Opinion: To Survive Companies Must Learn to Leverage Hispanic ’Raw’ Talent
The personal hardships recently brought about by the economic recession in the US are not unfamiliar to most Hispanics. In fact, the main reason that Hispanics emigrated to the U.S. was to escape from far worse economic conditions caused by steep unemployment, rampant political corruption, and runaway inflation in their respective countries.
For them, losing their homes in the US to a sub-prime loan debacle or their jobs as a result of an economic downturn was probably more bearable than not coming to the US at all!
Much can be said about individuals who can withstand unexpected changes in their lives by relying on their own initiative and intuition to get by.
Corporations in search of qualified candidates not adverse to taking calculated risks or ‘thinking-out-of-the-box’ should consider hiring Hispanics to manage a team, a department, or a business unit – especially during this recession.
The innate abilities of Hispanics to cope with a wide range of business and real-life situations far exceeds even what the best business schools can deliver.
If Hispanics are such ideal candidates, why then do so many corporations fail to attract or retain them? On the flip side of this statement, one might also add, why do so many hired Hispanics disappoint employers by underperforming or leaving their position to return home?
After listening to managers repeatedly complain about their Hispanic hires and hearing Hispanic employees griping about their inexplicable frustration at the workplace, one can begin to sense the seemingly invisible gap that is keeping one side from winning over the other. How then can these managers and their Hispanic employees arrive to a better understanding?
Ironically, what may actually help to close the gap between employers and Hispanic employees may be the economic recession itself. The final outcome, however, may look far different from what one would expect.
Rather than provide a better environment to employ Hispanics, the recession may encourage corporations to outsource their services. Here’s why.
Historically, in a recession, large corporations shed jobs; hence, allowing the number of small businesses to surge.
These small businesses will grow quickly by tapping on a more affordable talent pool. As the economic pendulum moves back towards job creation and prosperity, the increasing number of small businesses will mostly be Hispanic-owned.
Perhaps corporations could capitalize on this trend early by offering a culturally-balanced entrepreneurial business environment that resembles a small business.
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