Why is finding competent workers so difficult?

[qris]

I'm looking for suggestions here because I've been trying to solve the same problem for several months now and I'm stuck.

Here's my situation:
I'm a freelance translator and I've been doing this successfully for many years already. I'm considered competent and reliable by my clients. The translations I write are usually error-free and are delivered on time. So my clients are quite pleased with my work most of the time.

The biggest drawback is that translating is very labor-intensive even with the most advanced computer-aided-translation tools available. I spend often over 12 hours a day, 7 days a week, translating documents. I want to be able to delegate more work to others and have more time for myself.

Many times I've tried to hire other translators to assist me. It's not easy. I post jobs online. I get hundreds of applicants. I tell them to go through my testing process. About 10% of them manage to pass all the tests. After the testing phase, I send the successful applicants some small actual translation jobs from my clients. Nearly all of them submits these jobs with spelling and grammar errors which I have to correct before delivering the final translation to the clients. I give feedback to the translators regarding the errors that I found in their work. Half of them seem to learn from the experience, the rest keep making as many mistakes in their translation as before.

Typically I let go of the translators that don't learn from their mistakes and I keep the rest. However, I always have trouble holding on to the translators that do a better job because they usually translate part-time and they disappear for a variety of reasons (pregnancy, new permanent job, etc.) within a few months.

Essentially I would have to keep testing and hiring translators full-time which is very time consuming. I'm thinking of hiring some kind of headhunter to find translators for me but I'm not sure if it's the best solution.

How do you cope with a high assistant turnover?

[Sven]

From what I have learned translators do not get enough pay. I heard 2 cents per word or something of that nature. The fact that you work 12 hour days suggest the same.

There is no way out. People that need translations are used to this level of pricing and "Have no room to pay more" And as long as there are people willing to work for low pay the good ones will give up... And maybe you need to do so too.

[Frank]

It sounds like what you need is a good editor. This person can take the less than perfect submissions of your underlings and polish them into a quality product. That will free you to build the business.

[qris]

Hi Sven

Good translators can charge from 10 cents to 25 cents a word, depending on the technical nature and the urgency of the job. The reason I'm working 12 hours a day is because of tight deadlines and the large volumes of translations that my clients submit to me every single day. Financially, I'm doing OK. The money was quite good in 2011.

The problem is finding people that are professional enough to know things as basic as spelling and grammar. I'm still shocked that they don't seem to know how to run a spellcheck on their job before submitting it.

[qris]

Hi Frank

Yes. I need good editors. That's what I've been looking for all year. There are not many competent editors and translators out there. I'm still trying to find a way to obtain them.

[officer_dibble]

On the high turnover front - try and systematize the process as much as possible. Document the tests and model answers (and thresholds for passing), create standard ads that have worked in the past (and outlets) etc. Get everything out of your head and onto paper.

Then get your editor (once you find one) to run the process for you - and keep it running so you always have a bunch of good translators who are hungry for work.

[JPress]

Originally Posted by qris

How do you cope with a high assistant turnover?

1) Pay More

2) Screen way better
- lengthy application
- resume
- references
- samples

Immediately cut people that can't follow your directions.

You don't even need to really read everything they submit, you just want to know that they can follow your directions to a T.