As we continue to dive into the European Language Industry Survey (ELIS) 2024 findings, a notable trend emerges: the average years of service in the industry have increased among both language professionals and companies. This observation prompts an intriguing question: does the growing seniority within the industry hinder innovation, or does it enhance stability and expertise? 

In our latest article, Anu Carnegie-Brown and Stéphane Hue unpack the implications of a more senior workforce in the language industry and share insights from their own companies, encouraging others to consider how these trends impact their own organisations:

The ELIS report showed that despite efforts to reach young professionals, average seniority increased among both language professionals and companies in 2023. The figures in the charts should be unpacked further to understand e.g. what the years of activity at an LSC mean, but we started our discussion from the assumption that fewer young people are entering the language industry than in the past couple of decades. If this is the case, it means that the average physical age of language professionals is increasing and also the maturity level in terms of years of experience is getting higher.

2024

Vs 2023

(source reference)

Where does physical age matter?

ACB: There are currently four different generations in the workplace: Baby boomers, Generation X, Millennials and Generation Z. Studies abound on what has shaped the people in each of these groups, what motivates them, how they communicate and what they expect from their work. Recognising these differences can help the employer manage their staff’s expectations and smooth communication clashes between colleagues.

SH: To some extent, age and openness to change are connected. At a time of rapid social and technological change, younger professionals are probably in a better position to make this change, and adapt to it. 

Where do the years of experience come in?

ACB: I have always believed that an LSC benefits most from a healthy mix of ages and different levels of language industry experience. Extremely mature staff where everyone is near the top of their career path is expensive to maintain. At our company, Sandberg, the average age of staff in July 2024 is 37 years and the average length of service in this company is 6 years.

SH: At our company, EuropaTrad, the average age of employees is 40 years and the average length of service is 8 years. Of course, this is not fully intentional and I would rather balance it carefully when times come to recruit, but this is also the strong basis for the reliability of service. It is interesting to see that the average tenure at private companies in the EU is 9.9 years (Average job tenures in Europe 2022 | Statista)

ACB: A mature workforce enables a company to develop and grow. If staff turnaround is high and you always only have junior staff, your efforts will have to focus on training and maintaining your existing service level. The more experience your people have, the more resources you have to build your company further.

SH: I believe on my side that younger people come with fresher skills on the use of technology and newer tools (collaborative, data or AI related). This is becoming ever more important. 

What does the increase of the average age (years of activity) of LSCs between 2023 and 2024 mean?

SH: I believe that there are not many new LSC created each year. This is probably because we’re seeing a new type of company emerge, a mix between a tech and a service company. These may have younger staff but are perhaps not responding to this survey because they don’t classify themselves as LSCs.

The increasing seniority within the language industry presents both challenges and opportunities. While younger professionals may drive innovation and technology adoption, the expertise and stability of a mature workforce are equally important.

We invite you to share your thoughts on this topic. Do you believe the increasing seniority in the language industry is a barrier to innovation, or does it strengthen the sector? Join the conversation on LinkedIn and let’s discuss! #ELIAdiscussion.