According to the Urban Institute report “50+ Hispanic Workers: A Growing Segment of the U.S. Workforce,” Hispanics make up one of the fastest growing segments of the country’s older population, making them an important demographic for employers. In the report, Richard W. Johnson and Maurcio Soto examined the contributions these workers make to employers and the economy, determining that the overall characteristics of the group should make them very appealing to employers.
Johnson and Soto begin the report by asserting that as Baby Boomers age, the traditional labor pool — made up of workers ages 25-54 — is “stagnating.” The best way to combat that problem, they say, is to look to older workers: “Older adults, whose numbers are soaring, provide a potential solution to employers who seek the experience, knowledge, and skills necessary to get through these tough times. By ensuring that their workforces include experienced and knowledgeable older workers, employers could prevent the loss of key skills and institutional knowledge that could damage their organization’s current and future competitiveness.”
According to the report, some of the advantages that older Hispanics offer to employers include:
- they are dependable, rarely missing work;
- they say they enjoy their jobs, suggesting they are engaged, productive employees;
- generally, they seem to be as healthy as non-Hispanic whites and healthier than blacks; and
- many are fluent in both English and Spanish, making them valuable to companies that serve (or want to serve) the growing Hispanic populations.
Soto and Johnson maintain, “For employers, the considerable size of the older Hispanic workforce and the growth expected over the next few decades presents a valuable opportunity for leveraging these workers’ skills and talents.” To attract and retain these workers, the authors of the report state that employers “should consider how simple modifications to their current recruitment and retention strategies may help target older Hispanic workers.” Their suggestions for doing that include:
- using recruiting channels that are likely to reach Hispanics, including media outlets and organizations that they trust;
- developing recruiting materials in both English and Spanish;
- offering flexible work options, caregiving information, or benefits;
- implementing mentoring or retraining programs that will help older workers who have physically demanding jobs transition into supervisory or other positions that require less physically;
- offering educational opportunities, including English as a second language and skills training, to those who have proven themselves to be good, dependable workers but lack the correct skill set to advance; and
- organizing employee resource groups as an informal way for employees to network and develop bonds with other employees.