As a remodeler - would you hire a non-fluent English speaker?

Question

I had an interesting situation come up and I was wondering everyone's take on it. My company does small jobs to full remodels and our guys interact with clients a lot. I'm looking for another remodeler on my team to primarily handle bathroom renovations.

I had a candidate come in that had really good pictures and what looks like good technical knowledge but he spoke Russian and it was hard to communicate. We were using a translator app to speak to each other and he seemed like a good guy with good knowledge but it was hard to communicate. He had all his papers squared away so that wasn't the issue. Would you disqualify someone on difficulty communicating alone?

My concern is with all the things that can come up with a remodel, it's important to be able to quickly communicate that to the team and I'm concerned we would spend too much time trying to get the message across.

pestfreecanada · Answer

If the guy does good work and is trustworthy, I would keep him on. I would also be pushing him to study English and make that a priority. Work together and practice speaking as much as you can. I wouldn't leave him alone with a customer until his communication was better in case a customer had a question or concern, but have him more as a labourer to start.

Good workers are really hard to find. Good communicators are also hard to find. I personally would rather have a good worker who is a poor speaker, than a strong speaker who is a bad worker.

pricepremierfl · Answer

In my businesses, communication is non‑negotiable because we’re in and out of people’s homes every day. I’ve had highly skilled guys apply who could do beautiful tile work or solid repairs, but if they can’t clearly communicate with clients or my team, it becomes a liability.

For example, in my flooring/tile and handyman work, I need someone who can explain issues, get approvals, and update customers without me having to translate every step. Same with my pool service side, if a tech can’t communicate a safety issue, a chemical problem, or a repair need, that’s a real risk.

Skill matters, but so does clarity. I wouldn’t disqualify someone just because English isn’t their first language, but I would need to see that they can communicate well enough to keep jobs moving, avoid mistakes, and maintain the customer experience. If the language barrier slows down the workflow or creates confusion, it’s not the right fit for the role.

adamsi01 · Answer

I can agree with that because if the work is good like you said then keep him and help him work on his English but also keep him because if you run into a customer one day who doesn't speak fluid English then you can always use him to translate what your saying&nbsp;

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As a remodeler - would you hire a non-fluent English speaker?

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