SOME TOOLS FOR BETTER
MANAGEMENT
By Carol Hastings
Demographics are changing across the United States in response to the need for
labor. Immigrants in large numbers from Latin America are filling many positions
in laundries, restaurants, hospitality, food processing, manufacturing -
virtually every industry where entry-level employees are needed.. Although
Spanish-speaking workers are not the only non-English speaking workers in
America, they are the largest language group.
Foreign-born Hispanics have a view of the work place that is different from
traditional born-in- America workers. Employers who take the time to understand
"where they are coming from" will learn it is not just a courtesy, but it will
help ensure productivity and loyalty. Employers who do not, run the risk of
faulty procedures that may lead to legal violations or flawed production and
increased employee turnover
While setting hard and fast "rules" relating to cultural traits is risky, here
are some key strategies to managing foreign-born Spanish-speaking workers who
have little or no English language skills.
1) Provide training and workplace communication in Spanish
Of course language is the first hurdle of most immigrants. Training in their
native language can be imperative in ensuring compliance with legal rules, such
as OSHA's on safety or the EEOC's on harassment - never mind getting the job
done right.
Be sure it is written and communicated in correct, clear Spanish; poor
translations
may lead to further misunderstandings.
It is best that handbooks and policies be provided in Spanish; obviously it is
important for them to understand what is expected of them. Further, Hispanics
often feel excluded and not "part of the team" when they aren't explained the
work culture and this can lead to alienation and increased turnover. If
possible, provide them with orientation classes in Spanish where they feel
comfortable to ask questions. Levels of formal education vary widely among
immigrant workers and many have no more than a grade school education even in
Spanish. It is worth the effort to have well-devised visuals, videos and
demonstrations for workplace training.
Your bilingual employees can be helpful liaisons, but be careful when asking
them to perform beyond their duties where there are liability concerns. For
example, it is not advisable to ask your bilingual Hispanic maintenance
supervisor to interpret your sexual harassment prevention program. That isn't
his job and you will not be able to verify his translation if you are being
scrutinized for a sexual harassment claim. Also, don't presume that a bilingual
employee is qualified to translate written workplace materials; use a
professional translator. Besides providing a well-written translation, a
professional should be able to provide generic Spanish so your employees of
different nationalities will understand it. For example, there is terminology
and idiomatic expressions used by Mexicans that Latinos from other countries
will not understand and vice versa.
2) Take extra efforts to explain concepts that are culturally new
Foreign-born workers are often confused about their benefits. U.S. health
insurance plans introduce a whole new realm of understanding that may require
extra explanations -- HMO, PPO, co-pay etc.. If these employees don't understand
and use a benefit, the employer loses the "goodwill" of providing it. It is
worth the effort and extra expense to be sure this information is well-explained
in terms these workers understand.
Often Hispanics are wary of financial institutions . As they are accustomed to
working with cash and often don't have bank accounts, they are not prepared for
payroll direct-deposit programs. Working with your local bank, you help them to
open savings accounts where the direct deposits can be made. These employees can
withdraw the cash and also save themselves the expense of check cashing
services.
Hispanics are not used to payroll deduction plans and tend not to trust them.
They will refuse such benefits as a 401K or other cafeteria plan benefits. They
don't recognize the impact until they have a medical emergency or learn too late
that they could have prepared for retirement. Further, this can affect the
company's management who may be unable to make their maximum 401K contributions
because the total employee contributions do not meet the necessary requirements.
Thus, it can become a benefit of all employees that employers pay special
attention to communicating this information to the non English speakers.
An employee who does not understand and value his or her benefits may cross the
street for another job for a small wage increase, but where there are no
benefits. The cost of replacing even one employee will exceed the costs of
providing translated materials or hiring an interpreter at enrollment time (many
insurance companies provide this information in Spanish and will provide Spanish
customer service).
3). Assure them that they will not be punished for requesting
clarification
Most newly arrived Hispanic workers are not prepared to say that they don't
understand. Their pride or their fear of being criticized or fired may mean that
they say that they understand when they do not. The consequence of work poorly
or dangerously performed can be expensive and illegal. When giving instructions,
have them repeated in Spanish by a bilingual co-worker or interpreter and
clearly demonstrate the work. Make it clear that they will not be punished by
not understanding and encourage them ask for clarification.
4) Understand that "Yes" may not mean yes and "right now"
might mean later
Americans tend to be deed-oriented and consider our word a binding commitment to
follow-through. Culturally, Hispanics prefer to be diplomatic and agreeable.
"Yes" is often a knee-jerk non-confrontational response, not necessarily a
commitment to action. If you later find that the task is not done as you thought
it would be, understand that he or she was neither lying nor ill-meaning when he
said "yes." When making a request, encourage your Hispanic employee to specify
when it can realistically be completed. Make it clear that in our culture
accountability is more important than diplomacy.
5) Encourage initiative
Workers in the Hispanic culture carry an ingrained respect for authority and
subordinates are expected to unconditionally accept what their bosses say. While
respect is desirable, an American supervisor may incorrectly interpret this to
mean that Hispanic workers are not capable of good ideas or showing initiative.
Your work team needs to be complimented on work habits and provided the
opportunity to elicit suggestions.
6) Respect the tradition of "family comes first"
Americans tend to separate work and family life. Family is of primary importance
for Latinos and this may be felt at the workplace. For example, a Mexican worker
may come to the workplace on his day off to pick-up his paycheck with his wife
and children in tow. Most Americans would consider it appropriate for the family
to wait in the car, while the Mexican does not consider it inappropriate to
bring his family inside. His supervisor may be across the room and immersed in
his work, yet the employee would be pleased for the boss to take a few moments
to greet the him and to meet his family. By taking this time for personal
interaction, more trust and loyalty can be established from this employee. It
can help to breakdown the stereotype that Latinos hold that Americans are cold
and have little regard for common courtesies.
We all want respect. Because Spanish-speaking employees don't always understand
doesn't' mean they are incapable of understanding. Just as we have learned new
skills to adapt to new technologies because they are invaluable workplace tools,
our bottom line benefits from this cadre of Spanish-speaking workers. Developing
the skills and understanding to work with these valuable workers may be critical
to happier employees, less turnover and increased productivity.
Copyright 2002 by Corte Hispana
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