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THE CHAPEL VALLEY
LANDSCAPE STORY
by Mauricio Velasquez and Terri
Feldhaus |
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| BACKGROUND |
More than almost any other
industry in the United States today, landscape contractors and growers
are experiencing an unbelievable influx of immigrant workers. These
predominately Hispanic/Latino immigrants are forcing the industry to
stand up and take notice of their emerging diversity issues. They are
asking some new and increasingly complex and challenging questions. ANLA
is one of our clients (American Nursery and Landscape Association). DTG
has formed a three-way partnership between ANLA, Chapel Valley and DTG.
Our partnership has produced a "kit" of knowledge, tools, tips, job
descriptions and other advice. This kit is available on our web site and
through ANLA. So the biggest question ANLA is facing straight up is……
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What Does
a
Landscape Company
Have to do to Manage an Increasingly Hispanic
Workforce? |
Recruiting, hiring, retaining and managing an increasingly Hispanic
workforce are challenges that landscape companies across the nation are
faced with on a daily basis. In the last ten years the entire landscape
and grower industry has tapped into a labor force that has proven to be
the backbone of the industry.
Back in 1986 Chapel Valley hired the first group of Hispanic workers (a
total of 5). Fifteen years later the company employs, during the peak
season, more than 175 Hispanic workers.
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What is
Chapel Valley Doing to Manage this Growing Workforce? |
- Offer all internal communication in both English and Spanish.
Employee Handbook
Benefits Package
Performance Evaluation Forms
Individual Performance Evaluations
Company Meetings
Monthly Individual Team Meetings
Company Newsletter
All postings and announcements
Recruiting Brochures
- All in-house training is done both in English and Spanish. In-house
training materials are available in both languages also.
- Hired a full-time bilingual liaison to assist with all communications
among workers, supervisors, and management. This individual has in-depth
knowledge of all the company policies, procedures and labor laws,
understands and promotes the company's goals, has the ability to remain
focused and objective, and has strong mediation and coaching skills.
- Encourage the Hispanic workforce to enroll in English classes and
upon completion the company reimburses the employee for the full cost of
the class.
- Established a Literacy Program at both of our facilities and offer
free English tutoring after hours.
- Encourage our English-speaking foremen and supervisors to learn
Spanish and enroll in classes, which will be fully reimbursed when
completed.
- Have a strong commitment from management to support the development
of our Hispanic employees into leadership positions.
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Our
Hispanic Workers Participate in Different Task Forces Throughout the
Year to Help Develop Better Incentives, Recruiting and Uniform
Programs |
- Have the commitment to understand and willingness to adapt to
different cultural needs and diversity among our employees.
- Provide regular diversity training for all of our managers,
supervisors, and foremen.
- Participate in government sponsored labor programs in order to
continue building depth in our workforce.
- Get involved with local and national industry organizations to
look for "best practices" and help lobby Congress on specific
immigrant-related legislation.
For more information regarding Chapel Valley please contact Terri
Feldhaus directly at 410.442.2310. She is the fulcrum, the lynch pin
that holds all of their diversity-related endeavors together. DTG is proud to include Chapel Valley as a client, partner and now a
resource to other landscape and growing contractors. They are way ahead
of most of the industry yet they are willing to share with their
industry what they are doing and the tremendous success they are
realizing. Fantastic!
Proudly sharing with you,
Mauricio Velasquez, President
| What
Does this Mean to Your Organization? |
We can help. Talk to us. Together we'll explore how to
empower your organization to gain effective leverage in our changing
cultural environment.
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