Identify staff members with French language skills
This strategy will help your organization identify the language skills of your staff and teams, enabling you to better align them with the needs of your Francophone clientele.
Why is this important? Because communication is fundamental to a relationship in health care. By communicating in their mother tongue, a person can better explain their experience and condition as well as express their needs. Understanding and following the prescribed treatment will also be easier, which will have a positive impact on their recovery and health.
Here’s how the different groups in your organization can implement this strategy.
1. Evaluate your French language skills by completing a Self-assessment of French language skills. Send the results of your evaluation to your supervisor.
2. Inform clients and colleagues of your French language skills by using a bilingual electronic signature and bilingual voicemail.
3. Show your language skills by wearing a “Je parle français” or “J’apprends le français” pin.
4. Greet clients in both official languages when their language preference is unknown, for example by saying Hello! Bonjour !
Tools to help you implement this strategy are available in the Practical tools.
1. Ensure that your employees assess their French language skills each year by completing a self-assessment form.
2. Indicate staff members’ language skills in their profiles.
3. Organize data to associate people’s language skills with job types, and give managers access to this information.
4. Ensure that affected employees show their language skills by wearing a pin and using a bilingual electronic signature and voicemail.
5. Develop a policy and procedures that support best practices in identifying employees with French language skills.
6. Ensure your staff is aware of the policy by including it in your organization’s Employee Handbook, as well as in the employee orientation.
7. Define and monitor performance indicators for the identification of employees with French language skills.
8. Report these performance indicators to your governance.
Tools to help you implement this strategy are available in the Practical tools.
1. Adopt a policy and procedures that support best practices in identifying employees with French language skills.
2. Receive reports and monitor performance indicators on the identification of employees with French language skills.
3. Ensure that your local Francophone community is consulted on a regular basis to better understand its needs in terms of French-language health services.
Tools to help you implement this strategy are available in the Practical tools.
