Under pressure from stakeholders to use AI, localization divisions are facing shifting priorities toward increasing production volumes without incurring higher costs.
The Slator Pro Guide: The Future of Language Industry Jobs analyzes how localization divisions from a sample set of 304 companies are adapting key jobs, creating new roles, and in some cases reducing staff.
Besides AI, macroeconomic and vertical-specific factors have contributed to a shift in the localization workforce in technology, e-commerce, and gaming companies.
Among the companies trimming their localization workforce since the start of 2022 are Google, Hubspot, X, Shopify, Spotify, and Meta. By contrast, some of those same companies have actively hired for senior strategic localization jobs. Google and Meta, for example, hired for roles such as Head of Localization Product Strategy and Product Manager – Internationalization.
While some companies have downsized localization teams amidst economic uncertainty, others like Amazon have actively hired throughout the past two years. Interestingly, AI-first localization roles are emerging not only in tech-heavy companies but also in traditional industries.
Slator Pro Guide: The Future of Language Industry Jobs
This 80-page guide analyzes employment trends in the language services and technology industry.
AI Skills Now Standard
AI is increasingly showing up in localization job descriptions, emphasizing the need for subject matter experts to oversee AI-generated content. Consequently, localization roles now demand a more diverse and broad skill set, including AI applications and technologies and knowledge like AI ethics and AI markets.
The job of Localization Program Manager, for instance, showed some clear distinctions on a comparative analysis of 2023 and 2024 job descriptions for the same role.
Some of the findings are a shift from focusing on workflow efficiencies, intrateam communication, and general technical savvy to centering on various AI skills, cross-functional/global collaboration, and user experience.
AI is also changing the way localization teams collaborate with linguists and language service providers.
The demand for experienced linguists capable of editing AI-generated content is rising. As Loy Searle, former Senior Director of Localization & Globalization at Workday puts it, “Basic post-editing has increased exponentially. The high-end, transcreation and nuanced work has become the sweet spot where highly skilled linguists are.”
To learn more, get your copy of The Slator Pro Guide: The Future of Language Industry Jobs.