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Glossary entry

French term or phrase:

Afin d’éviter toutes dérives

English translation:

In order to prevent any issues from arising

Added to glossary by Conor McAuley
Jun 12, 2021 10:08
2 yrs ago
48 viewers *
French term

dérive

French to English Bus/Financial General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters HR
This is part of a training module on how to conduct employee interviews. I understand that they're talking about not asking sensitive personal questions (which I imagine are also illegal), I just don't know what they are trying to say by "dérives" here. To me, it reads like they're saying "so we don't get off track" or similar, which I find a rather gross understatement given the context, so I am wondering if there is a specific use of "dérive" here that I am not grasping. Thank you!

context:

Identifier les questions à ne pas poser
Lesquelles de ces questions ne devez-vous pas poser ?

Can you get a babysitter on short notice for overtime or travel?
What religious holidays do you celebrate?
How much longer do you plan to work before you retire?
Are you available to work overtime on occasion?

Afin d’éviter toutes dérives, [COMPANY NAME] invite ses collaborateurs à ne pas poser certaines questions.
À vous de jouer, en identifiant les questions à ne pas poser, parmi celles affichées à l’écran.

Aucune de ces questions ne doit être posées en entretien.

It then lists things they don't evaluate in applicants:

Race or ethnicity
Family or marital status
Sex or gender
Physical or mental disabilities

(etc. the list goes on)
Proposed translations (English)
3 +9 In order to prevent any issues from arising
3 +3 drift off
3 +1 /diversionary / sidetrack
4 offence
Change log

Jun 12, 2021 11:23: writeaway changed "Field (write-in)" from "(none)" to "Law: Taxation & Customs"

Jun 12, 2021 11:24: writeaway changed "Field (write-in)" from "Law: Taxation & Customs" to "HR"

Jun 26, 2021 09:33: Conor McAuley Created KOG entry

Discussion

Emmanuella Jun 14, 2021:
https://www.google.com/search?q=Interview drift off target&o...
ph-b (X) Jun 14, 2021:
dérive Neither Le Grand Robert... nor Larousse mention “consequences” [EDIT: read "issues"] when they define dérive. It's used in different contexts and there are more or less technical translations, but all it means really is “going off track” (and any other word to that effect). What the author is saying is that interviewers must avoid leaving the path that they have been set (a list of questions, presumably). Yes, of course they must do that in order to prevent issues from arising, but the author isn't that specific here and that doesn’t translate dérive as such. Mentioning issues would be a description of what might happen if interviewers went off track; it would not be a safe translation of that term. I understand that you feel this is a gross understatement, but that's not the point here (and I'm sure you'll agree that personal feelings, however justified, must not interfere with translation).
Nikki Scott-Despaigne Jun 12, 2021:
Indeed, there is something about avoiding questions on specific areas. In France, such questions are not actually allowed in the recruitment process. It's a little more than going off-topic. In reality, these questions are common. If I were to think about how legal recruitment processes I have been through and how the labour laws are routinely flauted, I could write volumes on the subejct!


However, in context, as this is directed to those who are involved in the recruitment process, it is guidance so that they must avoid going into areas that are not allowed and also, in the back of the speaker's mind, very likely to protect themselves and the company also. Without going too far down the line, I think it is helpful to step back though and to consider what would be said in a UK/US target situation, with the same intention. It is a "preventive" measure, for both parties. So Colin's use of "prevent" is as important as the term "issues". Combined, it seems a natural solution that hits the right register.
polyglot45 Jun 12, 2021:
to avoid potential issues KIS
Conor McAuley Jun 12, 2021:
Yes, Samuël is right. There's a bit of "going off-topic" about it.
Samuël Buysschaert Jun 12, 2021:
IMO, the term "dérive" here means to deviate/disgress from the "standard" questions, to ask questions that can potentially reveal informations unrelated to skills or professional aptitudes, that are against the private life right and non-discrimination principle.
These are illegal questions in France.

In nautical term, it's an element designed to prevent from drifting.

Proposed translations

+9
1 hr
Selected

In order to prevent any issues from arising

In US English. Maybe "To prevent any issues" is enough".

In UK English, I would put something more colloquial like, "To prevent things from getting out of hand".

In any case, the basic meaning is issues/problems, but "dérives" is, for me, a kind of fuzzy, cover-all word that is misused.

I seem to remember that the original meaning comes from boats, "dérive" means drifting or something like that.



--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2 hrs (2021-06-12 12:40:19 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

By the way there are loads of Glossary entries, but of course the entries for "dérivés" show up in search results too, which complicates things.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 3 hrs (2021-06-12 13:22:22 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

It's a very different culture!
Just one example: the current French Minister of the Interior (who mainly deals with law and order matters) is under investigation for alleged rape!

Some European countries are behind the US regarding some of these matters -- equality and non-discrimination in the workplace, basically.

That's the way it is, unfortunately.


So yes, unfortunately "dérives" is not a very strong word, but you have to translate what you have.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 3 hrs (2021-06-12 13:58:34 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

I'm sure that all the laws are in place, but if attitudes aren't right and people don't think that they will get a fair hearing if they complain...
Note from asker:
I scoured the entries. I guess I just couldn’t believe it wasn’t some unknown stronger meaning of the word. I’m US-based and if a potential employer asked me any of those questions, let alone broached any of the topics on that list, it would be massively illegal. Workplaces are required to post huge posters with the labor laws, it’s always right in your face. I just can’t imagine someone writing training material for hiring managers and dismissing it as “avoiding any issues”, that would be completely, almost comically ridiculous in the context of anywhere I’ve ever worked. I had to believe there was more to it!
Well, my question has certainly been answered! I just never know what I don't know, so when something like this is nagging at me, I'd rather ask and look silly than not be certain. As for the US, well, I don't think we can really say anything at all about political leaders with a defective moral compass... I suppose I am just so accustomed to the idea of the US being ages behind everyone else in terms of so many other protections and just generally... caring about the welfare of its individual citizens at all, that it didn't occur to me that France might have looser labor laws. Culture shock for sure!
Peer comment(s):
agree Nikki Scott-Despaigne : "To prevent any issues arising" best. "Dérive(-r)", drft, to go adrift, to out of hand etc. ("Dérive": tendency to drift s/ways fm wind (on sails, hull) and current, etc. = "leeway". D/boards, c/boards, keels: appendages counter this (= plan anti-dérive).
1 hr
Thanks Nikki! I think "issues" is nicely vague, like "dérives".
agree Samuël Buysschaert
2 hrs
Thanks Samuël!
agree philgoddard
2 hrs
Thanks Phil!
agree writeaway : There are any number of possibilties/options here. And issues also arise in US English, not just in UK English
2 hrs
Thanks writeaway!
agree AllegroTrans : To prevent any issues arising
6 hrs
Thanks Chris!
agree Philippe Barré
23 hrs
Thanks Philippe!
agree Michele Fauble
1 day 5 hrs
Thanks!
agree Julie Barber
1 day 21 hrs
Thanks Julie!
neutral ph-b (X) : I don't feel this is the right translation. Your answer sounds to me as an explanation/description of what may happen after the dérive has taken place. See discussion.
2 days 2 hrs
It's about balance between staying as literal as possible and interpreting a little. I did also suggest "going off-topic" in the Discussion. I remember from translation classes about brushing/polishing one's shoes, the action/result of a process.
agree Cyril Tollari : I changed my point of view after reading ph-b's explanation. Your suggestion is a nice modulation after all.
3 days 23 hrs
Thanks Cyril!
Something went wrong...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Selected automatically based on peer agreement."
+1
22 mins

/diversionary / sidetrack

Diversions rather than diverting doubling as entertaining and as opposed to the ambiguous term of 'deviations' for human deviancy or deviousness.

The answer could lie in the asker's v ery idea of 'getting off track'.
Reference:

http://www.proz.com/kudoz/french-to-english/transport-transportation-shipping/2865518-dérive.html

Peer comment(s):
neutral Nikki Scott-Despaigne : The problem with "sidetrack" or getting "off-track" sounds light for "dérives" which is quite strong. These types of questions in this context are illegal in France.
3 hrs
agree ph-b (X) : "in order not to get sidetracked" ?
2 days 3 hrs
Something went wrong...
2 hrs

offence

In context: In order to avoid causing offence, [COMPANY NAME]...

I've used a UK reference - see section: Rules, Generally Accepted Standards, 2.3

https://www.ofcom.org.uk/tv-radio-and-on-demand/broadcast-co...
Peer comment(s):
neutral Nikki Scott-Despaigne : Nice expression for this term although in context maybe a little too specific as it's not just about causing offence but can also include causing problems for themselves (even as far as committing an offence). ;-)
31 mins
Something went wrong...
+3
1 day 3 hrs

drift off

A late entry but for the posterity, I like "drift off target/ in a wrong direction" as it's typical English and keeps the sense of the French word
Example sentence:

so that the interview does not drift off target/in a wrong direction

Peer comment(s):
agree Cyril Tollari
7 hrs
Thanks Cyril
agree ph-b (X) : "drift off" is what dérive means. More from me in the discussion.
13 hrs
thanks ph-b
agree Emmanuella
1 day 3 hrs
Thanks Emmanuella
Something went wrong...
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