Several of my previous columns have emphasized the importance of taking the time to get to know your employees and train them, with the growth in the number of Hispanic employees of Mexican or Central and South American descent now utilized as part of our agricultural workforce.
This column will focus on tips for understanding the Hispanic culture and how to reach out to them since they have become a valuable role in meeting labor demands in the beef industry.
Norbert Schneider, vice-president of administration for Innovative Livestock Services (ILS), Great Bend, Kansas, oversees the human resources of 11 large feedlots which are part of the Beef Marketing Group (BMG).
Heather Donley is director of quality assurance with BMG. BMG has an additional eight feedyards, and together the companies feed 650,000 head of cattle.
Schneider and Donley have provided valuable insight into lessons they have learned in working with Hispanic employees. Currently, about 20 percent of their workforce is Latino.
All employees are important to an organization, irrespective of their country of origin, explains Schneider. “We want to hire good, responsible, hard-working individuals no matter if their background is of Hispanic or American origin.”
Dealing with language barrier and literacy
The greatest challenge presented to American feedyards and ranches hiring Hispanic employees is the language barrier.
Often middle and upper management in U.S. beef production are not fluent in Spanish. Therefore, trying to effectively communicate can be perplexing.
Over time, some managers will learn a few key Spanish words to be able to randomly communicate. Yet it is not enough to make sure the Hispanic employees clearly understand their daily duties and functions.
Donley has determined the most effective way for her to communicate is by translating her message through an employee who has a good grasp of English and can translate in Spanish back to their co-workers. This breaks down most of the language barrier and allows her to get her message out.
This can be a slow and time-consuming process, passing each and every piece of information through an interpreter. “Sometimes I may have to repeat the message three or four times, so patience is key.”
Hearing the message from a fellow Hispanic peer employee, one they know and trust, helps in the acceptance of the message. “We have brought in outside interpreters, and it doesn’t work as well; there is not that level of trust built,” she says.
The beef industry has tried to reach out to Hispanic employees by translating many documents, signs and employee manuals into Spanish, and in some cases this has been effective.
However, the American culture must be aware of the lack of literacy in the Hispanic population (primarily in elder generation) and the realization that reading these documents, even in Spanish, is not always possible.
Training is top priority
Training of duties and roles is important for all employees. Training for Hispanic employees is paramount. Due to the language barrier (and possible limited education or illiteracy), extra time, effort and patience must be put forth to make sure they understand all aspects of the training.
For example, at ILS safety is a top priority for all employees. Management realizes it requires extra time and added steps to train their Hispanic workforce, primarily due to the cultural differences and language barriers.
All work-related injuries are taken seriously and handled in a timely manner due to OSHA regulations and work comp rules specific to the business.
But one must understand the culture of Hispanics is to not focus on an injury, and they often prefer to treat an injury with a home remedy.
They may fear that in reporting an injury they may lose their job. Hispanic employees are far more hesitant to report an injury and seek treatment than their American counterparts because American-born citizens are used to going to a doctor for minor illnesses. Of course, this may vary due to severity of injury.
“It’s important we have an environment at our feedyards which ensures Hispanics know we are here for them in the case of accidents and this is heavily emphasized during employee training,” Schneider says. “We need them to know their safety and health is first and foremost and the issue of what caused the injury will be discussed once they have received medical attention.”
When conducting training of Hispanic employees, the process requires patience and an understanding of how they accept training.
“The Hispanic culture is not as comfortable asking questions, and they don’t like to give feedback in fear the trainer will consider it as disrespectful,” Donley says.
“You have to convince them feedback is OK and you need their confirmation to make sure the message, whether it be about safety, processing cattle, feeding cattle, etc., is truly understood.” This is where working with a translator to encourage the asking of questions and seeking feedback is critical.
Ways to reach out
The Hispanic culture is very centered on families. Hispanic families like to work and live together in the same region of the country. Employers may find they have brothers, sisters, aunts and uncles all working at the same feedyard or ranch.
Because of this tight-knit nature of Hispanic families, Donley says, “It really means a lot to them if you show interest in their families.” By asking about their children, spouse, family celebrations, etc., it shows you care and are reaching out to make a connection with them.
Three years ago, ILS added a fully bilingual Hispanic employee to their human resource department. “This person has proven to be invaluable,” Schneider says.
The bilingual administrator assists the employees in completing required employment paperwork for benefits, etc., and understanding safety protocol.
In case of an accident, the bilingual staff member travels to the medical doctor serving as a representative of the feedyard as well as an interpreter and the person who contacts the family.
“Believe me, I wish I could speak Spanish,” Donley says. I encourage young people today to consider learning a second language. You never know when you will need it, especially now in our global marketplace. 
Lynn Gordon
Ag Leadership Specialist
Assistant Professor
South Dakota State University Extension
