According to the Network of Executive Women (NEW) and Hispanic marketing platform Latinarrific, senior level Latina Talent is exiting corporate America at an alarming rate amid the Covid-19 pandemic. So the two organisations joined forces to find out why.
Their study examines why, at a time when annual Hispanic buying power is approaching $1.7 trillion, senior-level Latina talent is exiting corporate America at an alarming rate. It also provides essential insights into the drivers of Latina career advancement and how companies can better identify, promote and retain Latina leaders for a competitive advantage in the marketplace.
“In a way none of us could have predicted, many of the traits the Latina professionals in our focus group cited as drawbacks within the traditional, white male dominated workplace – expressiveness, empathy, a desire for work-life balance – have become celebrated assets in the COVID-19 work-from-home landscape,” stated study co-author Karianne Gomez, NEW’s Vice President of Strategic Value. “What remains to be seen, as the country reopens, is whether a newly enlightened C-suite will embrace the unique attributes Latinas bring to the table, or revert to its old ways, forcing an emboldened Latina talent pool that already represents this country’s fastest growing sector of small business entrepreneurs to flee corporate America even faster.”
QUASHING LATINA DIVERSITY
Among 36 senior and mid-level Latina executives interviewed, most said they didn’t feel they fit easily into the typical corporate culture of the United States. While this could be celebrated from a “differences-add-strength perspective”, study insights show far too many companies quashing Latina diversity. With the historic standard for everything from promotability to executive presence based on white male norms, Latina executives have generally succeeded despite their corporate culture, not because of it.
BARRIERS TO INCLUSION
The study provides insights into how organisations can prevent the tide of Latina executives exiting their ranks, and losing their sway over $1.7 trillion of Hispanic buying power indefinitely. According to the study, some factors hindering Latinas from getting ahead in the corporate world, and seeing an opportunity for authentic advancement particularly in large corporations, include:
Collectivism versus Individualism – Having been raised in a collectivist culture where the good of the group trumps individual pursuits, many Latinas learned from an early age to be selfless, generous and respect authority figures. Within the very individualistic culture of US business, where assertiveness, independence and appropriate “push-back” are valued, Latinas are often viewed by managers as less “hungry” or personally qualified for advancement.
“Latina-ness” versus reserve – Corporate poker-face is in direct contrast to the use of hands and passionate expression most Latinas learned as essential to communication. Focus group participants described being perceived as having a “Latin temper”, being a drama queen or overly sensitive – all while trying to discern what their coworkers’ neutral expressions meant in meetings.
Personalismo versus “too familiar” – Touching and close physical proximity are common ways to connect personally and respectfully with someone when conducting business in Latin cultures, but sometimes go beyond the American norm of friendliness at work.
Prioritising family versus “whatever it takes” – Many Latinas place a significant emphasis on spending time together as a family – something corporate America says it values but often does not accommodate well. The Latina executives interviewed rejected the notion that prioritising family diminishes commitment to career or reliably getting the job done. They may make it home for dinner more often than their traditional white male counterparts, but that balanced approach is part of the diversity and value Latinas bring to the table.
A FOOT IN TWO WORLDS
“A Latina’s cultural heritage has genetically engineered her for the work-from-home paradigm shift prompted by COVID-19,” commented study co-author Arminda Figueroa, Vice President of Strategy and Audience Engagement at Latinarrific. “Freed from the stress of babysitters, elder-care and long commutes, she can seize her full potential as ‘Chief Household Officer,’ being there for her family while managing her schedule and tapping into her overachieving nature to produce high quality work.”
The NEW report, entitled Latinas in Corporate America – A Foot in Two Worlds: Elevating the Latina Experience, shares actionable strategies for companies looking to attract, grow and retain Latina leaders at this crucial moment for businesses . Unconscious bias and emotional intelligence training, intentional sponsorship programmes, and accountability measures that tie executive performance reviews to diversity and inclusion markers, are among the steps study authors assert as key to creating authentic, profit-driving connections with Latina talent.
Click here to view/download the report.
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