Want More Latinx Candidates? Try These 5 Hiring Strategies

The workforce has become more and more diverse over the years, and a big part of that diversity can be attributed to the growth of the Latinx community. In fact, according to the U.S. Department of Labor, Latinx workers will be 78 percent of new talent by 2030 and the entire Latinx workforce will grow to 35.9 million people. This means organizations are going to have a wealth of opportunities to recruit Latinx candidates—and in the process, meet their DEIB goals. In order to ensure that your business is able to take advantage of this population growth, the following are some Latinx hiring strategies you can use.

5 Latinx Hiring Strategies

If your company has a diversity recruitment plan, you're well aware of the fact that in order to meet your DEIB objectives, you need to adopt strategies that appeal to specific communities—and Latinx talent is no exception. These Latinx hiring strategies can help you find the talent you want, and increase your odds of being successful in getting them interested in working for your organization.

1. Understand Mature and Emerging Candidates

According to the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), one important element of creating Latinx hiring strategies is understanding the differences between mature and emerging candidates. Mature candidates are those who are second- or third-generation people of Hispanic descent born in the United States. Many of these people are bilingual, speaking English as a first language, and others don't speak Spanish at all. These members of the community are likely to be college educated. 

On the other hand, the emerging talent pool is made up of first-generation candidates who have parents that immigrated to the United States. They are bilingual and often clustered in locations with high Latinx immigration rates, such as Texas, New York, and California. These candidates usually come from working-class families, so they may or may not go to college.

By understanding the backgrounds of these different types of candidates, you better position yourself to promote your employer brand in ways that are most appealing to them. For example, if you’re recruiting first-generation talent, it may be a good idea to make it clear that you’re willing to hire for potential, rather than credentials, since many people in this group have not attended college.

2. Partner With HSIs

Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs)—colleges and universities that have at least 25 percent Latinx students enrolled in undergraduate programs on a full-time basis—are designed to cater specifically to the needs of this community. According to the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities, there are 5.1 million students enrolled in HSIs on the undergraduate and graduate levels, which makes this a great reason to partner with these schools to recruit talent. Creating a presence on campus can help you promote your employer brand to these students so you’re on their radar when they're looking for a job after graduation.

3. Create Bilingual Landing Pages

Considering the large number of candidates who are Spanish-speaking, it only makes sense to create recruitment landing pages that are in both English and Spanish. In fact, it can make your organization easier to find because many of these candidates may actually search for positions in Spanish, so if job descriptions aren’t translated, they may miss your posts. In addition, bilingual landing pages can help you raise your search engine ranking so those looking for jobs in their native tongue are more likely to find your organization.

4. Leverage Online Spaces 

SHRM reports that Latinx candidates are among the most tech savvy people in the workforce, with 72 percent of them owning at least one smart phone and regularly using mobile devices to look for jobs on social media, job boards, and forums. As a result, you should go to the online spaces where this talent congregates to inform them of job opportunities and familiarize them with your company. Leveraging these platforms can also communicate to potential candidates that you care about diversity, equity, and inclusion, and you’re eager to hire people from the Latinx community.

5. Invest in Employee Growth

If your company has Latinx employees in entry-level jobs, consider training them for higher-level positions rather than recruiting outside candidates. This is not only a cost-effective Latinx hiring strategy, it’s also a good investment in workers who may be interested in learning new skills and moving up the ladder of your organization. Upskilling can contribute to the retention of these workers, and is also good for your employer brand.

Additionally, providing mentorship opportunities to Latinx workers can help them see a possible path for their future growth—especially if you have senior-level employees who are also part of the community. A mentoring relationship like this can boost workers’ confidence, enhance their skills, and make them more interested in staying at your organization for the long term.

The growth of the Latinx community is great news for employers because it means there’s a great deal of untapped talent companies can recruit. By using these Latinx hiring strategies, you can get in front of the candidates you want to hire, and demonstrate that you care about the success of their community.