September 2003

Do your employees understand what you are telling them? When it comes to training, they should.

By Cristina Ruiz

Imagine being given your work instructions and not understanding a single word of what was said. Now imagine that it was because you didn’t understand the language, not the content. This is the case within many aggregate companies and their Spanish-speaking employees. But there is something you and your employees can do about it.
With the Spanish-speaking community rapidly growing in numbers, more companies are searching for training methods for their Spanish-speaking employees. One of the largest aggregate companies in the country even conducted an industry-wide survey to gather this type of information.
Carol Hastings, co-owner of Santa Monica, Calif.-based Corte Hispana, a national translating and interpreting service, says this sort of trend is surging all over the country. In fact, she describes an actual scenario where a company president attends all Spanish safety meetings, to show his employees that he really cares about them.
Johnny Arellano, operations manager for Rinker Materials in Miami, says it is important to deal with the issue of Spanish and English communication. “These guys are working in the field, operating heavy equipment. They are the most important people in the company,” he says.
As Spanish-speaking employees play an increasingly significant role in a company’s success, knowing the best way to communicate with employees can be profitable in ways that go well beyond the pocketbook.

Bridging the gap
Hastings says one of the first steps to working with Spanish-speaking employees is to recognize their different ethnic backgrounds. “Sometimes employers categorize everyone as just Spanish-speaking, and that is not the case,” she says.
Hastings says that, because the Spanish-speaking community involves so many cultures, it is important where employees come from. For example, she points out that Cubans may use a different vocabulary than Puerto Ricans, who may use different terms than Mexicans and Central Americans. Hastings says an interpreter or translator of an employee’s same ethnic background will help create trust and respect, allowing the employee to be more comfortable in asking questions and participating in training and other activities.
Hastings adds that Spanish-speaking employees may not speak up if they don’t understand something. “They are taught to be humble in contrast to aggressive,” she says. An understanding of those cultural influences is an important factor in dealing with language barriers.
With approximately 52 percent of his work crews being predominantly Spanish-speaking, Arellano knows what is necessary to address all employee needs.
Because Rinker is located in Miami, Arellano says that the majority of his workers tend to be Cubans, a culture he can identify with since he is Cuban American. But Arellano is quick to note that Rinker also employs a large amount of Haitians and Nicaraguans. He says that because of historical factors in U.S. immigration regarding the three groups, some tension can exist. Arellano says there is no simple solution to culture conflict problems but that Rinker employees “just try to keep political discussions out of the workplace.”
But this type of situation is not always the case. Tom Milligan, president and chief executive officer for Miami River Stone Co., Shelby, Ohio, says since all his Spanish-speaking employees are Mexican they tend to work well together. He says that many of the workers are related to each other. Milligan, who is fluent in Spanish, says participating in missionary work in Spanish-speaking countries helped him develop a deeper understanding of his employees’ culture, allowing him to communicate with employees on a more personal level at work. “It has given me a more hands-on role in training than I might ordinarily have, given my position,” he says. “But I am committed to developing this workforce.”

Covering all the bases
Another concern which has increasingly developed regarding Spanish-speaking employees is their legal status in this country. Milligan points out that, as unfortunate as it may be, employers must be aware that Spanish-speaking employees may not always be authorized to work in the United States.
In response, the Bureau of Citizen Immigration Services (BCIS), formerly Immigration and Naturalization Services (INS), developed the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) program. In its opening stages, SAVE offers three voluntary programs for employers. Each program offers a different level of employee verification checks, but some of the programs are restricted to states with large Spanish-speaking populations.
If employers choose not to participate in any of the SAVE programs but still want to verify a new employee’s legal status, they can turn to the U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA). Working with SSA to complete a legal status check can be a little more time consuming, but is well worth the wait. Local immigration offices also perform individual legal status checks. However, many of these services are available only in states with a large Spanish-speaking workforce.

Work training
Before going into the field and putting employees to work, they need to complete various types of training. Hastings says companies should gear training techniques according to their staff and its needs.
Arellano says Rinker’s training programs include Spanish-language training manuals and a 90-day probationary period. “Employees don’t have to take a written test or anything, but they do have to be able to communicate on a work zone level with their supervisors,” Arellano explains. He also says that since using this probationary program Rinker has not had to terminate any employees. Arellano says Rinker also provides all bulletin notices in English and Spanish.
Bilingual training at Milligan’s companies is a bit different. Milligan says it uses a variety of tools to assist Spanish-speaking employees, including a combination of industry Spanish publications, documents from the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA), and Milligan’s own Spanish-speaking abilities. He also translates documents available from Ohio’s mining regulatory department.
Although Spanish-speaking employees account for 13 percent of his work force — significantly less than Rinker’s percentage — a commitment to efficient communication is still very important. “My hope is to get them to supervisory positions in the field,” he says.
Milligan adds that Spanish-speaking employees also participate in English-language training sessions. Milligan says this is an important aspect of his companies’ training process because Spanish-speaking employees still need to interact with English-speaking co-workers and supervisors.
Another fairly common practice among companies is to depend on bilingual employees for interpreting and translation services. Milligan says for a while Miami River Stone asked its bilingual employees with more experience to explain procedures to newer, less experienced workers.
Hastings says companies should be careful when using bilingual employees as interpreters. “Because someone is bilingual doesn’t mean he is qualified to translate,” she says. “Especially where legal liability or specific vocabulary is required.” Hastings says in these cases the employee is unlikely to say he cannot interpret effectively. If employees don’t trust or respect their fellow employee it could also cause a problem. They will most likely not pay attention when he speaks or take the training seriously.
But once again, training sessions, programs, and meetings need to be tailored to meet company needs. Hastings says some companies that don’t have bilingual presidents, managers, or employees should look toward professional interpreting and translating services. The investment of time and money is worthwhile, she says, because, currently, this may be a company’s only option.
But that may be changing. As Milligan points out, MSHA now offers its Part 46 training program in Spanish. The program is designed to assist companies develop a training program which includes all the basics involved in mining and employee safety. Any company, large or small, can use this free program as a tool to create its own training program or add to an existing program. Arellano and Milligan both agree that this is a valuable asset to the industry.

Keep up the good job
As with any other training program, English or Spanish, it is important to make sure employees take what they know and use it in the field.
Arellano says Rinker’s incentive program, which uses a bonus points system, is consistent throughout the entire company. Periodically, employees are awarded points which can be used to order merchandise from a “prize” catalog, which includes items such as DVD players, televisions, and stereos. “Everyone likes to take something home to their families, so they keep this in mind when working,” says Arellano.
Milligan’s company has no formal incentive program, but tries to promote good safety procedures on a regular basis. “We try to keep the momentum going all year-long,” he explains. “And then at the end of the year, our bonus, I always say, is a company, bonus.”
Hastings says this mentality, of “thinking of the family,” is an attitude expressed by many Spanish-speaking employees, not just Milligan’s Mexican workers. “It’s important because it’s their family who they are doing this for,” she explains. “And family means everything to Latinos.” Hastings says employers should make the point that by protecting themselves, employees are protecting their families. Hastings suggests providing family-oriented rewards could encourage employees to follow through with safety training lessons. She says this is an especially good way of discouraging employees from performing a job more quickly but less carefully — something she says tends to happen quite often.
“Spanish-speaking employees are unlikely to call MSHA to report an employer like an English-speaking employee might,” Hastings points out.
Whatever type of training is used, a company should make sure the program fits company needs. Nothing is worse than putting a large amount of time and money into something and have it fail.
As with any other project, companies should do their research first. Before enacting any type of Spanish-language training programs, companies should assess their employees’ needs as well as their existing programs. Employee input is also valuable because that is who will attend the training.
If a company accurately matches a training program to its needs, it can turn a “No entiendo” to an “I understand.”

Simple Spanish While Spanish-speaking employees work to learn more English, employers can learn the basics in work-related Spanish. Watch out! ¡Cuidado! (kwee-DAH-doh) Help me unload the truck Ayúdeme descargar el camión (AH-YU-deh-meh dehs-car-GAR el kah-MEEOHN) Please, do it this way. Por favor, hagalo así. (Pohr fah-VOHR AH-gah-loh ah-SEE) I need you to fill out this I-9 form. Necesito que complete éste formulario I-9. (neh-ceh-SEE-toh keh com-PLEH-teh EHS-teh for-moo-LAH-ree-oh EE-NWEH-veh) This is the jaw crusher. Éste es el aplastador de mordaza. (EHS-teh ehs el AH-plahs-tah-door deh more-dah-sah) Careful with the impact crusher. Cuidado con el aplastador de impacto. (kwee-DAH-doh cone el AH-plahs-tah-door deh EEM-pac-toe) Watch the conveyor. Cuide el transportador mecánico. (kwee-deh el trans-por-TAH-door meh-CAHN-EE-coh) The cone crusher is dangerous. El aplastador del cono es peligroso. (el AH-plahs-tah-door deh co-noh ehs peh-LEE-grow-soh) Go to the stockpile area. Vé a donde esta la reserva de existencias. (VEH ah don-deh ehs-TAH la reh-sehr-vah de ehx-SEE-ten-SAHS)

Need Help? The following resources may prove helpful for Spanish-language training. Corte Hispana, Santa Monica, Calif., professional interpreting and translating services, call 310-458-6998. Systran Online Services, www.systranlink.com/systran/cgi J.J. Keller & Associates, Neenah, Wis., www.jjkeller.com/bilingual. J.J. Keller offers the Bilingual Resource Center, which brings together all of the companies’ Spanish-language training and compliance guides, manuals, and handbooks. Mine Safety and Health Administration, www.msha.gov. This website can be translated completely into Spanish. The Spanish version of Part 46 safety training is also available for download. Some instant Internet translation websites include: Free Translation, www.freetranslation.com

Cristina Ruiz was an assistant editor for Aggregates Manager while completing her college degree.