“I promise to create inclusive environments within the workplace and to take positive intentional actions to hire, promote, retain, develop and celebrate Hispanics as employees, customers and citizens,” reads the first paragraph of the Hispanic Promise, the first national initiative of its kind that seeks to celebrate the presence of Latino talent in companies, by strengthening the hiring, promotion and retention of employees of Hispanic origin.

This commitment, promoted by the organization We Are All Human and launched at the 2019 World Economic Forum, calls on the industry to assume, without legal obligation, a commitment to generate more inclusive and diverse workspaces.

“I aim to create or strengthen employee engagement, mentorship programs, employee or business resource groups, talent advancement and an inclusive company culture where employees feel they belong, are valued and have a voice,” the description continues.

The Hispanic Promise is the “result of the joint effort of multiple Hispanic Organization as a call to action for business leaders and companies of Corporate America to create a more inclusive work environment for Hispanics,” as it is pointed out on the We Are All Human website, where you can also see the names of the companies that have already made the commitment.

When a company signs this Promise, it not only demonstrates its commitment to becoming a more inclusive place for Hispanics, but it is also celebrated for its actions through a symbolic seal that accredits it as a friendly place for Latino workers, something that without a doubt increases its attractiveness as an employer. This also allows companies to increase their reputation and credibility with the growing Hispanic audience, thereby driving brand growth by expanding their customer base.

What does it mean to sign the Hispanic Promise?

According to We Are All Human, by signing the Promise a company commits to carry out the following actions (NOTE: it is not legally binding):

• Focus its internal actions on one or more areas of focus.
• Generate a package of media assets to activate, both internally and externally, the strategy that shows its commitment to diversity and inclusion.
• Provide access to annual reports on the progress of the initiative and socialize informative material on Hispanics in the U.S.

Hispanic Sentiment

The Promise was launched in 2018, a year after We Are All Human conducted a study of Hispanic sentiment in the U.S., where an “alarming 77% of respondents were unaware of the recent gains made by the Hispanic community across the country.”

The research also highlighted that “more than 80% of U.S. Hispanics say that if a brand plays a positive role in their community, they will be more favorable to it and more likely to become customers. This is an opportunity that most companies are unaware of.” The Promise sets out to change this reality.

According to figures from the organization, Hispanics represent 18% of the population of the United States and 12% of the annual GDP. Despite their $1.7 billion annual purchasing power, Latinos are under-appreciated and underrepresented in the workplace.

“As a result, I aim to increase the number of Hispanic employees in my company to better reflect the US population, increase Hispanic representation in all levels and all functions of my company, and assess the sentiment of Hispanics in my company,” ends the Promise.