This summer, LeanIn.Org released the first-ever “State of Latinas in Corporate America” report. The study draws heavily from Lean In and McKinsey & Company’s annual “Women in the Workplace” reports, which outline the struggles of women in the corporate world. Unlike the “State of Latinas” report, the annual “Women in the Workplace” report groups Latinas in with all women of color. The “State of Latinas” report is the first time that Latinas in the corporate workplace have been analyzed.
This new focused report shows a few key insights:
- Latinas are the most underrepresented group in corporate America, making up only 4.9% of entry level corporate jobs and only 1% of C-suite executives.
- Latinas have less access to workplace flexibility due to distrust and micromanagement, and are also more likely to be the “onlys,” a term used to describe someone who is the only person with their racial identity where they work. Coupled with cultural pressures, the path for Latinas to stay motivated and grow in corporate America needs to improve.
In celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, we will dive into the key findings of the report, share stories from Latina engineers, and discuss what is being done to address some of the issues. It is important to note that this report talks about the lack of Latina representation across all industries and does not discuss the 2% of Latinas who work across all types of engineering industries [7].
The Broken Rung
The glass ceiling is a term describing an intangible barrier to achieving an unobtainable position [1]. Although in small numbers, Latinas have reached positions in the C-suite [2]. Unfortunately, this number only reaches a mere 1% in the population of C-suite in corporate America. The “State of the Latinas” report states that the root of the problem lies not with a glass ceiling, but with a “broken rung” series that starts with a low entrance population. A scarce 5% of Latinas enter the corporate workforce compared to approximately 43% of women. The climb goes uphill until the next step in the ladder when the first management opportunity comes. The study has found that, per every 100 men in the population promoted, only 74 Latinas in the population are promoted into management. Although this sounds really great, there are 49% more men to promote than the 5% of all Latinas in the population. This reduces the available population of potential Latinas in management positions.
Climbing the ladder from management into senior management, entry level executive and director positions, VP, and finally into the C-suite is very difficult for Latinas. By the time C-suite level positions are available, there is only 1% of Latinas at the senior VP level that qualify to take the opportunity. This comes at a high disadvantage to other women (who occupy 27% of the C-suite). The graph below displays the different steps from entry level to C-suite and the number of Latinas to fill those positions at each level. This figure was taken from the “State of Latinas” report.
For Mariel Cisneros, a senior program manager, these culturally ingrained behaviors affected her as she entered the workforce. Mariel, the first in her family to enter the industry, was taught by her family to be humble, stay quiet, and just focus on delivering results. She was “the quiet one” at meetings, sitting by the door and taking notes in meetings, and never voicing her recommendations. She realized she was getting passed over for promotions by her colleagues, so she decided to become more vocal in showcasing the value of her actions and performance at work. Her involvement with SWE and the Latinos Affinity Group has given Mariel the self confidence and skills needed to advocate for herself and ask for those promotions. As a result, she has been able to do well for herself and now advocates for other Latinas at her company to do the same.
A broken rung can feel like a barrier for professionals and cause many frustrations for both managers and employees. Management may fail to see and support the actions of Latina women. The study shows only 39% of the managers in the sample population showing interest in investing resources in their Latina employee advancement. This can leave those Latina employees feeling a sense of injustice and cause them to think of finding a new place where they can grow professionally.
In order to address the broken rung, companies need to take active steps in providing mentoring and networking opportunities for Latinas where they can showcase their potential and focus on finding Latina talent to sponsor to achieve greater mobility. Managers should also ensure employee performance reviews are not biased, that they provide actionable critical feedback for improvement, and that they showcase accomplishments and not just personality traits.
Being an “Only”
Latinas are more likely to be an “only” where they work, and that often leads to more encounters with microaggressions. Compared with Latinas who did not experience microaggressions, the added stress was clear: Latinas who experienced microaggressions were 3x more likely to feel burnt out at work, 3x more likely to feel they didn’t have an equal opportunity to advance, 2x more likely to consider leaving their company, and 3x more likely to consider taking a job at a different company with a different work culture according to the Latina report.
For Lourdes Matos, a mechanical and systems engineer, being an “only” was a challenge. Her 400-person team only consisted of three women. These women were often given a bad reputation behind closed doors. Their leadership was often questioned. As an early career Latina, Lourdes learned not to reach for leadership positions. She learned that the leadership positions would go towards the men in her group, and did not bother to apply to these positions or express the right level of interest. She faced microaggressions at work due to this work culture coupled with a lack of flexibility and considered stepping away from her company altogether. As she progressed in her career, she started to apply for these positions. However, her suspicions were true, and seeing herself get passed for leading roles and promotion opportunities only helped reinforce these feelings and thoughts.
Towards the mid-career level, Lourdes met and connected with other Latina leaders. Inspired by these women and now having the network to learn the often unspoken rules to success, Lourdes decided to pursue opportunities to help her advance into management roles. Not only did having access to this exposure help keep Lourdes in the company, it also provided a support system to guide her towards promotion and mentorship, and she no longer feels an “only.”
For Latinas who are an “only,” it is very important to find a community at work where they can be their authentic self. Joining an employee resource group (ERG) and/or other professional associations are a great way to meet other like-minded individuals, get involved, and have a more fulfilling workplace experience. If you are reading this article and are a Latina looking for a network of other amazing Latina engineers, join the SWE Latinos Affinity Group. Building a network of trusted advisors provides mentorship, the potential for sponsorship, and invaluable opportunities to Latinas working their way up the pipeline. Management could help by educating themselves on common microaggressions and encouraging Latinas to get more involved.
Workplace Flexibility
The “Women in the Workplace” study found that 38% of mothers with young children would have had to leave their company or reduce hours if they did not have flexibility in where or when they worked [3]. For Latinas, who are generally the focal point of a family as prescribed by cultural traditions, this is especially true. However, when compared to other women, Latinas have less flexibility to work remotely, set their own hours, step away to deal with unexpected events, and take time off for personal reasons. Latinas are often given unrealistic expectations from a cultural standpoint and are often guilted into being the caretaker, the homemaker, and the child care provider, as well as other spousal responsibilities. When the responsibilities get too much and help is needed, Latinas feel pressured to continue taking on responsibilities by themselves rather than asking or outsourcing tasks.
Latinas are traditionally the center of a household and are expected to place the needs of others above their own, caring for both elders and younger family members while juggling school or work. To be clear, there is no correct way to live life; however, being aware of the common Latina’s experience is vital to making sure workplace policy supports growth for all employees without discrimination. It is also important to remain cognizant of potential bias. Just because a Latina is perceived to have extra responsibilities, it is not okay to exclude assume that she is not capable or lacking ambition to continue to reach higher levels of achievement or will turn down opportunities. Instead, leaders should directly approach employees with potential opportunities and allow the employee to define their own bandwidth.
This traditional role is exactly what Maria Espinoza, a full stack engineer who works remotely, experienced. Earlier this year, her mother started having health issues that severely limited her movement. Almost immediately, all responsibilities fell on Maria, the eldest daughter of the house. She would drive her mother to her doctor’s appointments, take her younger brother to school, set up grocery deliveries, ensure all family members had food to eat — all while adjusting her work hours to accommodate her new responsibilities. Thankfully, she was already a remote worker, and when faced with the difficult situation, her workplace was very accommodating to her constantly changing schedule.
What Comes Next
While the “State of the Latinas in Corporate America” report provides valuable insights into the problems Latinas face, it doesn’t break down the data based on industry or field and does not focus on STEM or engineering. The “2023 SHPE-LDC U.S. Latinos in Engineering and Tech” report stated that Latinos (male and female) had the largest increase in undergraduate engineering degrees awarded, going from 7% in 2010 to 13.6% in 2021; however, they only make up 9.4% of the engineering workforce [5]. This report is encouraging, but there was only one problem: these statistics were an aggregate that did not provide clear insight on the impact of Latinas to those numbers. Other reports state that Latinas only make up 2% of the engineering and science workforce [9].
Without statistics and reports on the Latina experience in the engineering workplace, it can be difficult to identify the main issues hindering the pipeline. Having this data could help create a more inclusive work environment to set Latinas in STEM up for success. The Women of Color in Engineering Collaborative, a collective entity of STEM organizations (including SWE), aims to address this problem by diving into the known data gaps and providing more focused reports to the public.
Professional societies are also working on increasing the retention of women of color in the engineering workplace by providing connections. [4] Within SWE, the Latinos Affinity Group brings together Latinas from across the country to build a community. The Latinos Affinity Group within SWE focuses on creating professional development tailored for Latinas, advertising opportunities, providing mentorship from other Latina engineers, and working with Latinas to spotlight brilliant Latinas in aims of increasing the amount of awards and recognition to these women. These resources help Latinas advance in their careers and professional lives.
There are also grassroot efforts at various companies which focus on community building and provide networking opportunities and resources for career advancement, such as the Mujeres Initiative at Northrop Grumman, Latina Engineer, and Latinas in STEM. Such groups provide Latinas with a support system and access to other Latinas who are or were in similar situations. While they may be the “only” in their teams, together, they can learn from past experiences and gain mentors to help them as they progress in their careers. It also provides access for early career professionals to identify fellow Latinas in positions of interest — in the spirit of “if you can see her, you can be her.”
In conclusion, Latinas face many obstacles, both in corporate America and in the engineering fields. By providing more awareness and a support system, it is possible for Latinas to overcome obstacles such as being “onlys” and overcoming workplace biases and microaggressions. This can lead to Latinas striving for higher career goals and establishing a solid pipeline to the C-suite.
As we celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, take a moment to thank all the amazing people who have helped you throughout your careers and give a special shoutout to all the Latina engineers out there for being role models for the next generations.
If you are interested in joining the Latinos AG, find us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, or Linktree. You can also subscribe to our AG’s updates by logging into your member portal and editing your Communication Preferences.
Citations
[1] https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/glass%20ceiling
[2] https://hispanicexecutive.com/latina-ceos/#:~:text=Priscilla%20Almodovar%2C%20esteemed%20for%20her,Leading%20Latinas%202024%20cover%20star
[3] https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/diversity-and-inclusion/women-in-the-workplace
[4] https://swe.org/magazine/wcec-23/
[5] https://shpe.org/news-posts/2023-latinos-in-engineering-and-tech-report/
[6] https://www.latinorebels.com/2018/11/21/a-latinas-journey-to-self-care/
[7] https://baynews9.com/fl/tampa/news/2024/01/21/latinas-in-stem#:~:text=Despite%20the%20projected%20growth%2C%20there,8%25%20making%20up%20the%20industry.
[8] The State of Latinas in Corporate America (leanin.org)
[9] By the Numbers: Women in STEM: What do the statistics reveal about ongoing gender disparities? – Yale Scientific Magazine
