Use Corporate Diversity and Hispanic Employee Networks
to Improve Your Career Management

By Murray A. Mann and Rose Mary Bombela-Tobias
Co-authors, Barron's The Complete Job Search Guide for Latinos
www.JobSearchGuideforLatinos.com

Connecting with Diversity and Hispanic Employee Networks (often called Affinity Groups) is an important tool to add to you career management briefcase. These are in-house organizations comprised of minority and/or Latino employees and often receive formal company support for their activities. The networks are growing rapidly throughout corporate america ranging from the American Airlines' Latin Employee Resource Group to United Technologies' Hispanic Leadership Forum.

Affinity groups play a key role to improving a company's diversity competence. They are often active participants in the recruitment, development, and retention of Hispanic employees.

For Employees

Diversity and Hispanic Employee Networks enrich their members by providing a forum for people from similar backgrounds, culture, and interests to come together to network, develop personally and professionally, identify issues of concern, and provide mutual support and advocacy. They share information, reduce feelings of isolation, address issues of common concern,and create bonds to other employees and the company. Networks are not only valuable as a source of information, but they also facilitate a supportive environment that improves the company's ability to attract, develop, retain, and advance employees.

For Job Seekers

Diversity and Hispanic Employee Networks can facilitate an entrée into your company of your choice. You can contact members of the affinity group to gain inside knowledge of potential opportunities, appropriate hiring officials, navigating the selection process, corporate culture and the working environment for Latinos at the company you have targeted.

NSHMBA Helps You Connect to Diversity and Hispanic Employee Networks

Affinity groups can be found on the websites of many of NSHMBA's corporate partners. Try using the instructions below for those companies you are interested in.

1. The following three sections of nshmba.org offer corporate website hyperlinks:
   • Corporate Advisory Board - Go to Our Organization, then Corporate Advisory Board
   • NSHMBA Career Center - Go to Featured Companies and job postings
   • NSHMBA Annual Conference and Career Expo - Go to Corporate Sponsors and Exhibitors
2. Look for the diversity section on the company's careers site or search for the keyword "diversity" using the site map.
3. The diversity site should provide information on affinity groups.
4. The affinity group may also have it's own web site.
5. Other sources to try are the company's Office of Corporate Diversity, EEO manager and company phone or email directories.

Remember that networking is a two way street. Latinos fought hard to establish Diversity and Hispanic Employee Networks to improve our career opportunities. Take time to support these groups and participate in their activities.