The results of a recent study by Encuesta Inc. show that Hispanics feel corporations are less engaged and involved in the Hispanic community than a few years ago. According to the results (via Hispanic PR Blog):
The findings show that Hispanics have lost confidence in major corporations’ role in their community. Even though Hispanics find it increasingly more important that major corporations be “good” corporate citizens in their community in 2009 compared to 2005 (86% in 2009 vs. 81% in 2005, on a top two box basis), they believe that the major corporations are doing remarkably less than they were five years ago (36% in 2009 vs. 12% in 2005).
The purchasing power of the Hispanic market is apparent, and results like these might have some impact on how organizations market to Hispanics; however, another question is this: how do results like this impact the recruitment of Hispanic workforce into your organization?
As some employers struggle to increase representation of the Hispanic workforce and other minorities into their organizations, potential employees of color will certainly research how organizations are giving back to their respective communities. And while corporate social responsibility reports might tout their successes, study’s like these indicate there is a definite perceptual gap between an organization’s efforts and the perceptions of a minority group.
It’s important for employers to pay attention to these results (and others like this) because it continues to confirm the perception that organizations are more interested in selling their products to a minority community than attracting them into their businesses.
My new guest blog post regarding Simpatia over at InternMatters (via Internships.com) is up for your reading pleasure. Enjoy!
More students are choosing NOT to major in business , over 6 million (or 4.1% of) workers have been unemployed for more than 26 weeks (and still want a job), the economic downturn will change the everything having to do with “work”, we are having debates about whether or not we need MORE college graduates, and when 1.2 million unemployed workers lose their unemployment benefits. Good news – 7/10 workers think they have the ideal job. : )
If you have chance, please take a moment to read my latest blog post over at the InternMatters blog: Hispanic Interns: We Are Family. Enjoy!
I was unable to share this news last week due to my illness, so today I’m very excited to announce that I’ll be guest blogging for Internships.com, a leading online network between internships and students, higher education and employers. I’ll be contributing posts to Internships.com’s Intern Matters blog. The Intern Matters blog is dedicated to employers with a focus on how to hire and manage interns effectively. My focus of course will be on Hispanic college students. In particular, I’ll be blogging about Hispanic themes and topics aimed at employers that might bring Hispanic interns into their organizations. A few of my posts have already been featured on the blog so go take a look when you get a chance.
I’d like to thank Internships.com for not only the opportunity to contribute, but for also making the commitment to feature Hispanic-related content on their website. I’m looking forward to a great collaborative effort. Whether you’re a student, employer, career center professional, or other organization representative, I encourage you to check out what Internships.com can do for you. From what I’ve seen from Internships.com via Twitter, they’re already making a big splash! Enjoy!
I’ve written a few times regarding the alignment of Hispanic marketing and advertising trends with others such as the Hispanic workforce. AdWeek provides some interesting numbers regarding Hispanic moms:
… 21 percent of U.S. moms are Hispanic, and in key markets that percentage is even more dramatic. In New York, 33 percent of all moms are Hispanic. In Dallas, that figure now hits 32 percent. And in Los Angeles, it’s nearly half at 47 percent.
This is really a remarkable number – over 1/5 mothers in the country are Hispanic. While there are a number of benefits for companies such as Proctor & Gamble and other consumer good industries, once again there is a need to focus on the “other side” of the equation. Specifically, how are these organizations assuring their organizational workforces are reflecting their customer base.
I just got back from a NSHMBA networking event over at the University of Phoenix campus here in Cincy. It was a great opportunity to meet some new faces and say hello to my friends in the Hispanic community. I’ve been involved with NSHMBA for some time now – first as a college recruiter with Nestle, and now as a member and contributor to their journal. Thanks to their efforts, NSHMBA has been instrumental in increasing the number of Hispanic MBA’s by providing career guidance, preparation, and job fairs. Tonights event was sponsored by the University of Phoenix-Cincinnati. While I teach mostly online for UOP, I’ve got some great friends here at the local campus too. You’ll be amazed to know that UOP currently enrolls close to 48,000 Hispanic students and employs more than double the national average of Hispanic faculty. Without question, both of these organizations are making an impact in helping to increase the number of Hispanic professionals in organizations today. I’m proud to be associated with both.
An article in the New York Times today reports that from 2003 to 2008, 61 percent of black applicants and 46 percent of Mexican-American applicants were denied acceptance at all of the law schools to which they applied, compared with 34 percent of white applicants. While there are a number of issues, challenges, and cultural factors associated with these statistics, it again reminds us of how these trends have long-term implications in a variety of settings.
Particularly within the legal profession, a lack of racial and/or ethnic diversity in this important area of our society can potentially chip away the confidence people have in justice and equality in our courts. While there is a variety of research in this regard, certainly more needs to be done in a broader context to address the ethnic and racial composition of our legal industry (including federal and state courts). The legal industry is no different than what is occurring in most other work environments.
Over the last decade, minority and women-owned businesses have constituted over 50 percent of the two million businesses created in the United States. A report out today shows that women are becoming the nation’s job-creation engine, starting small businesses and stimulating new jobs at a rate that outdistances their male counterparts and disproportionately exceeds their current contribution to U.S. employment. This report comes just after labor force statistics indicate women will be make up the majority of the U.S. workforce this year. Times are certainly changing.
According to the Small Business Administration, between 1997 and 2002, the number of Hispanic-owned firms increased by 31 percent, with Hispanics owning 6.6% of U.S. businesses. The $820 billion Hispanic market is also flexing its muscles. Hispanic spending power has made significant contributions over the last decade, especially during these tough economic times.
Women and minority business owners will have become members of a powerful movement. These latest reports confirm that Hispanic Americans, for example, are occupationally and economically diverse. Indicators such as level of business ownership suggest a diverse, hard working, and entrepreneurial population. Yet, it is frustrating to read accounts that economic stimulus funds are disproportionately not reaching minority businesses – particularly when maximizing opportunities for minorities and women-owned businesses are in the best economic interest of everyone.
Someone once told me you can live a lifetime in a week. This notion is even more apparent today as we undergo a period of change – weekly it seems. With the first decade of the 21st century now complete, industry and workplace environments are changing so quickly that it sometimes feels like one can hardly keep up. A perfect example is the first week of 2010. Since beginning HTM, I’ve already witnessed change in the Hispanic talent market – particularly when it comes to how organizations are recognizing the importance of tapping the Hispanic workforce and leadership talent pool.
While HTM and my associated company serve a narrowly targeted workforce segment, initiatives and efforts by companies to focus on the Hispanic workforce demonstrate that it’s of vital importance to the economic vitality of the United States on a global scale. Not only within the realm of developing Hispanic leaders in organizations today, but also in planning for their future well before they enter the workforce.
Despite some of the economic troubles that are impacting employment today, overall Hispanics are still making a positive impact on the economy and, in many ways, softening the blow to what is a tough economic period. While this contribution is apparent to the marketing and advertising gurus, some organizations are just now starting to realize why it’s also important to bring more Hispanic talent and leaders into their organizations.
Like any type of change, transformation requires a clear sense of where you are going. Incorporating more Hispanic talent and leaders requires organizations to remain open-minded and aware about their external environment. In a way, organizations must incorporate the concept from the field of anthropology, asking questions: where are the future leaders going to come from? How do I modify my recruiting approach to find them? How do I gain their interest in order to gain their trust? Yes, change is sweeping the world already in 2010. We are on the edge of a new tomorrow, especially when it comes to the new Hispanic workforce.
