dealing with a translation company that will go out of business in the first year. You might be entering into a long-term relationship with the agency, and ensuring the company is financially secure is essential. Is the company growing? Are they profitable? It is crucial to ask such questions since you will invest your hard-earned money into the business's services. One of the ways you can know you're dealing with a good company is by looking at how they pay the staff. Translators that are poorly paid are not likely to provide quality. You can further research to determine if the company has a bad reputation for paying employees poorly.

Certified and Accredited

If you want accountability, you should look for an agency with workflows and systems. Such agencies will have handled several projects in the past and are experienced with the processes. You should be wary of agencies claiming to be certified yet needing to provide the documents to back up their claims. A good translation agency should be able to show their certification when asked.

24/7 Customer Support

Translation services require a company to be available around the clock. Customers could be in different time zones, and they will still want to be answered when there is a problem. Most agencies use freelancers for translation services. That doesn't necessarily mean the quality is diminished since the translator works from home. A reputable agency will have translators from different corners of the globe. Their customer care should be available around the clock as you might need an urgent revision.

Core Business Is Translation

You want to avoid dealing with a company that only offers translation services as part of their primary business. Such an agency will not likely give your project the seriousness it deserves. Why should you work with a company like this when some are fully dedicated to translation services? You can contact Ethno Link Translation, a company devoted to high-quality translation services.

Industry Specialization

There are translation agencies that offer specialized services. It could be a legal or medical niche. That is why you must look for an agency familiar with your industry. You should ask for case studies in your particular industry. This will give you the confidence to work with the agency. You could ask if you can contact past clients directly if you're looking for references.

Vetting Process

Every translation agency will have a different approach to vetting translators. The vetting process should be part of the Quality Management System. There are standard requirements that a company is supposed to follow. If you're looking for professional translation services, ensure the agency only works with native speakers. The agency should also have a workflow system for their translators to assure consistency in the quality.

Signing NDAs

You might need susceptible information to be translated. Both the company and the translators should sign NDAs just to be safe. This guarantees that sensitive information is kept safe, and you don't have to worry about leaks.

Glossaries Experience

Every industry has its own terms and jargon. This could be problematic for a translator not experienced with your industry's glossaries. If it is a big corporation, glossaries should be created for every language translation.

To summarise, your translation agency should have technology integration capabilities to improve output quality. The agency should be informed of the latest technologies, which could be industry-specific in some situations. Check out a couple of agencies before making the final hiring decision.