September/October 2007
Earlier this August, as part
of a new effort to promote diversity, Bernard Hodes Group and FedEx unveiled a new Spanish-language career site, including their employee-focused "I deliver" video section.
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Diversity Matters
is edited by
Annette Merritt Cummings
Vice President,
Diversity Services
800.438.9911
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The Majority Minority
Hispanic Americans and Their Growing Impact on America's Workforce
The need for a stronger emphasis on minority recruiting has never been clearer. In nearly two fifths of all states, Hispanic Americans make up the largest minority group. As demographics change, so too must recruitment strategies in order to attract the right talent from an increasingly diverse population.
Who They Are
Hispanic Americans, whether multi-generational or recent immigrants, hail from a number of countries, with the majority from Mexico (64%), and less than ten percent each from Puerto Rico (9%), Central America (7%), and South America (5%). Hispanics do not belong to any one race, but can belong to any. It is the cultural ties and the unifying language that connect Hispanic Americans, even those of different original nationalities. Raul Yzaguirre, former president of National Council of La Raza, put it best when he said "My definition of Latino is anybody who wants to be Latino, beinvenido—welcome to the family."
Hispanic Americans work in a wide range of industries and positions. According to the latest census, about two fifths each work in managerial or professional positions (18%), service occupations (24%), sales and office jobs (22%) and production and transportation (19%).
How to Reach Them
In 2006, over $3.77 billion was spent on Hispanic advertising on television, radio and in print, up nearly 11% from 2005. As the buying power of the Hispanic population increases, media expenditures are expected to grow another 4%, compared with 2% for overall U.S. media. With 31 million Spanish-speaking households in America it is becoming crucial to be able to communicate bilingually, not only with customers, but to your potential job candidates and even your long-time employees.
Many of Hispanic Magazine’s top 100 companies have special diversity efforts that make them particularly popular employers. Some programs include supporting community causes, promoting affinity groups, and cultivating mentor relationships between corporate levels. According to a recent HACE study, nearly three quarters (72%) of Latino professionals polled ranked "growth potential" to be very important in their job search (with salary only receiving 47%). While Hispanic representation among the top corporate positions in America is still small, Latino professionals are putting a strong emphasis on upward mobility.
How to Keep Them
According to the HACE study, almost all respondents (96%) ranked "positive work environment" as an important or very important factor in looking for and staying at a job. A warm, welcoming workplace is essential, as the famous Spanish saying goes "Mi Casa es Su Casa".
While it is not expected that employers drastically alter their established work environment, it is important that they ensure their Hispanic employees are moving up the ranks and feeling welcome and appreciated in the workplace. Employee research is a good way to keep your finger on the pulse of potential issues. Ask employees in different positions and ranks (including high performers and recently hired Hispanic employees) about their perceptions of your diverse employer brand. The information is usually very revealing and quite useful in making some strategic decisions, according to Martha Ceja, Manager Diversity Services, Bernard Hodes Group.
It is projected that by 2050 there will be a 23 million job gap. By then looking to the growing minority and immigrant populations will not just be an option, but a necessity. By reaching out to the Hispanic American community now and creating a strong, attractive employer brand, companies can tap into a dedicated, diverse, and growing population.
Register for Martha Ceja’s Webcast on Recruiting and Retaining Hispanics to learn more.
RELEVANT DIVERSITY SITES:
Hispanic Yearbook
www.hispanicyearbook.com
Top 25 Hispanic American Markets in the U.S. / Top 25 Baccalaureate Degree Producers - Hispanics
http://www.hodesrecruitmentdirectory.com/
Pew Hispanic Research Center
http://pewhispanic.org
AdWeek’s Marketing y Medios
http://www.marketingymedios.com
Hispanic Business Magazine
http://www.hispanicbusiness.com/magazine
LatPro.com
http://www.latpro.com
National Council of La Raza
http://www.nclr.org
LULAC – Leauge of United Latin American Citizens
http://www.lulac.org
CONFERENCE LISTINGS:
9.11.07 – 9.16.07
National Black MBA Association
Orlando, FL
http://www.nbmbaa.org
9.19.07 – 9.21.07
California Diversity & Leadership Conference
San Francisco, CA
www.californiadiversityconference.com
10.4.07 – 10.6.07
National Society of Hispanic MBA’s
Houston, TX
www.nshmba.org
10.24.07 – 10.27.07
Joint National Conference American Women’s Society of Certified Public Accountants/ American Society of Women Accountants
Orlando, FL
www.awscpa.org
10.31.07 -11.4.07
Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers
Philadelphia, PA
www.shpe.org
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