Last month, we discussed some of the reasons Spanish speakers are reluctant to participate in employer-sponsored benefit plans, as well as some misconceptions that prevent some benefits providers from even trying to reach this market. However, there are many ways to improve participation rates by improving communication. While of course translation is an issue, it is just as essential to educate Spanish speakers as to the role benefits play in overall financial stability in this country and to address their misconceptions head-on.
Some strategies for conducting successful enrollment meetings are as follows:
Hire a professional translator for written material. Trying to cut costs by using a computer program or a bilingual employee who does not have translating credentials sends entirely the wrong message. Any reader will assume that if the company did not make the effort to have the translation done well, the topic cannot be terribly important. How would you feel if you were to read sales material that included the phrase, "Their are many advantages …" Would you want to do business with the company that produced it?
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Allow sufficient time for the meeting. Some employers hope that employees will sign up for a rather costly health insurance plan after being rushed through a Power Point presentation on their lunch break. This again creates the impression that this topic can't be important, and it makes the employees feel pressured. It also adds to their feeling that any effort to withhold more money from their paychecks is a scam. Often, Spanish-speaking immigrants are extremely wary of being hustled, and a vendor rushing through a sales presentation can put them very much on the defensive.
Use paper enrollment forms for benefit plans, rather than online or over-the-phone. People simply tend to forget about these issues after the presentation is over, and the wait time gives them the opportunity to talk to other family members who are still laboring under their original misconceptions. Also, while online enrollment can be a wonderful tool for English speakers, most monolingual Spanish speakers do not yet have Internet access in their homes. Talking about going online to sign up simply deepens their impression that this plan cannot possibly be intended for them — and that those who designed it did not have a real understanding of their circumstances and needs. Furthermore, paper enrollment forms create positive peer-pressure. Employees see co-workers they respect participating, and the ones who caught on to the material quickly help the others fill out the necessary forms.
Be very careful about the credentials of your presenter. Too often companies have a bilingual foreman, who may be less than thrilled about public speaking, make presentations in Spanish. Even if this employee's language abilities are good, he may not be familiar with specific technical terminology. Furthermore, other employees may have issues with him that influence how receptive they will be to the presentation. And, most importantly, the presenter himself may not buy into the material being presented and may, deliberately or not, convey his own doubts.
For an effective meeting, your presenter MUST have the following credentials:
o Understanding of the mindset of typical Spanish-speaking employees and the reasons they are reluctant to change their behavior
o Understanding of the reasons they came to this country and compassion for their circumstances
o Thorough knowledge of the topic at hand
o Fluent command of both Spanish and English, including specific technical terminology (for example, "deductible," "vesting" and "power and hand tools.")
o Experience conducting presentations in Spanish
o The ability to elicit questions and feedback from a reluctant audience
o Commitment not only to providing an accurate translation, but also to changing employees' behavior
Many well-informed Spanish-speaking immigrants are optimistic that their community will begin to see the wisdom in participating in benefit plans and complying with safety training — just as they began to buy homes a couple of decades ago. However, this will happen much faster and more fruitfully if human resource professionals present this material in as inviting and informative a manner as possible. At first, this will require a bit more of an investment on their part, but, like some benefit plans themselves, this investment will almost certainly provide ample returns.
Melissa Burkhart worked for 10 years as a teacher and school administrator, specializing in cross-cultural education and communication. Ferney Colorado, a native of Colombia, has worked side by side with Spanish-speaking immigrants from all over Latin America in a variety of industries. In 2001, they established Futuro S?lido USA, which provides a wide range of customized Spanish language services and training materials to ensure a solid future for Spanish-speaking workers and their employers. For more information call 303-837-8224 or visit www.futurosolidousa.com.
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