Two years ago I toured a food processing plant in Minnesota. The talent acquisition manager had been trying to fill 40 production roles for months. Despite hundreds of job postings, nothing was happening. So I asked: Have you tried promoting your jobs in Spanish?
She looked confused. The idea had never occurred to her because she thought diverse hiring initiatives were another department’s job. That perspective is costing manufacturers workers they desperately need.
The Numbers Most HR Leaders Don’t Know
In 2023, the Hispanic labor force reached 31.8 million workers, 69% growth compared to 20 years earlier. The participation rate stands at 66.9%, more than five points above non-Hispanic workers. The Manufacturing Institute projects 2.1 million unfilled manufacturing roles by 2030. Those two data points should be connected in every HR director’s mind. They usually aren’t.
What Actually Works
The manufacturers solving this problem aren’t just translating their Indeed posting. They’re doing community-based outreach through churches and cultural organizations, building relationships with Spanish-language radio stations in high-unemployment regions, and creating onboarding materials that account for language and cultural differences. And the most serious ones are recruiting Hispanic workers from those regions and relocating them with structured housing, transportation, and community support. A worker who has relocated to be near your plant is not the same hiring risk as a local temp who can leave for any employer tomorrow.
Ariel Diaz is CEO and Founder of TalentMovers. talentmovers.com
