Bridging Hispanic and Non-Hispanic Cultural Gaps in the Workplace

With the rising Hispanic population in the U.S., organizations must adapt to the increased diverse workers and strive to improve cultural competence. Per the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Hispanics comprise approximately 18% of the U.S. labor force. Bridging cultural gaps and fostering a more inclusive workplace will improve retention and engagement.  

Cultural Differences Between Hispanic and Non-Hispanic Employees 

In order to further understand both your employees and your markets better, understanding the differences between Hispanic and Non-Hispanic cultures is invaluable. Begin by evaluating your own knowledge and understanding of Latinos and Hispanics.  

Hispanic Cultural Characteristics: 

1. Traditions and Holidays – Día de Los Muertos, Quinceañeras, Independence Days, Día de los Reyes Magos are holidays unique to Hispanic cultures. Educate yourself and your office about the unique holidays and traditions of Hispanic culture. Support your Hispanic employees by celebrating with them or by allowing them to celebrate in their own traditional way. 
2. Hierarchical Views – Hispanics tend to view hierarchy as very important and hold a lot of respect for those in authority positions. This can mean that it’s necessary to create a safe channel of communication to hear feedback from your Hispanic Employees. 
3. Communication/Greetings – From language barriers to greeting styles, Hispanic employees may express themselves differently. Physical touch is very common in daily interactions within Latino  societies and greetings are generally given through handshakes, side hugs, and even kisses on the cheek.  
4. Priorities – Family and community are major priorities among Latinos. Hispanics tend to be collectivistic and therefore collaborate  to solve problems, often share responsibilities and engage well in group activities. This is also why maintaining healthy relationships and close support networks are very important in Hispanic families, communities and workplaces. In contrast, U.S. culture tends to be more focused on individualism. 
5. Interests – Keep in mind that in Hispanic cultures, there are many unique interests. For example, soccer tends to be the most favored and watched sport. Popular celebrities, artists, musicians and historical figures are featured, and center in key customs or traditions. . Food, music and dance are also unique and specific to each Hispanic country and can be explored as you learn about the different Hispanic cultures. 
6. Language Barriers – Spanish is the general spoken language in Hispanic communities and each country has their own local slang and expressions. Although employees, both Hispanic and Non-Hispanic, may opt to use local slang, or Spanglish in the workplace, be mindful that this may cause misunderstandings or friction. 
7. Identity – Ask your Hispanic employees how they prefer to be identified. Some Hispanic people prefer to be recognized by their nationality while some prefer the term Hispanic or Latino. There is a difference between the terms Hispanic and Latino, Hispanic referring to individuals from all Spanish speaking countries including Spain, while Latino refers to countries of Latin America and the Caribbean. These labels refer strictly to ethnicities and are unrelated to race.  

The Importance of Engaging Hispanic Employees  

Diversity is an ongoing topic in the United States, though the importance of supporting cultural diversity, specifically in the workplace, may be a new priority for your organization. So why is it important to engage Hispanics in the workplace? 

1. Create a Strong Community – Prioritizing a safe and comfortable work environment for everyone should be a prime concern in every office. This allows energy to be focused on productivity and collaboration while bringing a sense of community into the workplace. 
2. Increase Creativity – Encouraging diversity among the workers and team allows for more creativity and varying perspectives, resulting in increased innovation. 
3. Unite Employees – Equity is standardized in the workplace when inclusion is practiced. Supporting diversity gives way for unity instead of hostility. Working together, each individual leveraging  their own unique skill sets yet able to access similar resources and tools, helps to eliminate gaps in the workplace.  
4. Increase Sales – Understanding the Hispanic culture in your workplace can also help your company reach a broader audience and increase sales. With a population of over sixty-two million, it’s important for companies to improve communication and engagement  with the large Hispanic audience in the U.S.A.  
5. Improved Retention – Strong engagement in the workplace can  improve employee satisfaction which leads to improved retention, with twenty five to sixty five percent lower turnover rates according to Harvard Business Review and Gallup’s reports. Whereas, disengaged employees are almost three times more likely to leave a job, according to Quantum Worklplace.   

Strategies for Implementing Hispanic Cultural Awareness and Sensitivity in the Workplace 

So far, we covered WHY cultural competency matters and WHAT cultural traits manifest within the Latino culture; but HOW do we engage Hispanics and Latinos? Improving sensitivity and understanding of the Hispanic culture in the workplace requires a plan. Consider these factors to foster a more inclusive environment: 

1. Celebrate Diversity – Celebrating cultural differences is part of the beauty of creating a diverse and inclusive work environment. Some examples include observing Hispanic holidays and traditions; hosting cultural lunch & learn sessions. Hispanic Heritage Month, observed from September 15 to October 15, is an opportune time to educate the team on Latino culture and contributions.  
2. Avoid Stereotypes – According to Business Health Services, stereotypes in the workplace may cause low morale, conflict, lower productivity and retention, and may even lead to legal action. There are thirty-three countries in Latin America and the Caribbean and twenty-one Spanish-speaking countries in the world. That being said, the Latino population is not monolithic, one size does not fit all; understanding, respecting and valuing each team members individuality will improve engagement and satisfaction.   
3. Prioritize Inclusion – Ensuring all team members, from the front-line to the CEO or Executive Director, are committed to fostering an inclusive environment. And having a senior leader serve as a vocal champion to engaging diverse employees is necessary- this leader, or ideally, group of leaders would allocate resources, both time and dollars to support employee activities and in turn, drive inclusion and belonging in the workplace. 
4. Practice Team Building Activities – hosted monthly or during weekly team huddles, these team interactions build morale and camaraderie. Consider creating a collaborative Spotify playlist to share different styles of music from different parts of the world or enjoy a company potluck featuring a variety of ethnic dishes to sample. 
5. Ask, Listen & Apply – If uncertain of your employees’ preferences regarding labels, or other similar matters, simply ask respectfully. Pay attention, do not make assumptions, ask the right questions, listen to their answers, and apply their input in your daily interactions. 
6. Work with your HR Department – Most importantly, your HR department consists of professionals who are trained to enforce and support diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace. Consult your HR Department for further advice and actions. 
7. Professional Training – engage professionals with experience in diverse engagement, like our own team at Cool & Associates LLC. With extensive and proven expertise, we can customized training and workshops to suit your needs while increasing team engagement. 
8. Cool’s Toolkit – If you’re looking for a great resource to help you understand Hispanic culture, from historical facts to holidays, we have just the right tool for you. Find Cool’s Hispanic Engagement Toolkit which is readily available for purchase on Amazon. 

Engaging employees, including diverse team members, through appropriate and authentic initiatives can positively impact the workplace. Cultural differences could cause friction and lead to inequitable treatment and impact, but appropriately leveraged, these differences are also tremendous sources of innovation and creativity. Creating and implementing appropriate initiatives, such as training and coaching, to engage Hispanic employees will improve retention and increase satisfaction. Let the team at COOL support you.   

Images: 

• Hispanic medical worker by sswartz from Getty Images 
• Hispanic worker helping customer in plant nursery by kali9 from Getty Images Signature 
• Confident Hispanic nurse or doctor with patient file SDI Productions from Getty Images Signature 
• Hispanic workers by kali9 from Getty Images Signature 
• Inspired employees all roun by Mikolette from Getty Images Signature