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.