Bilingual recruitment marketing and Welsh language standards

What to take away

Welsh language standards and who they bind in recruitment

The Welsh language standards are the legal duties that replaced the old Welsh language schemes. They are made under the Welsh Language (Wales) Measure 2011, and the first set for public bodies is set out in the Welsh Language Standards (No. 1) Regulations 2015. The Welsh Language Commissioner issues them to named bodies as compliance notices.

Each set of standards is specific to the body it applies to, which is why two employers in the same sector can have different duties. A compliance notice names the body and sets out its duties one by one, so you can point to the exact duty that covers a vacancy, an application form or a letter to a candidate.

Public bodies in Wales are the core group. Welsh Ministers, local authorities, health boards, national parks and many arm's length bodies have compliance notices setting out what they must do. Some private companies are caught too, mainly those delivering public services or receiving public funding under a contract that passes duties down.

If you hire on behalf of a Welsh public body, check the contract, not just your own HR policy.

For recruitment, the standards typically cover how you advertise vacancies, how you accept applications, how you correspond with candidates and how you run interviews. The detail sits in the compliance notice, so the first practical step is to find your organisation's notice in the Welsh Language Commissioner's register of compliance notices and read the sections on recruitment and staff.

Wales has a working-age population that supports bilingual recruitment. The Office for National Statistics publishes population estimates for Wales that help you size the talent pool by local authority, which matters when you decide where Welsh-language advertising will pay back.

Welsh speakers are not evenly spread. Anglesey, Gwynedd, Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire have the highest proportions, while Cardiff and Newport have lower shares but large absolute numbers and strong Welsh-medium education. For a Cardiff employer, the Welsh-speaking pool is smaller in percentage terms but still substantial, and it often overlaps with public sector, media and education networks.

There is a wider legal frame. The Equality Act 2010 sets duties relevant to language and access in recruitment, including not indirectly discriminating against candidates on grounds connected to national origin. The Equality and Human Rights Commission publishes guidance on that.

In practice, a Welsh-language requirement should be justified by the role, such as a front-line service post, and applied consistently.

Acas fair recruitment guidance also applies. Its recruitment guidance stresses consistent shortlisting, clear criteria and record keeping, all of which become harder when one language version of a job advert says something the other does not. Align both versions before you publish.

GOV.UK's recruiting and hiring guidance covers the statutory basics: right to work checks, contracts and written particulars. Those duties do not change in Welsh, but the documents you give a candidate may need to be bilingual if your standards require it.

What the standards require of job advertising and application forms

Where a standard applies, bilingual job advertising is usually the default: the vacancy notice, the job description and the person specification should appear in Welsh and English. The two versions must say the same thing.

A common failure is a short Welsh summary bolted onto a full English advert, which does not meet the duty and reads as a token gesture.

Application forms in Welsh are the second pressure point. Candidates should be able to apply in Welsh without asking, and the form itself should be available in Welsh. If your applicant tracking system only outputs English forms, that is a system problem to fix, not a reason to refuse a Welsh application.

Correspondence matters as much as the advert. Invitations to interview, rejection letters and offer paperwork may all fall within the standards. Build bilingual templates once and reuse them, rather than translating each message under deadline pressure.

Here is a practical checklist for a bilingual recruitment process:

A short worked example shows how this looks in Cardiff. A housing association advertises a customer service adviser. The English advert goes live on Monday, and the Welsh version goes live the same morning, with the same closing date.

The application form defaults to Welsh for candidates who select Welsh, and the shortlisting panel scores both languages against identical criteria. Two Welsh-medium candidates apply who would not have applied to an English-only advert. The panel records its scoring in both cases. That is the standard working as intended.

Role requirements need care. If Welsh is essential, say so and explain why, for example dealing with tenants in Welsh. If it is desirable, say that too. Blanket requirements deter good candidates and are hard to defend.

Writing bilingual employer brand content for Cardiff and wider Wales

Employer brand content in Welsh should not be a translation of your English careers page. It should be written for the audience, with its own examples, quotes and tone. Candidates notice when Welsh content is a literal rendering of English marketing copy.

Start with the roles you actually hire for in Wales. A Cardiff employer branding strategy that leads with Welsh-medium schools, the city's media sector or the Welsh Government estate will read as local. One that leads with generic 'innovative culture' copy will not.

Use real employee voices. A short interview with a Welsh-speaking engineer or nurse, published in Welsh with an English version alongside, does more than a slogan. Keep the two versions equal in length and prominence.

Think about the geography. Cardiff, Swansea, Newport and Wrexham have different labour markets and different Welsh-language contexts. North Wales employers often compete with north-west England, so bilingual content can be a differentiator in Chester and Liverpool commuter belts.

Before you promote the role, check the advert against the advertising and equality rules that apply to it. Job adverts fall under the Equality Act 2010, and the claims you make in them fall under the Advertising Standards Authority's CAP Code.

Measure what matters. Track applications by language, source and outcome. If Welsh-language adverts bring in candidates who progress, the business case writes itself. If they do not, adjust the channel rather than abandoning the language.

Recruitment marketing channels that work in Welsh and English

Channel choice decides whether bilingual recruitment marketing reaches anyone. English-only job boards will not surface your Welsh advert to Welsh-speaking candidates unless you also post where they are.

Welsh-medium and bilingual job boards, the careers services at Cardiff, Bangor and Aberystwyth universities, and Welsh-medium professional networks are the core. Community and cultural networks — Urdd Gobaith Cymru, the National Eisteddfod and local Menter Iaith groups — reach passive candidates, and Welsh-language media such as S4C and Golwg carry employer messages to Welsh-speaking audiences. Careers Wales (Gyrfa Cymru), the national careers service, is bilingual and links employers to school and college leavers.

Social media works in both languages. A bilingual post on LinkedIn or Facebook can target Welsh speakers through interest and language settings, though the platforms' targeting is imperfect. Pair paid posts with organic content from Welsh-speaking employees.

Your own careers site should detect language preference and offer Welsh first where appropriate. A simple toggle is better than a hidden link. Make sure the application process stays in the chosen language.

Recruitment agencies matter too. Ask whether they can shortlist in Welsh and whether their consultants speak it. A Welsh-speaking candidate who is interviewed in English throughout may disengage.

ONS population data helps with targeting across Wales. The ONS population estimates show where the population is growing and where it is ageing, which informs where to run Welsh-language campaigns.

Compliance risks when Welsh language duties are treated as optional

The biggest risk is treating Welsh language duties as a nice-to-have. Complaints may be investigated by the Welsh Language Commissioner, who can also issue enforcement notices. Non-compliance can lead to public findings and, in some cases, financial penalties.

There is also a recruitment risk. Candidates who apply in Welsh and receive an English-only reply may withdraw. That is a lost hire and a reputational hit in a small talent market.

Employment tribunal claims can arise where language requirements are applied unfairly. If you insist on Welsh for a role that does not need it, you may face indirect discrimination claims under the Equality Act 2010, and the Equality and Human Rights Commission publishes guidance on how those duties apply in recruitment.

Advertising claims are another exposure. The Advertising Standards Authority's CAP Code and employment ad rules apply to Welsh-language adverts as much as English ones. An exaggerated bilingual claim can be challenged. The same rules and ethics apply whatever language the campaign uses.

Data protection matters when you record candidates' language preferences. Under UK GDPR, language data can reveal national or ethnic origin, so handle it lawfully and keep it only as long as needed.

Working with bilingual suppliers and translation quality checks

Supplier quality makes or breaks bilingual recruitment marketing. A cheap translation of a job advert can introduce errors that put candidates off or create legal ambiguity.

Look for translators who are members of Cymdeithas Cyfieithwyr Cymru, the professional association for Welsh translators, and who understand recruitment terminology. Ask for samples of job adverts and application forms, not just marketing copy. Check whether they can handle Welsh-medium interview support if you need it.

Set a review step. A second Welsh speaker inside your organisation should read the final text before publication, especially for regulated roles. Keep a glossary of job titles and benefits terms so translations stay consistent across campaigns.

Budget for translation as a line item, not an afterthought. Costs vary, but the time cost of redoing a campaign is higher. Build the translation lead time into the delivery calendar you use for every campaign.

Finally, test the candidate process in Welsh. Apply to your own advert in Welsh and see what arrives. Fix what breaks before you spend on promotion.

Common questions