Superintendents should embrace Hispanic workforce

Golf Course News, Nov 2001 by Ross, Kevin

As the labor market continues to tighten, more golf courses are relying on Hispanic labor for staffing needs. As this trend continues, course operations must develop relations that will ensure a cohesive, hard-working team.

An important factor is integrating Hispanic crew members into the overall operation and making them feel comfortable. Also, taking time to recognize cultural differences will benefit both workers and employers.

Here at the Country Club of the Rockies, I have created a system that pulls from both my working knowledge and ideas gleaned from other superintendents.

GOLF LESSONS

Educating Hispanic staff about golf will not only teach them the game but will also increase their understanding of their duties on the course.

The best way to do this is to have your professional golf staff give an employee golf clinic. Our clinic is lead by our director of golf and his assistants. The clinic is taught on the driving range with all staff being required to attend. It starts with a group discussion of the golf swing. Then individual attention is given analyzi n g everyone's swing while hitting balls. After the instruction is complete, the staff is allowed to stay on the range to hit balls and practice.

The true impact of this clinic can be measured in the days ahead, as many lively discussions in the lunchroom involve who hit the ball the farthest, who took the biggest divot, and who has the best swing.

In October, our,club has one day set aside for a complete staff tournament. All departments are divided in a scramble format with dinner and prizes following golf. Each member of the foursome is from a different department, so everyone can get to know each other over the years.

THE LITTLE THINGS

Investing time in the little things can go a long way in maintaining crew relations.

* Break down the language barrier. For those who can't speak Spanish, you can show your dedication to the staff by continually improving your Spanish speaking skills. This works both ways. Hiring someone to teach your staff English or simply having a word-of-the-- day can improve communication. You can also give them incentive to learn English by increasing wages to those who show improvement. * Many course operations are arranging housing in advance for the Hispanic staff. Some operations even pay for the housing as part of their compensation package.

* A separate conference and training facility offers a great place for the crew to be educated, in a private setting, concerning the work requirements of the job. Spanish training videos are also a great way to bridge the language barrier while showing concern for employees' proper job execution.

* Providing shirts, windbreakers, pants, hats and rain gear are a great way to build morale. This year at my club our Hispanic employees chose the style of golf shirt for the season's uniforms. Having this type of input contributes to a team feeling.

* Each employee should have his or her own locker. Also, putting the employee's name on the locker instills a sense of belonging.

The typical American lunch, sandwiches, is no match for the elaborate dishes of the Hispanic workforce. Their lunches are more like most American's dinners. Having a minimum of three microwaves and sufficient refrigerator space available is a big plus.

* Taking yearly crew photos and displaying them in the lunchroom is a nice touch. We have our crew photo enlarged and give one each to the staff members. The staff takes these photos home and can explain to their family about the people they worked with and about the work they did.