Hispanic Alliance for Career Enhancement Seeks to End Job Biases During 2018 Leadership Tour

Chicago-based nonprofit sparks conversations on workplace issues and career advancement with Fortune 500 executives

CHICAGO (Jan. 16, 2018) –– The Hispanic Alliance for Career Enhancement (HACE), a national nonprofit that helps Latinos excel in their careers, announced a year-long leadership tour ‒ Dismantling Biases, Building Inclusive Leadership ‒ that seeks to create a candid dialogue among professionals and employers about pressing diversity issues and opportunities in the workplace.

The decision to address career progression for Latinos came after a survey of 900-plus HACE members revealed that while 30 percent work at an associate level, only 3 percent are at the executive level. In addition, when asked to rank their top barriers to advancement at their current employer, the three reasons that were most often ranked as their No. 1 hurdle are lack of opportunities, not feeling valued and lack of a clear structure for advancement, with 13 percent listing little chance to gain new skills or explore another job function.

“We intend to address the issue of career progression head-on by hosting a series of panel discussions with top executives to determine the future of what can be achieved,” said Patricia Mota, HACE president and CEO. She noted that the survey found that members consider diverse management, a more inclusive organizational culture and increased responsibilities as the top reasons for staying at a company.

“Unless companies change their approach to diversity from top-to-bottom, they will never be able to retain top talent and Latinos will never rise to leadership positions,” Mota said. “Our focus is on what companies can do now and the steps to get there.”

The Leadership Tour will begin at Motorola Solutions in Chicago on Tuesday, Jan. 30, with a panel featuring speakers from Barilla, Edelman, H&R Block and Motorola Solutions who will share keys to career progression and challenges Latino professionals face.

“We understand that diverse, dynamic teams are among the keys to a successful business,” said Matt Blakely, Director of Inclusion, Diversity and Culture at Motorola Solutions. “We’re thrilled to host HACE and be a part of this important discussion.”

The second stop on the tour will be hosted by the Major League Baseball corporate office in New York City on Wednesday, Feb. 28. Additional events will be held across the country in San Francisco, Atlanta, Minneapolis, Houston, Dallas, Miami, Washington D.C. and McLean, Va. Each event will be held from 5:30-8 p.m. (local times) with time for networking among attendees and recruiters prior to panel sessions with executives from corporate sponsors that include ADP, NBA, NFL, Hyatt, Freddie Mac, Merck, AT&T, Oath, Marathon Oil, Capgemini and Northern Trust.

HACE is creating an open and inclusive forum for direct dialogue among employers and aspiring professionals, without shying away from difficult topics. These conversations are necessary to bring about real change and open opportunities critically important for career progression.

“At H&R Block, we believe in doing the right thing and we’re committed to serving the community by working with partners like HACE to improve our talent pool,” said Calvin Ricks, Market Vice President for H&R Block’s Central Market.

 

To learn more about HACE and become a member or corporate sponsor, visit www.HACEonline.org. Tickets to the kick-off event on Jan. 30 at Motorola Solutions can be purchased online. Tickets for the New York City event are also available online, with additional stops posting in the coming months.