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Diversity Matters
is edited by
Annette Merritt Cummings
Vice President,
Diversity Services
800.438.9911
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Hispanics in Corporate America
Due to the increasing buying power of Hispanic consumers, corporate America is more interested than ever in increasing the numbers of Latinos and Hispanics in their workforce -- those best suited to reach Hispanic audiences.
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Hispanic Americans:
Increasing Importance in the Workforce and Economy
It is no secret that Hispanics represent the largest minority group in the U.S. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, as of July 1, 2005, Hispanics are 42.7 million strong representing 14% of the nation’s population – excluding 3.9 million residents of Puerto Rico. As we celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month 2006 we take a look at their numbers, participation in the workplace, their purchasing power and recruitment of the Hispanic population.
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Hispanics in Corporate America (continued)
According to Martha Ceja, Manager Diversity Services for Bernard Hodes Group, “ More and more of our clients are requesting strategies focused on increasing the representation of Hispanics at all levels. Some have developed ESL and language training to increase the Spanish/English proficiency of employees. This is particularly important in industries like healthcare where quality patient care depends on effective communication. Others look at innovative approaches for connecting with the Hispanic community through media strategies that include culturally relevant media such as Spanish television and radio as well as grassroots relationship building strategies.”
Even with an increased interest in Hispanic recruitment, there is still work to be done, as Hispanic representation at the highest levels is scarce. According to the Hispanic Association on Corporate Responsibility, Latinos hold just 2% of board seats and only 1% of executive offices among the Fortune 1000 – more than 900 have no Hispanic officers and 35 industries have no Hispanics at all in executive positions. “Forward thinking companies will focus on building a pipeline of candidates by partnering with educational, professional and community organizations. One example of such an organization is the Hispanic Heritage Foundation, which identifies and prepares Latino role models through national leadership, cultural, educational and workforce programs. Their LOFT (Latinos on Fast Track) program a partnership between Hispanic Heritage Foundation and the Hispanic College Fund (HCF) systematically identifies, prepares and places emerging Latino professionals in specific industries or jobs. Many best practice corporations also focus internally on their Hispanic employees for higher level positions by identifying high potential employees and implementing career-pathing, mentorship and training programs to develop their skills for leadership positions.
Hispanic Americans (continued)
THE NUMBERS
Population
About one out of every two people added to the U.S. population between July 1, 2004 and July 1, 2005 were Hispanic which resulted in a 3.3 % increase in the total Hispanic population. By 2050, the Hispanic population is expected to make up almost one quarter (24%) of the total U.S. population.
Among Hispanics, the majority (64%) are of Mexican decent. Approximately 10% are from Puerto Rico and 3% each are from Cuba, El Salvador and the Dominican Republic.
Hispanic or Latino Population in U.S. 2005 |
|
Hispanic or Latino |
41,870,703 |
Mexican |
26,781,547 |
Puerto Rican |
3,781,317 |
Cuban |
1,461,574 |
Dominican |
1,118,265 |
Central American |
3,084,580 |
South American |
2,238,836 |
Other Hispanic or Latino |
3,404,584 |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2005 American Community Survey |
|
Age
With the median age of 27.2 – nine years younger than the overall U.S. median of 36.4 years – Hispanics are a younger cohort.
Geographic Location
Half (49%) of the Hispanic-origin population live in California and Texas. California has 12.4 million Hispanics and Texas has 7.8 million.
Thirteen states have at least a half a million Hispanic residents. They include: Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Texas and Washington.
Half of the of the nation’s Dominicans live in New York City while half of the nation’s Cubans live in Miami-Dade County, Florida.
The state with the highest percentage of Hispanic population is New Mexico (43%) while more than one third of the populations of Texas and California are made up of Hispanics.
Jobs
Approximately seven in ten Hispanics (68%) age 16 or older are in the civilian labor force. The Annual Demographic Profile of the Armed Forces by the U.S. Department of Defense reveals that nine percent of the Armed Forces are made of Hispanics.
Occupation Groups of Hispanics and Latinos |
|
Managerial, professional and related |
18% |
Service occupations |
24% |
Sales and office jobs |
22% |
Production, transportation, material moving occupations |
19% |
Construction, extraction, maintenance |
15% |
Source: American Fact Finder |
|
Education
Nearly three fifths (58%) of Hispanics 25 years or older have at least a high school diploma while 12% have a bachelor’s degree or more. The number of Hispanics with advanced degrees (master’s, professional, doctorate) – aged 25 years or older was 714,000 in 2004.
Eleven percent of all college students in 2004 were Hispanic. The Graduate management Admissions Council reports that Hispanics make up 5% of the typical university’s MBA program.
In a surprising use of college recruitment dollars, faced with intense competition for their traditional students, historically black colleges are now making a push to recruit Hispanic students. They are hiring Hispanic recruiters, featuring Hispanic students on recruitment brochures, establishing scholarships for this population and visiting the predominantly Hispanic high schools in Florida, New York, Texas, and Los Angeles. (Source: Black Colleges Recruiting More Hispanics; Associated Press Online, August 11, 2006.)
According to the U.S. Department of Education, Hispanic students attending historically black colleges increased more than 60 percent from 1994 to 2004 – the number of black students grew by 35% during the same time frame.
Languages
Just over a majority (56%) speak Spanish only while one quarter (26%) speak Spanish and English equally. Nearly one fifth (18%) of U.S. Hispanics speak English only. The younger the person, the more likely s/he is to speak English “very well” and the less likely they are to speak Spanish only. (See Hispanic Language Preferences; Hispanic Fact Pack: Annual Guide to Hispanic Marketing and Media 2006 Edition, Advertising Age, July 17, 2006.)
BUYING POWER
Hispanics hold over $736 billion in buying power fueling an anticipated 13% growth in 2006 for Spanish-language media spending compared to 5% for all U.S. media. The automotive category leads the pack of industries followed by retail, entertainment (movies, recorder video and music) and telecommunications/internet. (Source: Hispanic Fact Pack: Annual Guide to Hispanic Marketing and Media 2006 Edition; Advertising Age; July 17, 2006.)
Whereas in the past, marketers have used local radio or simply translated general-market ads into Spanish, they are now hiring Hispanic agencies, requesting original creative work in Spanish and asking for much needed strategic insights to reach the U.S. Hispanic market.
Online Activity
According to Forrester Research, Spanish reliant consumers do less online than those who are not Spanish reliant. Just under one half (49%) of Spanish reliant consumers use Email while over two thirds (67%) who are not Spanish reliant use Email. Twice as many Hispanics who are not Spanish reliant shop online compared to those who are (36% vs 17% for Spanish reliant consumers.) (Source: Online En Español, Marketing to the Emerging Minorities, July 2006.)
HISPANIC/LATINO RECRUITMENT
Hispanics often find jobs through their social and professional networks, which means employers must take a long-term approach to recruitment of this target since they will need to focus on a strong reputation via word of mouth.
Further, Hispanics tend to be brand loyal and brand conscious so companies that have cultivated a strong employer brand will be better at attracting this target audience.
It is important to have an understanding of the Hispanic culture but also to recognize that all Hispanics cannot be recruited as a homogenous group. Differences exist between the ethnic groups within the Hispanic population. As with consumers, it is important to develop ties to the community through local and community efforts to build awareness, convey a sensitivity to heritage and to build a positive perception of the employer brand.
While it will take focused efforts and a well-developed strategy, recruitment of Hispanics is critical to employers due to both the high growth of this population as well as the coming decrease of available talent. Recruitment leaders who recognize this and develop smart and sustained strategies for recruiting from the Hispanic population will reap long-term payoffs and open up a pipeline to sustain and grow their labor pool.
RELEVANT DIVERSITY SITES
National Multicultural Institute
www.nmci.org
Global Diversity at Work
www.diversityatwork.com
Diversity Inc.
www.diversityinc.com
American Institute for Managing Diversity
www.aimd.org
Catalyst
www.catalystwomen.org
Diversity Leadership Forum
www.diversityleadershipforum.org
Diversity Best Practices
www.diversitybestpractices.com/lead.html
Society of Human Resources Professionals: Diversity Forum
www.shrm.org/diversity
Bernard Hodes Group Diversity Services
Workshops & Presentations/Exhibitions & Sponsorships
Annette Merritt Cummings, vice president, Diversity Services, Bernard Hodes Group, will participate in the following:
8.30.06
2006 SHRM State Conference
Indianapolis, IN
www.indianashrm.org/exhibitors.htm
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