DES MOINES, Iowa-Hispanic community outreach efforts that gain the greatest results are those that pay close attention to the HR component of the program.
Miriam De Dios, VP of Coopera, explained that while effective marketing to the Hispanic community is essential, just as import is having a well-planned hiring process that attracts the right people to work with this rapidly growing market segment.
"You have to have an effective HR process for hiring bilingual and bicultural staff, and retaining this talent. Those credit unions that hire the right staff and correctly adapt their personnel strategies are seeing strong loyalty build-up from the Hispanic community."
De Dios cautioned that without a strong HR component to the outreach effort, the CU runs the risk of not delivering on its marketing message when Hispanics stop in, potentially alienating this group.
"Take the wrong approach and you really start misleading the Hispanic community. You are saying we are here to serve you by reaching out with advertising in Spanish and English, saying you have products to serve this segment, but when the new member comes into the credit union there is no one who speaks their language. This can turn quickly into a bad situation and create a bad reputation."
To hire bilingual and bicultural employees, De Dios said credit unions must expand their talent searches. "Some of the things to do are simple, but often overlooked. You have to have the job description in Spanish and English, and while using Career Builder is OK, some of the best means to reach out are through ads in the local Spanish newspapers and radio stations. Remember that online may not be the best way to reach the Hispanic community."
The Need For A Career Path
To retain the talent, De Dios emphasized programs should be in place to ensure the employee can grow into other positions, and not just the front-line. She also recommended offering a pay differential for bilingual employees as an added incentive. But before the credit union agrees to pay extra, it must first test the employee's bilingual skill. De Dios recommended proficiency testing before the job is offered to make sure the person can not only speak Spanish fluently, but write it as well.
Credit unions can often find the best talent by first creating an Hispanic advisory group comprised of several members of the local Hispanic community. "They can be strong advocates for the credit union, keep you connected, serve as a sounding board, and refer individuals they know will be good additions."
