Any U.S. organization expecting to compete on the global economic stage needs to tap all sources of talent and leadership available to them. As the largest minority group in the United States, Hispanics make up 15.1 percent of the U.S. population, including 14 percent of the U.S. labor force. By the year 2050, the Census Bureau reports that 25 percent of the U.S. population will be Hispanic. Hispanics also account for over 11 percent of students enrolled in degree-granting institutions. According to Excelencia in Education, this number will increase 39% by 2017 meaning employers will likely see more Hispanic graduates entering the professional workforce in the coming decade.

Companies have long recognized the importance of marketing their products and services to the $820 billion Hispanic market; however, many have yet to fully apply the same effort in recruiting Hispanic college graduates into their organizations. Given that Hispanics are underrepresented at both the managerial and leadership levels in organizations today, many businesses are potentially missing an opportunity develop a growing talent and leadership source.

While Hispanic college students utilize the same on-campus career resources as other student groups (career center, job fairs, etc.), below are six strategies employers can use to specifically target Hispanic college graduates.

1. Long-term Commitment: Just like marketers have developed brand loyalty with the Hispanic market over time, organizations need to establish a long-term commitment and reputation for attracting and recruiting Hispanic graduates. Targeting Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSI’s), community colleges, and growing Hispanic college student populations in the Midwest and the South are great places for employers to start.

2. Build Face-to-Face Relationships: Hispanic college students value family, relationships, and community. Employers should build strong and genuine relationships with Hispanic campus organizations, faculty, and professional affinity groups. This should also include incorporating other campus partners such as Hispanic alumni, business, and community leaders. Employers should aim to become part of a college’s “extended family” by supporting the activities of these constituencies.

3. Build Virtual Relationships: The era of “connected communities” (social media, mobile technology, etc.) is perfectly matched with Hispanic’s communal cultural characteristics. Organizations should optimize mobile technology particularly when recruiting Hispanic graduates. A recent study has shown, for example, that more than half of Hispanics in the United States use mobile Internet technology as compared to one-third of non-Hispanic Whites.

4. Review Communication Strategies: As universities become increasingly multicultural, a broad-based on-campus communication or branding strategy might not be as successful in reaching Hispanic graduates. For example, employers should assure their company literature conveys confidence, stability, and consistency, all of which are important values to Hispanics.

5. Optimize Campus Visits via Networking: Hispanic college students enjoy to network and interact. When visiting a target campus, organizations should leverage their time on-campus by sponsoring networking opportunities using round tables or town hall style events that highlight Hispanic-related themes.

6. Cultural Training: Provide cultural training for campus recruiting teams, especially when visiting campuses with predominantly Hispanic student populations. Without such training, cultural differences can be erroneously interpreted as a lack of interest, motivation, or confidence.

Any organization hoping to increase their college recruitment of Hispanic graduates can use these and other strategies that incorporate an increased awareness of Hispanic cultural characteristics.