The Latino/Hispanic Trend

The Hispanic population is the fastest growing minority group in the United States - due to immigration and increasing birth rates. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, in 1990, the Latino or Hispanic population was approximately nine percent of the country's population. In 2000, that population increased to thirteen percent, with 35 million people identifying themselves as Latinoor Hispanic. As of 2006, it was estimated that Hispanics made up 15 percent of the population. In addition, today one in five children born in the United States is Hispanic. If current trends continue, the population of the United States will rise to 438 million in 2050, from 296 million in 2005. According to Pew Hispanic Center, the number of Latino or Hispanic residents in Ohio changed from 218,350 to 267,712 in 2006. This change represents a 22.6% increase.

Hispanic Population in Ohio by County: 2000
Cuyahoga .........46,484 Franklin ............. 24,121
Lucas .............. 20,658 Lorain................ 19,358
Hamilton ............ 9,143 Mahoning ........... 7,584
Montgomery ....... 6,413 Summit ..... ........ 4,491
Butler................. 4,312 Sandusky........... 4,205
Wood................. 4,047 Lake.................. 3,999

Ancestry
Cuban . . . . . . .... 2% Dominican . . . . . . . . . 2%
South American . 5% Central American ..... 6 %
Puerto Rican . . ..26% Mexican . . . . . . . . . . 51%
Other Hispanic or Latino . 8%

For additional information regarding Hispanic/Latinosin Ohio visit: http://www.odod.state.oh.us/cms/uploadedfiles/Research/p0007.pdf

The American workforce is becoming increasingly diverse. Wise businesses accept diversity and plan accordingly.

Please share your thoughts.

Latinos or Hispanics?

Several weeks ago, I found myself challenged by the way I use the words Latinos and Hispanics. Since, I have found that for every “Hispanic or Latino”, there are just as many definitions of these words. After doing some digging, here are a few of the definitions I discovered:

OMB Directive 15, issued in1978
Hispanic: A person of Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Central or South American, or other Spanish Culture.

U.S. Census Bureau, Population Division, March 1993
Hispanic: Persons of Hispanic origin, in particular, were those who indicated that their origin was Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Central or South

The Oxford University - 2008
Hispanic: Relating to Spanish-speaking people or their culture. Spanish-speaking person living in the U.S (one of Latin American descent)

Princeton University
Hispanic: An American whose first language is Spanish. Latino: an artificial language based on words common to the Romance language.

Real Academia Española- Vigésima segunda edición
Hispano: Perteneciente o relativo a la población de origen hispanoamericano que vive en los Estados Unidos de América.

Latino: Natural de los pueblos de Europa y América en que se hablan lenguas derivadas del latín.

Effective January 1, 2003, all Federal agencies adopted the revised standards for race and categories. The revised standards have five minimum categories for data on race: American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian, Black or African American, Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, and White. There are two categories for data on ethnicity: "Hispanic or Latino" and "Not Hispanic or Latino."

I still don’t know which of the two ethnic descriptions are the most politically correct to be used. I personally like the definition given by Princeton University. When having this discussion with my twelve year old son, he was equally confused and decided we, as a family, are Hispanican (Hispanic & American).

Recruiting Latino Professionals

Many companies in Central Ohio are starting to realize the importance of employing a workforce that reflects the face of America today at all levels of the organization. However, many companies are finding that attracting and hiring management level Latinos can be a challenge because of availability and geography.

Here are some suggestions that may assist you in recruiting and retaining Latino professionals.

• Start Networking within the Latino Community. Increase your companies brand recognition in the community by participating in organizations like the Latino Empowerment Outreach Network (LEON) or the Columbus Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, etc.
• Expand Your Time-to-Hire Expectation. Hiring managers may need more time to recruit than a typical post on the 1st hire by the 15th scenario.
• Place Ads, Job Postings with Websites or Newspapers that target your specific audience. Seek media outlets that reach your target demographic. Consider incorporating elements of Latino culture in your marketing literature/job postings.
• Understand Cultural Differences. Cultural differences, which range from communication styles to views of time and priorities, affect how these candidates present themselves in interviews. This is especially important when evaluating work history. Latinos are highly recruited and as such may move more quickly than other demographics from one position to another for reasons other than nonperformance or workplace non compatibility.
• Be careful how you use terminology. Definitions and usage of words and colloquialisms vary greatly among the various Latin American countries. An acceptable term in one region could have a completely different meaning in another.

Latinos and the Insurance Business

Many large corporations are trying to encourage business ownership among Latinos. Opportunities for insurance agency ownership, like the one advertised this week with Nationwide, appear to give the entrepreneur a head start by providing a proven business model to follow coupled with first class support. It is not uncommon to find agents who make a six figure income.

In some demographics, decisions about which insurance broker to do business with may be influenced by price, internet, television, or radio advertising. However in the Latino community, individuals or households are more likely to turn to friends, relatives or neighbors for advice. Latinos are also more likely to seek out a local broker who speaks Spanish and who understands their needs and concerns when language communication or cultural awareness becomes an issue.
There is an old stereotype that Latinos don't take insurance seriously. But once you get beyond the stereotypes, you can see that Latinos understand and value the importance of insurance. Only a small percentage of the Latino community considers insurance an unnecessary expense and this is no different than the general population.

Columbus is a great market for those that want to jump into the insurance industry. Here in Central Ohio we have more than 40,000 Latino residents that represent tremendous purchasing power. In ever increasing numbers, Latinos are buying houses, cars and all kind of commodities. The ongoing needs for culturally aware agents will only increase. If current demographic trends continue, by the year 2050 1 in 4 Americans will be Hispanic. Furthermore, Latinos do particularly well as entrepreneurs. Their success rates surpass all other demographics and are the fastest growing segment among new business owners

So I wonder, for the entrepreneurial minded Latino how do you feel about agency ownership as a business?

Are you Hiring Hispanic Professionals or Professional Hispanics?

When I first heard this reference I had to stop and think for a minute because the reference sounded like a word game. After reading its definition, I could see how this reference addresses an issue that can affect the way Hispanics are perceived in the workplace.

Definition by Alberto J. Ferrer:
"Professional Hispanics ride their culture and ethnicity to career advancement instead Hispanic Professionals leverage their efforts, experience and expertise to pursue career opportunities. "

The fact that someone speaks Spanish and check Hispanic as their ethnicity shouldn’t make them more or less qualified for a particular job. Experience, education and knowledge in conjunction with language skills should be the basis upon which the hiring decision is made. Furthermore, an individual’s ability to communicate in a language other than that spoken by the interviewer should be tested. The fact that someone grew up in an environment where Spanish was spoken does not ensure their ability to communicate with customers or clients at an executive level. Quite often a candidate may speak the language but may have a limited vocabulary with regard to a particular industry or country in which business is being conducted.

Many companies in their pursuit of hiring Latinos and bringing diversity into the workplace make the mistake of hiring professional Hispanics without realizing that the decision may negatively affect the company as well as the person hired. When demands are placed on employees that don’t qualify for the job the outcome can be disastrous. Expectations may not be met on both sides of the equation. By hiring someone that is not equipped to meet the job requirements, failure is assured.

There is no need to rush into an employment relationship with a Hispanic worker if he/she does not otherwise possess the required skill set. The Hispanic population is the fastest growing ethnicity group here in Central Ohio. We currently have more than 40,000 documented Latinos in Franklin County. We have a very diverse group with origins from all over Latin-America. Many of these individuals are highly educated with valuable experience as well as language abilities. The fact is that we have many Hispanic Professionals in the area that can be a great asset to any company. Just take your time to hire the one with the right education and skills as well as language ability.