From communication to engagement

In industries like manufacturing, construction, mining, oil and gas, and agriculture, a large portion of the workforce consists of Spanish-speaking workers. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Hispanic workers make up approximately 19% of the overall U.S. workforce, with even higher representation in key sectors like construction (31%) and agriculture (35%). In Canada, around 600,800 Spanish-speaking residents contribute significantly to industries such as construction and agriculture. This number is further increased by temporary foreign workers (TFWs), primarily from Latin American countries, who make up an additional 17.5% of the agricultural workforce.

Despite this substantial representation, crucial safety, quality, and operational documents—as well as key messages and training—are still predominantly produced and communicated in English. This language gap leads to misunderstandings and confusion across industries where clarity is essential, especially given the often complex and dangerous nature of the work.

Relying solely on the English language for communication in environments like these doesn’t just create communication barriers—it amplifies risk. When workers don’t fully grasp what's being communicated, it opens the door to confusion, mistakes, and all sorts of safety, quality, and productivity issues. Beyond that, it can alienate a significant portion of the workforce, making them feel disconnected and undervalued. When workers experience miscommunication and feel alienated, they lose clarity about their roles and become disengaged. To prevent this, it’s crucial to ensure that Spanish-speaking employees not only receive instructions but fully understand and buy in to what’s expected of them. This enables them to confidently and safely contribute to the organization’s success.

Communication vs. engagement

Many organizations mistakenly view communication as a one-way street, often delivering critical information without ensuring it's fully understood, internalized, and embraced by employees. This approach leads to ineffective outcomes: decreased employee engagement, misunderstandings of crucial safety or operational details, reduced trust, and resistance to change. As George Bernard Shaw famously said, "The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place." Without genuine engagement, leaders may think they’ve communicated clearly, but in reality, workers may still be disconnected and unclear. Research shows that disengaged employees are more likely to be absent, less productive, and more prone to leaving their jobs (Gallup, State of the American Workplace Report).

“The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.” George Bernard Shaw.

To avoid this issue, communication must be a two-way exchange where employees not only receive information but provide opinions and ideas. True engagement involves workers in meaningful dialogue, ensuring they feel personally connected, responsible, and motivated to act. Engaged employees don’t just sit back and listen—they contribute, ask questions, and offer valuable insights. This creates a sense of ownership and accountability, which are essential for aligning teams with shared goals. Without this engagement and buy in, even the clearest communication falls flat, leaving the workforce disconnected.

Importance of engaging workers in their native language

Engagement becomes much more powerful when it happens in a language workers fully understand. Communicating with Spanish-speaking employees in their native language is essential to ensure that safety protocols, operational procedures, and expectations are not just heard but fully comprehended and applied.

When language barriers exist, risk increases. A worker who doesn’t fully grasp safety instructions isn’t just confused—they’re at risk of injury. Research shows that language barriers in the workplace contribute to misunderstandings, which can lead to more safety incidents and a drop in productivity (NIOSH, Hispanic Workers and Workplace Fatalities: A Growing Concern).

Moreover, workers who struggle to understand English in high-risk environments are often less likely to engage with management, voice concerns, or offer suggestions. This lack of engagement leads to lower morale, reduced trust in leadership, and ultimately, higher turnover (Gallup, The Power of Employee Engagement on Safety and Performance). Addressing this gap by providing information in Spanish—or any workers’ native language—helps reduce these risks, while boosting engagement, compliance, and overall safety.

Key elements of effective engagement

1. Clear communication in native language: Translate training materials, safety protocols, and operational guidelines into Spanish to ensure all workers fully grasp their roles and responsibilities. When communication happens in their native language, workers are more likely to understand and apply critical information.

2. Cultural awareness and sensitivity: Engage workers by understanding and respecting the cultural nuances that shape how they interact and communicate. It’s not just about translating words—it's about understanding values and customs, especially in how workers view authority and teamwork.

3. Visible felt leadership: Leaders don’t need to be fluent in Spanish, but they do need to care and show it. This is done by engaging with workers out in the field or on the factory floor and making an effort to connect with them by learning some conversational Spanish and leveraging bilingual staff. This can go a long way in showing genuine care and concern to a Spanish-speaking workforce.

4. Active, two-way dialogue: Engagement requires more than giving instructions. Leaders need to create an environment where workers feel comfortable and enabled to ask questions, offer feedback, and share their concerns. Regular, bilingual open forums, interactive meetings, and meaningful conversations provide the space for this kind of two-way communication.

5. Enabling workers through feedback: When workers are given the opportunity to share input and discuss safety, quality, and production concerns in their native language, they feel valued and enabled to make a difference. This leads to a sense of ownership, which results in greater accountability and a stronger commitment to organizational success.

Benefits of true engagement

By shifting from one-way communication to true engagement—especially in a worker’s native language—companies build a culture of participation, ownership, and commitment. This shift not only improves safety, quality, and productivity but drives performance across the board. When organizations engage workers in the language they understand best, it ensures that communication goes beyond simply delivering instructions. It builds trust, fosters real cooperation, and allows workers to take ownership of their roles. Engagement isn’t about just passing along information; it’s about forming deeper connections that inspire accountability. When workers feel genuinely connected and understood, they step up, and the results are clear: enhanced safety, improved quality, and stronger performance. By bridging communication gaps and fostering effective collaboration, companies ensure that their workforce isn’t just informed, but fully aligned with the organization’s goals, becoming true partners in success.

Mike, a senior leader at an international mining company with operations in Chile, understood the power of visible felt leadership. He recognized that connecting with workers was key, and the best way to do this was by speaking with them in their own language. With the preponderance of Spanish-speaking workers at their mining sites, this was not just smart, but essential. So, Mike took it upon himself to learn some conversational Spanish. When he visited the site, he didn’t just observe from afar—he went into the field and spoke directly with the workers. To their amazement, Mike introduced himself in Spanish, asked their names, how they were doing, and what the company could do to make their jobs easier and safer. More importantly, he genuinely listened and did something about it. That moment had a lasting impact. Workers still talk about it to this day, as it transformed their relationship with senior leadership and their willingness to buy into the company’s strategy and vision.

^References

1. ^{Americanos Magazine. Canada and Spanish: A Growing Community.}
2. ^{Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Labor Force Characteristics by Race and Ethnicity, 2023.}
3. ^{CIC News. Growing Demand for Temporary Foreign Workers in Canadian Industries.}
4. ^{Construction Reporter. New Bureau of Labor Statistics Show Increasing Hispanic Worker Force, 2024.}
5. ^{Gallup. State of the American Workplace Report.}
6. ^{Gallup. The Power of Employee Engagement on Safety and Performance.}
7. ^{Government of Canada. Temporary Foreign Worker Program in Agriculture, 2023.}
8. ^{Harvard Business Review. Good Leadership is About Asking Good Questions.}
9. ^{Harvard Business Review. The Neuroscience of Trust.}
10. ^{National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). Hispanic Workers and Workplace Fatalities: A Growing Concern.}
11. ^{Schein, E. H. Organizational Culture and Leadership (5th Edition).}
12. ^{SHRM. Effective Communication in the Workplace.}
13. ^{Statistics Canada. Canada's Ethnocultural Mosaic, 2021 Census of Population.}
14. ^{Statistics Canada. Temporary Foreign Workers in the Canadian Labour Market.}
15. ^{U.S. Census Bureau. Hispanic Workers in the U.S. Workforce.}