In today’s large organizations, it’s not unusual to find a number of affinity groups that support the needs and interests of a diverse workforce.  Affinity groups offer a valuable resource bringing together different subgroups in an organization to provide employees a means to share and discuss topics such as ethnicity, gender, and culture to name a few. Opportunities to collaborate and network are extremely important to Hispanic employees, especially recent college graduates. Not only do Hispanic affinity groups provide an effective means of professional support, but they can serve to help an organization’s broader diversity objectives in areas such as Hispanic college recruitment, development, and retention. According to the National Council of La Raza (NCLR), a large majority of organizations have some form of Hispanic affinity group in place. While many companies provide Hispanic employees with this resource, there are still organizations that do not. Below are some factors to consider when establishing a Hispanic affinity group.

What’s the Purpose of a Hispanic Affinity Group?
While establishing a Hispanic affinity group may be straightforward, an organization should be clear on the group’s goals and objectives. Will the group focus on social, educational, or professional development, or a combination of all three?

What is the Organization’s Expectations from a Hispanic Affinity Group?
A company must consider what role a Hispanic affinity group will play within broader organizational activities. Management should collaborate with the group early in its development stages to clarify its focus. Will the group be involved only in diversity recruitment and retention efforts? If so, how? Will the group only assist with Hispanic-based community efforts? Establishing a clear understanding early in the development process will be mutually beneficial to the group and the organization.

Will the Hispanic Affinity Group be Company Funded?
As the Hispanic affinity group develops and expands, some of their activities might require financial resources. Determine what process and policies will be required to fund these projects and activities. What type of criteria and protocols will be used to determine the potential value associated with these activities?

What Criteria will Determine Membership?
The organization should not assume that every Hispanic employee will want to join the affinity group. On the other hand, consider that employees other than Hispanics might have an interest in joining the group. Will the group be specifically for professional employees or also be open to support staff? These types of questions will require that the new Hispanic affinity group have a clearly stated membership policy.

How will the Hispanic Affinity Group be Structured and Led?
Organizations should assure that a basic leadership structure is put in place including some type of leadership succession plan. Generally, members should be allowed to choose their own leaders. At the very least, the organization should require that the Hispanic affinity group establish a mission statement including a list of goals and objectives.

Summary
Establishing a Hispanic affinity group is one important way to support recently graduated Hispanic employees. In order to have an effective Hispanic affinity group, however, organizations must carefully consider these and other factors. Good planning and setting clear expectations are vital to their successful implementation.