How to Improve Onboarding for International Employees with Language Training
- Pedro Peixoto
- Jul 17
- 2 min read
Hiring international talent is increasingly common in global and growing companies. But welcoming a foreign professional brings specific challenges, especially in communication and cultural integration. Personalised language training can be a key tool to make onboarding faster, smoother, and more human.
Language as a barrier… or a bridge
When a new employee doesn’t speak the working language fluently (whether it’s Spanish, English or Portuguese), they may feel lost in meetings, miss key information in emails, or avoid interacting with colleagues. This affects both their performance and integration.
Language training from day one, or even before, can make all the difference.
Why include language training in onboarding?
Faster productivity: Clear communication helps new hires perform from the start.
Better employee experience: Feeling supported reduces stress and isolation.
Stronger company culture: Learning the language helps employees understand how the organisation works and communicates.
Effective diversity management: Hiring international talent is just the start — integration requires the right tools.
What should onboarding language training include?
Personalised learning: Tailored to the employee’s level and role.
Flexible delivery: Can begin before day one, with online scheduling.
Practical focus: Real work situations — emails, calls, presentations, team interactions.
Short but impactful: In the early weeks, intensity matters more than duration.
Already have an onboarding plan?
Perfect. Language training doesn’t replace your existing processes — it enhances them:
Compliance and culture sessions
HR or manager guidance
Mentoring and buddy programmes
It can even be offered as a welcome benefit to international employees.
What we offer at Glorick
At Glorick, we help companies in Spain and Portugal onboard international talent with:
One-to-one training with native teachers
Sessions focused on workplace communication and culture
Fully flexible scheduling
FUNDAE-subsidised training (in Spain)
Conclusion
A great onboarding experience is the difference between retention and resignation. Language training isn’t just a nice-to-have — it’s a smart investment to build truly global teams from day one.
