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"Latino Talent", by Dr. Robert's Rodriguez

Meet Robert & Blog

Selecting a “Latino-Friendly” Employer

Employers are aggressively seeking top Latino professionals to fill key positions. Because of this, talented Latino job seekers often have many choices as to where they can work. Therefore, organizations are placing greater emphasis on defining their employment brand because it defines their reputation as an employer of choice and thus helps them attract top talent, including Latinos. Latino job seekers are placing increasing attention to a company’s employment brand because it better helps them characterize what their employment experience will be like if they chose to work at the company.

It goes without saying that the first considerations a Latino job seeker should look for in a potential employer should be a challenging job assignment, fair compensation, and the potential for personal & professional growth. However, more and more Latinos are also analyzing a company’s employment brand to see if it conveys a promise that the workplace embraces diversity and has inclusive work practices that cater not just for professionals of color generally, but more specifically for Latinos.

For a Latino job seeker, here are 5 elements to look for that will provide some evidence that a potential employer is “Latino Friendly” and has an inclusive work environment:

1. A History of Support to the Latino Community: Inclusive work environments tend to have a history of supporting diversity initiatives. A long history conveys a sense that diversity is embedded in the company’s culture. For example, a Latino job seeker considering employment at PepsiCo should be impressed with the decade-by-decade timeline of diversity initiatives and accomplishments that date back all the way to 1898. Since then, PepsiCo has supported numerous Latino diversity related initiatives conveying a long commitment to the Latino community.

2. Diversity Annual Reports: For some companies, having an inclusive work environment is such a big part of their culture they write annual reports highlighting their diversity initiatives and programs. These diversity annual reports can often be downloaded from a company’s website for review by job seekers. Latino professionals should review these diversity reports for evidence of support to the Latino community. Aetna makes their “Diversity Annual Report” available on their website which highlights their comprehensive support of all aspects of diversity and inclusion. Specifically, Latinos will be impressed that the report articulates how they support Latino communities, their external Latino partners, bi-lingual literacy programs and philanthropic activities that benefit Latinos.

3. Awards and Accolades: Numerous diversity non-profits, associations and publications are recognizing employers with strong diversity programs and Latino inclusive work practices. Often these organizations use rigorous selection criteria when identifying top employers for under-represented populations. Job seekers should see if a potential employer has won awards or been recognized by an external organization for having strong Latino diversity programs. For example, each year DiversityInc Magazine honors and recognizes the top ten employers for Latinos.

4. Employee Resource Groups: Many companies now realize the value and positive impact that Latino employee resource groups can play. Latino job seekers should inquire if a company has a Latino employee network because the existence of one demonstrates a commitment to their Latino employee population. For example, the website for Goldman Sachs identifies their support and recognition of their Hispanic/Latin Employee Network.

5. Top Latino Executives: It is one thing to employ Latinos, it is quite another to have Latinos obtain top corporate positions within a company. Latino job seekers should explore if Latinos have risen to senior level positions or serve on the board of directors. Having Latinos in senior management roles tends to indicate that the company has an environment where Latinos can be successful. For example, McKinsey and Company highlights Luis Ubinas, a senior partner, on their website where he endorses McKinsey as a great place to work for Hispanics with wonderful advancement opportunities.

To reiterate, there are many items a Latino job seeker should consider when selecting their next employer. However for Latinos who desire, among other things, a “Latino Friendly” employer the items above provide a strong early indication that a company has a textured understanding of and appreciation for Latino diversity.

Dr. Robert Rodriguez is the Assistant Dean for the School of Business at Kaplan University. He is the author of “Latino Talent: Effective Strategies to Recruit, Retain and Develop Hispanic Professionals” published by Wiley & Sons. Robert also currently serves as the chairman of the board of directors for the Hispanic Alliance for Career Enhancement (HACE).
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Robert's Bio

Dr. Robert Rodriguez is the Assistant Dean of the Graduate School of Management at Kaplan University. His responsibilities curriculum design, course development, and course delivery for Kaplan’s Newsweek MBA programs. Prior to Kaplan, Robert taught at the Kellstadt Graduate School of Business at DePaul University and also was a faculty chair at Capella University.

Prior to academia, Robert held human resource leadership roles at several Fortune 500 firms including Target Corporation, 3M Company, BP Amoco and RR Donnelley & Sons. Along with teaching at Kaplan, Dr. Rodriguez is the Managing Partner at Astira Group, a human capital services firm based in Chicago. Robert leads the firm’s Talent Management Practice and some of his clients include Wachovia, SuperValu, Allianz Life, Darden Restaurants, 3M Company, Thompson NETg and DaimlerChrysler. He helps firms develop proactive strategies in the area of succession planning, leadership development, employee engagement and diversity initiatives.

Robert’s experience and education serve him well in his role as a frequent contributor for HR Magazine where he writes articles that focus on talent management issues. He has also published numerous articles on human resource topics in such publications as The Chicago Tribune, Chief Learning Officer Magazine, The OD Practitioner Journal, Workforce Performance Solutions, and I-Street Magazine.

Robert has also been featured in such publications as Workforce Magazine, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, FastCompany Magazine and Crains Chicago Business. Dr. Rodriguez is an Advisory Council member for The Conference Board and he is frequently called upon to speak by associations such as the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) and the Chief Learning Officer Symposium.

Dr. Rodriguez currently serves as Chairman of the Board of Directors for The Hispanic Alliance for Career Enhancement (www.hace-usa.org), a national non-profit organization dedicated to incubating and nurturing Latinos throughout their career continuum and working to develop increasing numbers of successful Latino professionals and leaders. Robert just finished a book that will be published by Wiley & Sons Publications in Sept. '07 titled, Latino Talent: Effective Strategies to Recruit, Retain and Develop Hispanic Professionals.

Dr. Rodriguez received his doctorate in Organization Development at Benedictine University in Chicago. His research interests include career branding, talent management, succession planning, leadership development and diversity. Dr. Robert Rodriguez can be reached at Kaplan University at RRodriguez2@kaplan.edu

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