In the last ten years, we have over studied the Millennial cohort, yet we have limited studies on the differences of Millennials within respective cultures. The United States Hispanic Millennials represent 24 million today, comprising almost half of the total U.S. Hispanic population. Also, Hispanic Millennials account for 21% of all U.S. Millennials.
Latinos and Hispanic have different origins and different meanings for some individuals. The difference between Latinos and Hispanics is the country of origin. Hispanics are born in the United States, and Latinos are from different Latin countries. Further research is required to understand the differences between Hispanic/Latino millennials born in the United States and those born abroad. It will be interesting to note the difference, if any, of cultural values.
The 21st-century workplace will be a very different environment for employers. Companies are learning more about the Hispanic Millennial cohort and how they are different from mainstream Millennials. Some tendencies associated with the millennial generation such as job-hopping, do not necessarily apply to the Hispanic/Latino Millennials. Hispanic/Latino Millennial employees may not be job hoppers, and retention rates are higher than other Millennials.
There are several reasons why Hispanic/Latino Millennials are different than Non-Hispanic Millennials. First, Non-Hispanic Millennials tend to defer significant life events such as marriage, having children, and buying a home. For example, non-white Millennials average age for first-time births is 27 years old, Latino Millennials average for first-time births is 24 years old. Moreover, 1/3 of Hispanic Millennial Moms have three or more children versus about ¼ of Non-Hispanic Millennial Moms. Therefore Latino/Hispanic Millennials are considered the “early adulthood” Millennials. Why does this matter? It matters because employers want to attract and retain employees. Hispanic Millennials who have children earlier will limit job hoping to build their families and potentially buy a home earlier. Latino Millennials will look to their employer for stability, a place to stay longer and build a career with the company.
According to “The State of the Nation’s Housing” study by the Joint Center for Housing at Harvard University, minorities will drive three-quarters of the gains in U.S. households. Those are projected to reach 13.6 million in the decade of 2015-2025 and Hispanics will account for one-third of those gains. “The fact is the majority of Latinos want to be homeowners and will make up half of all new home buyers in the next 20 years. They have a central place in the housing market and finance system,” said Scott Astrada, director of federal advocacy at the Center for Responsible Lending. Hispanic Millennials have a long-standing value, instilled by their family, that home ownership is one of the nation’s oldest Latino principles.
Non-Hispanic Millennials are putting off home buying, and Latino Millennials are accelerating home ownership. This is another positive for companies to hire Hispanic Millennials since home ownership is another attraction and retention tool. Latino’s are willing to relocate if the homeownership opportunities are affordable. Hispanic families usually move with their children to the location they are working. It is a myth that Latino’s don’t move! Hispanics value family cohesiveness, tend to be “family first” and therefore if Hispanic Millennials are hired in a location, the rest of the family may follow. The Latino/Hispanic Millennials still support their families and extended families, which is a cultural complexity.
Second, a typical Hispanic value is family. Many Hispanic/Latino Millennials were raised with strong ties to their extended families and may seek a work environment that allows them to build family-like bonds. With the deep-seated respect they often hold for their parents and elders, Hispanic Millennials are also more likely to be deferential to their bosses than their Gen Y counterparts. Hispanic Millennials also recognize and appreciate the fact that some bosses today are more collaborative than authoritative and adjust accordingly. Like other Gen Y members, Hispanic/Latino Millennials also value a boss who takes an interest in supporting and mentoring them, similar to the bonds many may hold with older relatives.
In the 21st century, Latino/Hispanic Millennials and Non-Hispanic Millennials want to find the right organizational culture. They expect inclusivity as part of their work environment that differs from previous generations. Millennials want to be proud of their companies and being part of a dynamic culture. Hispanic/Latino Millennials priority is finding the Hispanic culture and workforce within their companies.
Hispanic/Latino Millennials will be attracted to the companies that have a workforce that they can have “la Familia” at work. Hispanics Millennials will look to their companies as a family, and that will enhance their commitment. The Hispanic culture is about family and commitment to extended family. Management needs to create opportunities for the Latino/Hispanic Millennials to interact with other Latinos and celebrate their culture. This will engage the Latino/Hispanic Millennials more than Non-Hispanic Millennials. Furthermore, Latino Millennials work, and the place they work in brings the extra perspective of pride, along with an increased expectation of having a good relationship with their supervisor (Rodriguez, 2007). Therefore, Latino/Hispanic retention is higher than other Millennials (Bianco, et al., 2018)
Third, culturally the Hispanic people are taught to respect elders and authority figures. This deference to leaders can affect the perception of Latino Millennials in the workplace. Non-Hispanic Millennials are thought to be more irreverent. Hispanic Millennials are comfortable in the workplace and employers should not mistake reticence or silence as signs of weakness or incompetence.
Moreover, Hispanic/Latino Millennials lack role models in the business world. Latino Millennials need to see more people like them in corporate America, which is still a challenge in the workplace. Hispanic/Latino representation in management positions, in the C-suite and the board levels, are still lower relative to their percentage in the workforce. College-bound Hispanic/Latino Millennials would benefit from mentoring to encourage their development. Mainstream Millennials also expect to mentor and coaching in their positions. What makes Hispanic/Latino Millennials different than Non-Hispanic Millennials is Hispanic/Latino Millennials will be more patient with their career development than other Millennials. Why is this? It is driven by the Hispanic Millennial family values of “patience and give respect for authorities or leaders”. this can differ from the Non-Hispanic Millennials value of “what is new and what is next? as well as the perception that “they challenge authority and the sky is the limit”.
Fourth, some Hispanic/Latino Millennials may not be willing to compromise work-life balance that does not permit them to separate work from their family and personal lives. Latino/Hispanic Millennials may be more receptive to the flexibility and more integrated approach potentially it brings. They definitely have other priorities aside from work, but they want to give their best efforts to all their pursuits. As is most often the case, Hispanic Millennials have been raised and deeply influenced by parents and grandparents who exemplified hard work and sacrifice. Latino Millennials are often less entitled and more appreciative of work opportunities than some of their Gen Y cohorts. Hispanic Millennials are willing to work hard and, while still seeking the opportunities to contribute meaningfully to the world, may be equally interested in giving back to their own families and communities. The Hispanic value of, “I want my kids to do better than me,” might mean that companies should offer performance recognition and work-life balance to care for their children. Therefore, they may see higher attraction and retention of Hispanic/Latino Millennials
The Latino culture also values working hard to get the “American Dream.” This value is inherited by the Hispanic/Latino Millennials cohort. The Non-Hispanic Millennials have been known to have an “I want to be successful, I want it now,” mindset. So why does this matter? The Latino/Hispanic Millennials need to have to have a workplace environment including its culture, policies, and practices that make it acceptable to find acceptance and engagement in the workplace, through personal development, inclusivity, and advancement because of their merits.
Lastly, According to Blancero, D.M., Ruiz-Mourino, & Padilla, A. M. (2/15/2018), Latino/Hispanic Millennials continue to grow and will play an important role in the future of organizations. Latino’s in the workplace often encounter discriminatory behavior directed at them that create unwanted and undue stress, that make navigating the corporate culture difficult (Erickson, 2014a). Latino/Millennials have a strong ethnic and cultural identity, social connectedness and can lead to corporate success (2/15/2018). According to Erickson,” Latino Millennials are engaged which makes effective leadership through increased awareness of the advantages of diversity and ensures leaders are enabling employee engagement an imperative in today’s organizations (2014b)”.
Organizations must consider the full potential of Latino/Hispanic Millennials to ensure that the new diverse workforce is accommodated. In the 21st century, companies need to establish the Latino/Hispanic Millennials have an opportunity to grow in leadership ranks by continued growth, development, and mentorship. To attract, retain and develop the Hispanic/Latino Millennials, organizations should consider employer of choice strategies that recognize and celebrate the uniqueness of this generational cohort.
Blancero, D.M., Ruiz-Mourino, & Padilla, A. M. (2/15/2018). Latino Millennials—The New Diverse Workforce: Challenges and Opportunities. Hispanic Journal of Behavior Science Vol 40, Issue 1, 2018
Coulombe, K., Gil, W. (2016). The changing U.S. workforce: The growing Hispanic demographic and the workplace. A Research Report by the Society for Human Resource Management and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute. Alexandria, VA: Society for Human Resource Management 2016 (for Coulombe & Gil, 2016).
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Krogstad, J., Lopez, M., Lopez, G., Passel, J., Patten, E. (2016). Millennials make up almost half of Latino eligible voters in 2016. Pew Research Center.