Recruiting a Diverse Workforce
Why you really need to understand their culture, not just translate the language
NEWSFLASH: Recruiting for a diverse staff means much more than tapping into a prospective candidate's mother tongue and plying it in advertising.
According to Martha Ceja, strategist, Bernard Hodes Group Diversity Services, learning the intricacies of cultural groups and developing lasting ties to community leaders are some of the many components that make up a strong strategy for diversity recruiting.
We caught up with Martha to find out what it takes to truly build a multilingual, multicultural company for today's sophisticated global consumers.
Q. So, what are some of the reasons a client might come to you?
A. Usually, they have analyzed where their candidates are coming from and identified a particular area where they're not getting a response--for example, with African Americans, with Hispanics, with women of color.
Q. Once you have identified the crux of a client's diversity issue, what steps do you take from there?
A. We'll consult with the client, asking in-depth questions about their process, to assess where the issue stems from. Once we understand their process, and what they're currently doing as it relates to recruitment and branding, we take a step back, and, based on best practices and our experience, we develop a specific strategy to help them achieve their objectives.
Q. Based on your experience, can you relay an example of a success story, where the client achieved their diversity objectives?
A. We recently had a client who was looking to hire African-American scientists. Among our recommendations, we suggested they host a recruitment event, because this particular candidate pool was so limited and they needed an immediate response. So, we planned a recruitment event at an African-American museum, a location that was very attractive--relaxed, low-key.
We conducted research, identifying key professional organizations that would likely have members who would qualify for these positions. We e-mailed an invite out to prospective candidates, saying the company wanted to meet them and learn more about them.
In the end, over 100 people attended to network and enjoy themselves. It was very successful and helped identify a number of individuals who were interviewed and ultimately hired. In addition, the company was able to set up a wonderful database of candidates they could maintain a relationship with and pursue in the future.
Q. In working so closely with different diverse communities, what noteworthy trends have you noticed that people aren't aware of?
A. I think that relatively recently, Hispanics have become an influential group. This was sparked, in part, by the 2000 Census, when they were identified as the largest and fastest growing minority group. People are coming to realize that Hispanics are a growing force in corporations today, one that needs to be discussed and reckoned with.
When you really look at it, the statistics are just staggering. Hispanic growth is nine times that of Caucasian growth. By 2050, it is estimated that one in four Americans will be Hispanic. What I find when I visit clients is that many of them are really beginning to discuss this--“How does this impact our company as it relates to capturing this market?”
Q. What are some of the more common misconceptions about the Hispanic market?
A. Often, people don't realize that within the category of “Hispanics” there is significant diversity. While the Census lumps us all together, Hispanics represent over 20 Spanish-speaking countries and Puerto Rico. Hispanics will tend to identify themselves by their country of origin. For example, I'll never say, “I'm Hispanic,” I'll say, “I'm Mexican.”
However, with all that said, I just read this wonderful book, “Latino Success,” by Augusto Failde, who interviewed 100 of America's most powerful Latino professionals and observed some interesting commonalities. Failde found that while these businesspeople were from many different Spanish-speaking countries, their collective responses reflected values the Hispanic community shares: a strong focus on family, a pride in their heritage, and a view of their language as an asset, which would explain why they chose not to abandon it.
Another value he talked about was our ambition for success, not just for us individually, but also for our families. And one of the most important points he made, which I don't think is discussed enough, is the pursuit of the American dream. That's the reason many Hispanics come to the U.S.
Q. What are some of the strategies that work in attracting Hispanic candidates?
A. I think what works best is a strategy based on an understanding of the culture and an understanding of the process. When you understand the culture, you realize advertising is just a piece of the puzzle. It's one piece that needs to be integrated into a larger, more comprehensive strategy that seeks, as its ultimate goal, to build a relationship with a community. To do this you need to understand what's important to the community and how you can address its needs.
Building relationships requires an understanding of who is influential in that community. For example, based on what we know, religion is very influential in the Hispanic community. So, with that in mind, you can build relationships with Hispanic ministries, within the Catholic Church.
Tapping into professional and student organizations is also important because Hispanics are younger than the U.S. population at large. How do you build a future talent pool? Enlightened companies are finding ways to invest in education, scholarships and internship programs. They are building their future pipeline while demonstrating a commitment to the community.
Also, since family is such a driving force for Hispanics, organizations should highlight their family-friendly policies--child-care, elder care, work/life balance. These policies will be attractive to Hispanic candidates.
Q. Any classic errors people make in reaching out to Hispanic communities?
A. A common one revolves around the fact that studies show Spanish is highly effective in reaching the Hispanic market. So, companies want to insert Spanish into their advertising or on their company website without understanding the culture. To really be effective, the words can't simply be in Spanish, they must also be culturally relevant. That's a mistake companies make--thinking that tapping into a diverse market can be done in a one-time shot. It's not going to work that way.
When we work with clients, we want to help address their short-term recruitment needs. But, this always has to be followed with recommendations to help them develop their employment brand. In the long term, we want our clients to have a pipeline of diverse candidates. This is not going to be a one-year endeavor, but rather, a long-term commitment. Again, it's not about just advertising--it's really the full gamut of getting out there into the community and courting community organizations, perhaps through their philanthropic arm, looking at education, and identifying the needs of the community.
There are companies that do just that; Ford is a good example. They have an extensive supplier diversity program where they offer training targeted to diverse entrepreneurs, including Hispanics. They teach them how to start a business and how to make it profitable, and they bring them into the fold. It's a huge benefit for Ford, but they are also doing something good for the community.
Q. Let's say a client has all the building blocks in place for effective diversity recruitment. What else should they know?
A. Once the client gets out there and recruits their staff, internally, they need to be ready. Train your staff to be culturally respectful. Demonstrate that diverse employees can move up within your organization and keep a pulse on the feedback of diverse staff by doing regular diversity research. Best practices companies do that, and they're very successful because of it. They always know what the issues are. Once you recruit these talented candidates, retain them by identifying and addressing any barriers they may come across. Very often, companies do all the work to hire diverse candidates, but the candidates don't stay. And the question becomes, “Why don't they stay?”
Q. And that's where you come in.
A. Right. We want to help them identify why diverse candidates don't stay. And we want them to be committed to identifying those reasons on a regular basis. So, they have to constantly be looking at themselves.
Q. So, outside of working alongside these diversity initiatives, what do you do in your spare time?
A. [Laughs]. Spare time? I come from such a large family--there's eight of us in my family and nine in my husband's, and I have two girls in my family unit, they're 3 and 7. It's amazing because a lot of our free time is spent getting together with family. And when we do, it's a party, because we laugh and eat and enjoy each other's company. Last year, I went with two of my sisters to Paris and it was wonderful--we got to share something we were all interested in. And now, on a yearly basis, we're planning the next vacation.
Martha Ceja, strategist, Diversity Services, Bernard Hodes Group, provides research, consultation and media strategies to assist clients in recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce. Martha has over 10 years of project management, marketing and communications experience, working with clients on the strategy, management and implementation of research projects. Over the years, Martha has amassed extensive knowledge of the Hispanic market, providing advertising and communications strategies for various clients, including Home Depot, California Commerce Bank and Bank of America. Martha completed diversity training with the National Multicultural Institute, and holds a Bachelor of Science from San Jose State University and a master's in Business Administration from the University of Phoenix.
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