José Gómez Cueto, director and leader of the small and medium-sized business segment at Microsoft, presented, through a note on the company's website, a valuable perspective on the important dynamic that exists between workplaces and their relationship with the Latino workforce based on the measures taken to contain the COVID-19 pandemic in the world, which offered new options to work remotely in what is known as hybrid work.

Gómez refers particularly to the priorities of the workforce at this juncture, which have given rise to phenomena such as the Great Disruption or the Great Resignation, which led him to ask himself the question of whether this will be a passing trend or will it become the new “status quo” for different ethnic groups, including Latino human talent.

Current Work Scenario

Taking in account figures shared by Gómez, “the Latinx population in the U.S. reached 62.1 million in 2020, which represents 18% of the total workforce.”

According to this estimate, “Latino small business owners and entrepreneurs are estimated to represent 29% of the US population by 2050,” adds Gómez, while stressing that these communities will continue to lead the participation rates of all racial or ethnic groups.

Gómez highlights:

Over half (52%) of Gen Z and Millennials are likely to consider a new job in the next year. Considering that Latinxs make up 25% of all Gen Zers and 21% of all American Millennials (and growing in the next few years), these numbers aren’t to be ignored.

What are Latino Employees Looking for in This New World of Work?

“Two-thirds of Latinx polled in Microsoft’s 2022 Work Trend Index say they are now much more conscious about prioritizing health over their work when it comes to going to the office. A whopping 60% say they are considering changing jobs in response, with almost a third of Latinx polled saying they moved to another company to address this concern, compared to only a fifth of overall U.S. workers,” noted Gómez.

The Microsoft leader considers that this is the right time for companies to act, but also stressing that it is important that they do so in an "authentic, meaningful and sustainable" way.

“Since last year’s edition of the Annual Work Trend Index, our research has found that Latinx workers prefer a hybrid or remote work arrangement, and a majority of Latinx-owned businesses are already rethinking their offices to accommodate hybrid work, per Microsoft polling. A lot of what’s driving this data is the sense of belonging that has risen considerably for underrepresented groups, especially Latinx workers,” underlines Gómez.

How to Make Hybrid Work Successful?

For Microsoft, incorporating the right tools "not only benefits and empowers employees, but also improves a declining workplace culture."

Gómez emphasizes that it is essential to focus the initial resources of this effort on secure access to technology and offer adequate training to use it.

“Since the start of the pandemic, Microsoft Teams has incorporated new ways for remote and hybrid teams to stay connected and collaborate such as live reactions, new ways to spotlight speakers’ videos and hybrid-focused whiteboard experiences so everyone feels part of the meeting and contributes on equal footing, no matter where they are,” said Gómez.

“Success in this era of transformation will be defined and measured by our ability to embrace a hybrid model that leverages technology to emphasize and celebrate flexibility, nurture and cultivate organizational culture, and focus on individual and collective growth,” ended Gómez.