Do you find yourself wondering what you can do to make your organization more welcoming to Spanish speakers?
If Spanish speakers make up a significant portion of your employee base, creating an environment where they feel understood and seen is vital for your organization’s success. Not only will this affect the happiness of your current and future Spanish-speaking employees, but your overall cohesion as a team.
Oftentimes organizations think they have “checked the box” for creating a welcoming environment for Spanish speakers when they have done things like translate certain materials or interpret select meetings into Spanish. These actions are absolutely essential but they are purely transactional.
Spanish speakers bring with them a myriad of different cultures–in order for them to begin to feel understood as individuals with unique experiences, there needs to be a truly welcoming space where they are invited to express themselves day in, day out in the language they feel the most comfortable speaking.*
What your organization needs to do to create this welcoming space will depend on many nuanced factors that affect your unique team. But what we can suggest as a tangible starting point is that you begin to create a culture of bilingualism.
A culture of bilingualism empowers Spanish-speaking employees to bring their whole selves to work. It doesn’t mean everyone in your workplace has perfect fluency in both English and Spanish.
What does it take to achieve a culture of bilingualism?
Empathy. How can English-dominant speakers possibly try to understand the experience of Spanish-dominant speakers in the U.S.? They can learn Spanish! Learning Spanish is so much more than grammar and vocabulary. It teaches you about Latino cultures and helps strengthen your empathy muscle. The process of learning a new language allows you to learn what it’s like to communicate in a language that you don’t feel as comfortable speaking. English-dominant speakers will never be able to fully put themselves in the shoes of Spanish-dominant speakers, but their eyes will open to new ways they can be more welcoming to Spanish speakers.
Effort over skill. Your ability to create a culture of bilingualism is based on your dedication to welcoming and studying Spanish – and less on your actual skill when speaking Spanish. Your dedicated effort to learning the language and building cultural competency is what will make your team members feel more comfortable to bring their full selves to work.
Linguistic and cultural education all the way to the top. It is extremely important for direct managers of Spanish-speaking employees to learn Spanish. But it can’t stop there. It’s only when Spanish is welcome in any room, from the warehouse to the board room, that a true culture of bilingualism is created in your organization. When your highest-level team members embrace new culture and experiences by learning Spanish, your lowest-level team members, who may be Spanish-speaking, can feel empowered to bring their whole selves to work.
Imagine how liberating it would feel for someone who grew up in a Spanish-speaking country, or in an exclusively Spanish-speaking home here in California, to work in this environment. There’s a sense of freedom and true belonging when a person can just be themselves – their full bilingual selves – all the time.
There are so many benefits that this unlocks for your entire organization:
Increased retention: Embracing a culture of bilingualism is a way to walk the DEI talk and give more heart and soul to your organization. Employees feel more loyal to organizations that tangibly act on their values.
Pride in your organization: When employees see that you are sincerely inclusive, they could be more inclined to invite their Spanish-speaking friends and families to be patrons or employees of your business.
Fun in the workplace: Many Californians feel a deep connection to and interest in Latino cultures. Building an organization where Spanish-speaking colleagues are welcome to bring their full bilingual and bicultural selves to work will create a desirable environment for Latinx people AND Latino culture loving people alike!
Reputation in the community as being a solid employer: How would you like for your organization to be known as one of the best places to work in your city? It is possible with this type of organizational culture!
Ability to recruit great people: You can more easily attract the people you’re aiming to reach when they resonate with your reputation and culture.
If you’re ready to make your organization more welcoming to Spanish speakers in 2023, we encourage you to commit to a dedicated effort to learning Spanish and building cultural competency.
Sponsoring team members to learn Spanish is an important DEI initiative.
Invest your time where it counts. If you plan to dedicate time next month to DEI initiatives to create a more vibrant and welcoming work environment, try getting yourself and your team members on board with learning Spanish and see what happens. In our experience, this is a quick and effective way to make an impact.
Ready to continue the conversation now?
We recommend booking a free consultation with Emilie, our Founder and Executive Director, to explore what a Spanish-language program could look like for your specific organization.
