Hispanizing Corporate America

By Elizabeth Macanufo 

October 2011

During his decade long tenure as director of talent and acquisition at General Mills, Inc., Isaias Zamarripa realized that corporate America's definition of diversity differed from his. "In corporate America, diversity means female, then African American," he says. "Hispanics are so far behind the numbers in upper management that it's not funny."

To combat these inequalities, Zamarripa focuses on "Hispanizing" corporate America. By encouraging organizations to understand the values and triggers that affect Hispanic consumers and candidates, Zamarripa hopes to help Hispanize this country's workforce.

"Hispanics are in a very bad position in this country," Zamarripa claims. "With high teenage pregnancy and dropout rates, we're creating a population of blue collar workers who will never get into management." To combat this downward trajectory, Zamarripa stated his own consulting firm, Three Degrees from Isaias, focusing on diversity hiring, employee networks and executive recruiting. His initiatives remain imperative as the Hispanic population represents the largest population in the hiring pool. 

Cultivating Hispanic talent begins with understanding the culture, Zamarripa believes. "The Hispanic professionals in America are individuals without a homeland," he explains. Creating cultural comfort within the workplace, Zamarripa realizes, is antithetical to typical business patterns. "Studies prove that most Europeans want to get business done and then become friends. Hispanics want to become friends first and then do business." This classic Latin American approach of establishing roots beyond the job, Zamarripa asserts will help Latinos succeed in corporate America.

Zamarripa emphasizes the importance of "La Familia" during a company's onboarding process. Particularly for Millennial employees, who may first venture from their family home post-college, the feeling of an extended family is necessary. "Parents can really become helicopter parents at this point. The want to know who will be taking care of their children," he says.

While at General Mills, Zamarripa began inviting candidates to his house to ensure that they found a suitable home away from home. This symbol of extending friendship permeated throughout the General Mills culture. He recalls, "vice presidents began opening their homes to recruits. That was unheard of. But, people began to feel not like they were joining a company, but joining a family. " Instead of holding events at restaurants or hotels, influential individuals sharing their homes became the norm.

His strategy of allowing the employee network to act as an extended family produced results as Hispanic employee retention grew. "People used to look around and ask themselves, why should I stay if I don't see anyone successful who looks like me," says Zamarripa. Instead, Hispanics saw others from the same ethnic background rise to manager and director level positions.