Pedro with his wife Iracilda, his daughter Stephanie, and his son Jonathan
Advice to Young Hispanics Looking to Climb the Corporate Ladder to Senior Management
Pedro at speaking engagement at MIT’s Sloan School of Management
Lichtinger says young Hispanics who want to climb the corporate ladder to senior management positions need to be proud of their entire heritage, Hispanic and American. “We need to move away from having to make a choice.” He also advises them to seek out mentors, “Mentors are fundamental in the long-term progression of executives in companies. If you work for someone you do not feel is mentoring you, you should look for a different job. You need to look for work or people that are going to make you part of a winning team you truly respect.”
Strategies for Companies Looking to Attract and Retain a Talented and Diverse Group of Employees
Pedro with his wife Iracilda.
“My view is diversity incorporation is a question of corporate culture, and it starts at the very top,” says Lichtinger. Institute practices within the company that address diversity training. Ensure that cultural activities sponsored by the organization are open to everyone, regardless of origin. Train senior executives to recognize the differences in how cultures express leadership, and recognize and acknowledge success. In addition to management, minority groups need to understand and overcome limitations. “In the end, it’s all about metrics,”
says Lichtinger. If a company wants to increase the number of a certain type of candidate, such as women or Hispanics, for all positions at different levels, interviewers need to learn to understand cultural differences. “You can try to level the field, and have a ladder and a career progression based on merit,” he says. Lichtinger cautions the process isn’t easy, “It takes years to implement, and it takes a very strong commitment at the very top of the organization.” In addition, Lichtinger stresses the importance of making different cultures visible and ensuring that the entire company understands the value of diversity. One way to do this is through company sponsored events. According to Lichtinger, the most important piece of any company’s diversity program is making sure employees feel empowered and recognized for their achievements. A talented, diverse workforce, based on progression through merit, should be one where everyone believes if they do the right thing and perform well, they’ll move up the ladder, regardless of color, religion, or gender. Employees should enjoy what they do in a friendly and fun environment. He says it helps to have a competitive compensation policy, but adds this caveat: “You need a piece of all those factors. It’s not enough to have competitive compensation.” Regardless of cultural origin, employees should be proud of what the company is doing overall, and feel that every morning they’re making a difference in the world. PDJ
Read more at WWW.DIVERSITYJOURNAL.COM
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