2018

TABLE OF CONTENTS 03

LETTER FROM DAVID JAMES

05

BEST FOR:

(ADAPTIVE CEO)

EMPLOYEE RETENTION

07

BEST FOR:

09

BEST FOR: TRAINING +

12

ATTACHED +

EMPLOYEE BENEFITS

PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT

CPSL

16

BIGTRANSLATION +

20

WOLFSTONE +

LANGUAGE CONNECT

THEBIGWORD

04

BEST FOR:

06

BEST FOR:

EMPLOYEE WELLBEING

CAREER PROGRESSION

08

BEST FOR:

10

ALTAGRAM +

14

ATTACHED +

18

SANDBERG +

22

THANK YOU

RECRUITMENT + ONBOARDING

VISTATEC

SUPERTEXT

THEBIGWORD

WELCOME TO BELA 2018 Welcome to the second annual Best Employers in Localization Awards (BELA), brought to you by Adaptive Globalization. BELA recognizes and celebrates organizations committed to making the Language Service Industry an inspiring, exciting and attractive place to work. Being in the services industry, the saying 'you're only as good as your team' is very relevant. For our industry to continue growing and pushing the boundaries of communication across the planet, it is imperative that we attract talent from other sectors, inspire graduates to pursue careers in Language Services and retain the fantastic global talent we have.

where the well-being of staff is a priority. We are lucky to be working in such an attractive, diverse and fast-growing industry - but as employers, we must ensure we also offer excellent working environments and opportunity to excel from within.

These awards recognize those LSPs who make it a priority to support their staff to achieve more than they thought possible. BELA acknowledges those that provide a continuous opportunity for learning and development, that creates a stable and secure work environment

It's our goal to promote Translation and Localization as a great industry in which to have a career. It's our hope that BELA will assist us to achieve this, recognizing and promoting top employers in the industry on the way.

BEST FOR EMPLOYEE WELL-BEING Employee well-being is a pivotal issue still being perfected by companies across the globe, it's vital that employees are happy in their work in order to keep them motivated. The importance of a happy company culture can't be underestimated. It isn't difficult to see the value of building around well-being and adapting your focus. Studies show that companies who prioritise well-being have employees who miss less work, are more engaged and innovative. Healthier, happier employees are better employees. The winners of this BELA category have shown their commitment to well-being and impressed our judges in a number of ways, taking proactive measures to improved the workplace environment, implementing schemes that push healthy living and listen to what they can do to reduce stress and improve motivation.

WINNER $0 - $10m category

WINNER $10m+ category

BEST FOR EMPLOYEE RETENTION Keeping hold of your employees for an extended period of time is good practice, and companies with positive retention often set a standard at the very beginning, sometimes even at the interview stages.

WINNER $0 - $10m category

WINNER $10m+ category

The winner of this BELA are those who understand the importance of retention and have proven strategies in place to ensure that they will give the employee a difficult decision to make regarding leaving. Whether it's simply a good benefits structure, salary or company culture, there are many different ways to keep employees happy and at the company to build their career. The winners of this award understand the importance of retention and when it comes to it, there is nothing more important than keeping the workforce happy - this could go beyond simple strategies - more creative methods have been put in place.

BEST FOR CAREER PROGRESSION One of the most prevalent reasons behind employees seeking a new role or an opportunity elsewhere is the lack of career growth. Employees that find themselves plateauing in their current role, without a clear plan or a distinct lack of opportunities are more likely to become disengaged and will probably be more open to jobs elsewhere.

WINNER $0 - $10m category

That's why having a well structured career plan in place for your employees is well regarded and has been recognised by this BELA award. The winners have shown that they are invested in talent within, growing from their ranks rather than looking to bring in new hires. BELA 2018's champions show they have an understanding of the process of learning and growth to help their employees progress toward their ultimate professional goals.

WINNER $10m+ category

BEST FOR EMPLOYEE BENEFITS Work satisfaction has become increasingly significant in the last ten years, when looking for a new role, salary isn't always the main priority.

WINNER $0 - $10m category

WINNER $10m+ category

Health insurance, flexible working, group activities and factors including social events, employee well-being, home working and gym memberships have all become part and parcel of the modern world. It's almost expected to have a good benefits package in line with an impressive salary. The winners of BELA's Employee Benefits award in 2018 understand the importance of keeping their employees satisfied and productive with a creative strategy to improve work/life balance, keep their employees satisfied and ensure that they are happy in their work. They have taken ideas on board and listened to the demands of their workforce - which will keep entice a potential candidate and give them the edge over a rival employer.

BEST FOR RECRUITMENT & ONBOARDING NEW FOR 2018! This award recognises the importance of setting standards right from the word go. The winners have shown clearly how they value the process of recruitment and onboarding, clearly showing that they make candidates feel valued and allowing them to integrate seamlessly. Whether it's having a dedicated training programme, constant communication with their prospective candidates before and during the interview stages or simply making new employees feel welcome and up to speed as quickly as possible, the winners of this BELA have shown commitment to their recruitment and onboarding process.

WINNER $0 - $10m category

WINNER $10m+ category

BEST FOR TRAINING & PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT NEW FOR 2018! To progress professionally it's important to start off right, we've launched another new BELA for this year, to highlight outstanding training in LSPs.

WINNER $0 - $10m category

WINNER $10m+ category

In such a complex, unique market, those joining LSPs need to be aware of the competition, the industry and the everchanging scope. With that in mind, the winner of this BELA has a fantastic training strategy in place, placing emphasis on recognising and developing their employees strengths, and focusing on areas which could perhaps have room for improvement.

WINNER

BEST FOR EMPLOYEE WELL-BEING $0-10m turnover category

Founded by Marie Amigues in 2013, Altagram is a fast-growing video game localization and voice-over agency. Since its founding Altagram has grown to three international offices: its Berlin HQ and offices in Seoul and Montreal. Boasting more than 60 in-house specialists and over 600 freelancers for text localization, voice-over audio production and localization quality assurance, Altagram has worked on over 4000 video game titles, providing localization services in over 45 languages for indie hits as well as major AAA titles. With daily overall healthcare and wellbeing benefits including the public health care system, fruits & muesli bars,

games consoles, and team events, Altagram also plan a strategic trip twice a year. Most recently they took the team for a two-week long trip to a villa in turkey, getting their work done as usual during work hours but enjoying the summer sun and facilities, team building after hours. Christin Lachmann (HR Manager) said: "Being recognized as a winner in the BELA 2018 awards delights us and fills us with great honor. We work hard to take care of our employees’ well-being and provide a culture of encouraging knowledge and excellence." "This award further motivates us to keep doing our absolute best, and we believe that our company’s success is founded in the happiness of our employees.

WINNER

BEST FOR EMPLOYEE WELL-BEING $10m+ turnover category

initiatives and benefits for employees,” commented Siobhan Gantly, Human Resources Director, Vistatec.

Vistatec has been helping some of the world’s most iconic brands with their international strategies for over two decades. Headquartered in Dublin, Ireland, with offices in Mountain View, California, Vistatec has production hubs all over the world in many different countries, cultures and time zones. “We are honored to have received this prestigious award, which recognizes the Human Resources department, for the focus we put on striving to make Vistatec a happy and healthy workplace for all of our employees. We pride ourselves on being people focused and are always looking to introduce new

Placing people at the center of everything we do, we understand that happy employees are productive employees. We have initiatives encouraging health and wellness for our employees including free digital Digital Doctor, Gym membership, Employee Assistance Programmes and flexible working solutions. “Vistatec would not have been such a success over the last two decades without the work and dedication of our employees. The HR department is always working to improve the work-life areas for our employees around the world, and we are delighted to have received this award as it acknowledges just that,” added Patrick Kelly, CoFounder, and Chief Commercial Officer, Vistatec.

WINNER

BEST FOR EMPLOYEE RETENTION $0-10m turnover category

Attached | Language intelligence was founded in October 2000 by Eveline van Sandick and has been a trusted language intelligence provider to many international companies ever since. Even though the company caters to a wide variety of clients with specialized translation needs (legal, education, technical, financial, IT), Attached has built a strong international reputation in the fields of marketing content and customer loyalty programs. The need of brands to further personalize the relationship with their customers has almost become synonymous with the need for localization of their communication and customer experience. The language professionals at Attached, supported by state-of-the-art linguistic and workflow tools, work together with their clients on a daily basis,

intelligently localizing content for global markets. With an average retention of production staff of between 5-8 years, it's clear to see that Attached Language intelligence staff enjoy their work. Eveline explains Attached’s success as follows: “First of all: we know what we are doing, we are professionals. Language and communication is in our blood, finding customized solutions is second nature to us. Secondly: we take our customers very seriously. Not only do we listen very carefully to their direct requests, but by asking questions, relating experiences, and bringing up examples, we understand their requests better. That way, we can offer our clients the best solutions for their needs.”

WINNER

BEST FOR EMPLOYEE RETENTION $10m+ turnover category

With 56% of staff being with CPSL for more than five years, and an average production longevity of 8 years, they were a clear front runner for this BELA. Founded by Helga Pawlowsky in Livia Florensa, CEO CPSL said: “I’m Barcelona more than 50 years ago, delighted that CPSL has been selected CPSL's main objective is to provide for the second consecutive year as the quality translations to Spanish companies best company for employee retention. that were finding an increasing need to communicate with the rest of the world. "This award proves that our effort to create optimal working conditions for our Today one of the longest-established teams is recognized and rewarded within language services providers in the our sector. Since its foundation in 1963, translation and localization industry, CPSL has always tried to create a having served clients for over 50 years in pleasant, motivating, participative and a range of industries including: life fair environment in which it’s possible to sciences, energy, machinery and tools, have a good work-life balance. For us, it automotive and transport, software, is essential to have engaged and happy telecommunications, financial, legal, employees, which promotes greater electronics and government. productivity and increases customer satisfaction with a stable team dedicated to their projects. I’d like to take this opportunity to congratulate all those in CPSL who make this company an ideal place to work and grow professionally."

WINNER

BEST FOR CAREER PROGRESSION $0-10m turnover category

Attached | Language intelligence was founded in October 2000 by Eveline van Sandick and has been a trusted language intelligence provider to many international companies ever since. Even though the company caters to a wide variety of clients with specialized translation needs (legal, education, technical, financial, IT), Attached has built a strong international reputation in the fields of marketing content and customer loyalty programs.

synonymous with the need for localization of their communication and customer experience. The language professionals at Attached, supported by state-of-the-art linguistic and workflow tools, work together with their clients on a daily basis, intelligently localizing content for global markets. Matthijs Kooijman: "Winning the BELA award recognizes our two-lane strategy of creating a high-tech and creative environment whilst keeping focused on the human side – both for clients and our employees. This works well and lays a solid foundation for the future.” Leen Temmerman: “Working at Attached means working with a warm group of colleagues who work and laugh together, with always someone to talk to and share things with.”

WINNER

BEST FOR CAREER PROGRESSION $10m+ turnover category

Supertext makes reading a pleasure. In English, German, French, Italian and 30 other languages. The mission: free the world from bad copy. Founded in 2005, Supertext ranked among the top 100 European technology start-ups as early as 2008. More than 3,500 companies use our online services. Not only can they order and manage their copywriting and translation projects online, they also benefit from our technical expertise and intelligent use of translation memories, termbases and online workflow integration. Today, more than 55 full-time members of staff coordinate the work of more than 1,500 copywriters, proofreaders and translators for national and international clients from all industries. Supertext takes care of more than 3,100 projects every month and is one of the

most innovative language service providers specializing in transcreation. “We are thrilled to have been recognized as a top employer in Adaptive Globalization’s Best Employers in Localization Awards 2018. "The continuous training and development of our staff is key to our fast and sustainable growth. It is highly motivating to work with a great team of people and I am confident that the BELA award will help us grow our workforce and further business”- Fabian Dieziger, Founder and CEO of Supertext AG

WINNER

BEST FOR EMPLOYEE BENEFITS $0-10m turnover category

BigTranslation came into being just a few years ago but already has a well-established team of translators working all over the globe. The agency was born to meet the requirements of today’s fast-moving digital world of constantly changing content and global brands. Although they work with numerous industries and text types, they specialise in the translation of web content, particularly for the sectors of e-commerce and retail, tourism and leisure, beauty and fashion, education and marketing and media. BigTranslation has implemented a multitude of automated processes to make the translation service process itself easier for both clients and our translators. Any of the translation services that we offer can be requested automatically from our website. BigTranslation knows the importance of taking care of its employees and

creating a positive and pleasurable work environment is key, they do everything possible to put the team first. They offer a wide range of benefits that contribute to the well being of staff, including professional development courses, team building activities, and language courses among others. ‘We are delighted to have won the BELA Award in this category! "BigTranslation knows how important it is to provide staff with the type of benefits that will impact positively on their working life, as well as in general, and we are honoured to have received this recognition in an industry award.’ Eve Pattison: Team Leader - Translation Department

WINNER

BEST FOR EMPLOYEE BENEFITS $10m+ turnover category to supercharge clients’ global growth with expertise in multi-lingual ecommerce and digital experiences. Language Connect delivers full-service translation, proofreading, localisation, interpreting and verbatim coding services to a wide range of clients from research agencies to healthcare, retail, financial and FMCG brands, in over 50 countries worldwide. The company was awarded The Queen's Award for Enterprise in International Trade in 2018, based on its sustainable highgrowth across its worldwide locations. Their mission is to provide global clients with language support they can trust and that enhances their communications with customers. Core competencies go beyond excellence in interpreting and translation and Language Connect has extensive experience in global marketing services across all channels. As part of global ecommerce giant, The Hut Group, the company is uniquely placed

The language services are complemented by expertise in DTP, digital services and sector specific requirements which include legal, financial, ecommerce, technology, marketing, and operational content. Offering an exciting work environment, combined with exceptional opportunities for career development, has seen Language Connect become a preferred employer in the language sector and we are proud to have received awards for our internship programme and the BELA for Employee Benefits. “The key to our high growth in Language Connect is the wonderful people we have all sharing the same aim to deliver great solutions to our clients. So it’s only right that we look after these great people with care and consideration. We’re delighted to be recognised by BELA.” - Quentin Naylor, Managing Director.

WINNER

BEST FOR TRAINING + PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT $0-10m turnover category Wolfestone is a multi-awardwinning translation company based in Swansea, South Wales. Initially founded in 2006 by local entrepreneurs, Roy Allkin and Anna Bastek, Wolfestone has gone on to become one of the fastest growing translation companies in the United Kingdom, its service trusted by some of the biggest corporations and institutions in the world. At the very centre of Wolfestone’s success is its talented team of language industry experts.

From Account Managers to advise and guide our clients’ decisions, to Project Managers overseeing a high-quality and reliable translation service, to Vendor Managers who source some of the world’s best translators, Wolfestone aims to recruit and develop those people who have a passion for languages. “To win the BELA Award for Training & Personal Development is a great honour for us. We have always made it a priority to create an environment in which people can learn and develop their skills as well as enjoy the work they do. Getting acknowledgement from awards like BELA for the efforts we are putting in helps to emphasise what a great job our employees have done in creating such a nurturing and wonderful environment.” – Alex Parr, Managing Director, Wolfestone.

WINNER

BEST FOR TRAINING + PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT $10m+ turnover category

barriers, supporting global trade and helping people access goods, This is one of two BELA's won by tbw in 2018, and its the second year in a row they've won, taking home the accolade for Employee Well-being last year. Founded by Larry Gould in 1980 thebigword is a growing technology enabled LSP that has invested in, and developed, innovative technology to help businesses not only cope but thrive in the global arena. With its HQ in Leeds, UK, thebigword employs over 600 people in 12 offices across nine different locations, including New York, Tokyo, Beijing, has a network of over 15,000 linguists and is one of the top 20 LSPs globally. thebigword makes the world a smaller place by breaking down language

Global Director of Human Resources, Leanne Bottomley said: “I am delighted to see that our training programmes, as well as our focus on personal development for all members of staff has been recognised. We thoroughly warrant this award and our commitment to ensuring that our employees have access to the support and training they need has really paid off. We want to continue to empower people to take control of their personal development which in turn will accelerate our learning and high performing culture.�

WINNER

BEST FOR RECRUITMENT + ONBOARDING $0-10m turnover category

Sandberg Translation Partners saw the light of day in 1995 as a oneman Danish translation business. Jesper Sandberg’s fearless attitude to translation technology and dedication to filling every translation role in the company with qualified, competent linguists created a strong professional Nordic brand. Today, STP employs just over 120 staff in the UK, Sweden, Denmark, Finland and Bulgaria, including 75 inhouse linguists, a dedicated, skilled project management team and a tech team whose fearlessness in the face of constantly evolving translation technology rivals that of the early days. All candidates complete an application form and a personality test. For linguist applicants, a test translation is assessed a senior linguists to ascertain skills and knowledge in native languages.

After this process the applicants who are successful in passing the initial application stage, then go forward to our streamlined interview process, including numerous competency tests and stages. "We’re delighted to have won the BELA award for Recruitment & Onboarding! We have staff in multiple locations across Europe, and virtually all our teams are just that, virtual. A solid onboarding and training strategy is fundamental to our recruitment, and we are immensely proud of our induction programme." - Anu CarnegieBrown, Managing Director

WINNER

BEST FOR RECRUITMENT + ONBOARDING $10m+ turnover category

Being an international organisation, thebigword has an extremely diverse workforce, they have an equal opportunities policy contained in their staff handbook and in addition to this provide training to all staff on equality and diversity which is refreshed on a regular basis. All job adverts include a statement on equality and are are advertised both internally and externally. The recruitment team then contact the applicant to understand their current position and arrange the interviews, which are conducted by the hiring manager and one other person who may be from the recruitment or HR teams. Interviews are competency based and packs are provided to the manager which helps them score the applicant against thebigword's

competencies so all applicants receive a score, those who score the highest are offered roles. They actively encourage graduates to apply for roles and recent recruitment has proved successful, with 90% of new starters successfully passing their probation period between 1 JUly 2017 - 30 June 2018. CEO of thebigword, Nihat Arkan said: “We are really thrilled to be double winners on this year’s BELA awards. We strive to implement a smoothrunning recruitment process for all new employees, to ensure their start with thebigword is a positive one. I strongly believe that personal development is an essential part of any business, and I am delighted that we have been recognised for our success in this area.�

THANK YOU Thank you to everyone who participated and good luck for the future belas!

Adaptive Globalization is a niche-market recruitment consultancy dedicated to supporting Language Service Providers (LSPs), language technology companies and in-house/client-side localization teams worldwide. Adaptive Globalization is a division of global recruitment company Adaptive Business Group. Adaptive's services comprise client consultation, candidate search, selection, screening and interview, candidate presentation interview scheduling and management, offer negotiation and close, and postplacement client support.