Latino Talent Coming to a Workplace Near You — Take Five with Author Robert Rodriguez

This week I introduce a new blog feature, Take Five With where I  ask five questions of a diversity thought leader whose answers take about five minutes to read.

My first guest is Dr.  Robert Rodriguez, the author of Latino Talent: Effective Strategies to Recruit, Retain and Develop Hispanic Professionals (www.latinotalentbook.com). During Hispanic Heritage Month he gave a keynote at Hewitt that still has people talking weeks after he made it plain about how the burgeoning Latino population has already changed the U.S. and will continue to do so. We recently took five with Dr. Rodriguez and here’s is what he had to say.

Take One: What does it look like that Latinos are the largest minority in the U.S. at 15% and what will it look like in 2020 when they are one-fourth of the U.S?

What this means for employers is that the workplace of the future will have an increasingly Latino identity. With a significant portion of the workforce being Latino, those organizations that have established effective Latino talent management strategies will have a competitive advantage not only in the workplace, but also in the marketplace.

Take Two: What are some common mistakes employers make when trying to attract and retain Latino talent?

One of the most common mistakes that employers make is that they do not possess a textured understanding of, and appreciation for, Latino diversity. This means they don’t know about Latino demographic trends, Latino terminology and also do not know about Latino cultural tendencies. For example, most employers do not know about the difference between the terms Latino and Hispanic, which is a key element to tapping into the Latino talent pool.

Also, employers often fail to understand that due to cultural differences, Latinos may interview differently than their Anglo counterparts and without this insight, employers could be overlooking well qualified Latino professionals because they interpret these cultural differences as mistakes — such as avoiding eye contact or not using “I” in talking about past achivements — and falsely determine that the Latino candidate “did not interview well.” What hiring managers need to realize is that they need to take into account cultural differences and look at the substance of the candidate and not just the interview style when making hiring decisions. Unfortunately, most employers are not this sophisticated – yet.

Take Three: The inclusion paradox is about constructively calling out our differences. What are some unique contributions Latinos can make to the workforce given their culture and worldview?

Latinos tend to be collectivist in nature, meaning that they often put the needs of their teams and others before their own needs. These tendencies often support team and group initiatives because Latinos tend to promote cooperation and collaboration and place a high sense of importance on achieving group goals.

Additionally, Latinos often display “Personalismo” in the workplace which simply promotes a work environment that is warm, friendly and one where co-workers take an active interest in each other. The Latino sense of  Personalismo can thus be leveraged by corporations that wish to promote more loyalty, a higher degree of trust and a sense of family in the workplace.

Take Four: What would you tell Latino professionals about what it takes to be successful in corporate America?

The most important thing I tell Latino professionals is to be absolutely comfortable with their sense of Latino identity in the workplace. By this I mean not just being proud of their Hispanic heritage, but to leverage their ethnicity as a source of strength. Too often Latinos feel that they have to downplay their ethnicity in the workplace or feel that they need to be more “Anglo” and assimilate in order to move ahead. Unfortunately, when Latinos try to be and act like others, as opposed to being authentic to their true selves, that is when they often begin to struggle in the workplace.

Take Five: What are the cultural implications for Latinos of Barack Obama’s election as president and his appointing Sonia Sotomayor to the U.S. Supreme Court?

The election of President Obama and the appointment of Sotomayor has re-ignited a sense of optimism within the Latino community. After all of the negative rhetoric and backlash against “illegal immigrants,” Obama and Sotomayor have changed the discourse in the U.S. when it comes Latinos. Now when you speak about Latinos in America, the conversation has more to do about the community as a catalyst for economic growth and about being the next great source of intellectual capital in the United States. This more positive image of Latinos has elevated Latino pride in the country and has inspired many Latinos to strive for greater heights and to make even larger contributions to our society.

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