Does Your Recruiting Strategy Mirror the Demographic Changes to Our Workforce?
In case you hadn’t noticed...
Our nation’s workforce has changed quite dramatically over the last 10 years. Much of this has to do with the monumental shifts in the age of the workforce. With 78 million baby boomers starting to exit the workforce, their sons and daughters represented by generations XY only account for roughly half that number. That means lots of jobs that used to be done by a human being will now remain unfilled, might be handled by technology, or could be outsourced to other countries that have an abundance of workers to handle the load. The other major jolt to the U.S. workforce has been the masses of immigrants (some legal and some illegal) that have set down roots on main street USA. These immigrants have ranged from the masses crossing our U.S./Mexican borders to the thousands of students who come from abroad to study in our universities and set down their roots joining American employers, or better, creating new businesses and new jobs as budding entrepreneurs. The statistics are dramatic and should make everyone take notice, whether you are trying to market your product or service to them or are an owner of a startup trying to convince them that your company is an employer of choice. As of the last census, minorities represented 92 percent of our country’s population growth between 2000 and 2010. Hispanics are now our country’s largest minority group, which was held by African Americans 10 years ago. In fact, whites now represent just 64 percent of our population. That number is certain to drop when you look at the pace that some minorities are growing at. Among children 17 years old and younger roughly 25 percent of our nation’s youth is Hispanic. Suffice it to say, the “face” of the American worker has changed and with it the cultural values that guide their day to day decisions.
So who cares? I’m American, and I get to choose who I hire.
True, but statements like that sound a lot like the leadership at Polaroid and Kodak who continued to make film while the rest the world was moving to digital photography. How long will it be before we stop doing our computing on laptops and move to iPads, other tablets and smartphones? By the way, Neilson data suggests that 45 percent of Asian Americans and their Hispanic counterparts already use smartphones, while white’s smartphone usage ran at roughly 27 percent. So let me ask, if you want to offer yourself the best chance of attracting the widest cross section of future employees, do you honestly think you’ll survive by ignoring 36 percent of the population that is growing at a rate that will make them close to 50 percent of our population the next time the census rolls around?
OK, so what changes should I be considering to accommodate different cultural values?
For those of us who have spent some time abroad doing business in different countries, you learn quickly that the traits that made us successful business people in the U.S. don’t necessarily translate well in other cultures. Think about the cultural values you were brought up with as an American, and maybe more importantly, an employee working for an American company. Those values may be counter to the messages other cultures value or have a comfort level working in as an employee. Here are a few cultural dos and don’ts to consider when dealing with some popular cultures.
Mexican cultural etiquette
- DO expect your Mexican counterparts to converse at a much closer physical distance than you might be used to.
- Do take your time in pressing for decisions, remembering that time does not always equate to money as it does in American culture.
- DON’T make direct eye contact when in conversation. Mexicans tend not to make direct eye contact as a sign of respect.
- DON’T be overly aggressive when negotiating as this can be considered rude and a turn off.
- DO understand that family value is a dominant cultural trait. Employers who can demonstrate a sense of family will score big points when looking to attract members to their team.
Indian cultural etiquette
- DO understand that great importance is placed on one’s title in the company. Making an offer of a job title can be as important as the offer of employment itself.
- DON’T be overly aggressive when negotiating as this can be considered a sign of disrespect.
- DO wait for a female business colleague to initiate the greeting. Some Indian men will not initiate a handshake with women as a sign of respect for them.
Japanese cultural etiquette
- In business meetings, it is customary for senior people to enter meetings first and generally sit closest to the door.
- Silence is viewed as part of the thought process and never thought of as uncomfortable.
- In Japanese culture, laughter is often used to hide feelings such as nervousness, shock, embarrassment, confusion and disapproval.
Learn to become a student of other cultural values
Our country has always been a “melting pot” of different nationalities, but through the years many of these people with other cultural values have maintained very low percentages in comparison to our overall population. Whether you are looking to attract the best and brightest of these cultures to become your new employees, or have a strategy to grow your brand globally, it would be in your best interest to start to learn how these cultural approaches to family, work and business might impact the ways in which you change future employer and customer brand messaging.
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