Hispanic Heritage Month

Hispanic Heritage Month, celebrated from September 15 to October 15 each year, is a time to celebrate the histories, cultures, and contributions of Americans whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America.  

According to the Joint Economic Committee Hispanic Entrepreneurship and Business Brief, nearly one in four new businesses is Hispanic-owned. There are more than 300,000 Hispanic-owned, employer businesses located across all 50 states and the District of Columbia. According to the Small Business Association, Hispanic owned businesses employ about 1 million workers, with more than $100 billion in annual payroll.  

Challenges of Hispanic Employees  
Hispanic employees face various challenges in the workplace. According to a survey conducted by LinkedIn, Latino professionals aged 18-34: 

• 60% feel they have been overlooked or intentionally passed by for career advancement opportunities (e.g., promotion/pay raise) because of their race 
• Nearly 1 in 2 (44%) of professionals have faced blatant discrimination and/or microaggressions at work 
• 73% believe that a person’s skin tone impacts their career progression and 65% with darker skin complexions feel like they have been overlooked for career progression  

​Of the participants surveyed, 66% of professionals say they would be more interested in working for an organization that makes a public commitment to equity and racial justice. Yet, 50% still reported feeling that their workplace lacks a nurturing environment for those who look like them. 

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) 
Our workplaces are more diverse now than they ever have been. DEIB is important because it helps businesses create and foster a more positive and meaningful culture for happier and healthier employees and teams and reduce turnover rates which lowers the cost of recruiting and training new hires. Below are some steps your business can take to build a sustainable DEIB strategy. 
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1. Assess Your Organization’s Climate 

• What is your current culture? 

• What are some ways your organization is inclusive to diverse employees/community? 
• Ask questions that determine if employees feel a sense of belonging and value. 

2. Examine Your Policies 

• Do you have policies addressing anti-harassment, bullying, and nondiscrimination? 
• How are microaggressions addressed and what policies, practices, and procedures may be enabling this behavior? 

• Create or enhance your diversity statement or approach. 

3. Utilize Sustainable DEIB Tactics 

• Set expectations—an inclusive work environment is one where all employees can contribute and feel like they belong. 
• Communicate with employees about the organization’s policies and guidelines for inclusive behavior. 
• Provide training to recognize and eliminate discrimination in the workplace. 

• Recruit purposefully—show potential job candidates the inclusive practices at your workplace. 

​Hispanic Heritage Month not only recognizes the contributions of Hispanic people but is about asking ourselves how we can do better. Reach out to InvigorateHR to learn how we can help you create an inclusive and equitable workplace.