8 Ways the Advertising Industry Can Eliminate the Latina Pay Gap

It’s been a tumultuous two years for working women as a result of the “shecession,” the term coined to describe the economic impact of the pandemic on women in the workforce. Specifically for Latinas, this sets the agenda toward equal pay even further back. According to advocacy group Hispanic Star, for every dollar earned by a white, non-Hispanic man, Latinas make 53 cents less. As leaders pointed out at Adweek's Hispanic and Latin American Summit last year, Latinas have to work nearly twice as long to take home the same paycheck. We asked Hispanic and Latinx marketers about how their profession, but also any industry, can help eliminate this pay gap. Create a compensation philosophy “One solution is to encourage industry-leading companies to openly share salaries and their compensation philosophy. A change in the industry of this sort can ensure those with the same role who are at the same experience level are paid equitably. In addition, by sharing the approach that businesses take in calculating salaries, an employee has a clearer view of the steps it would take to get promoted, which can lead to performance improvement. However, salary transparency on its own isn’t enough to eliminate the pay gap; it needs to be paired with an investment in DEI strategies, efforts and education.” —Sophie Nicole Gil, audience development lead, Buffer Foster a path of career advancement “It all starts with equal opportunity. It is great that companies are considering hiring more Latinas, but it is crucial to ensure that they have opportunities to advance their careers. We need to make sure that Latinas have jobs throughout the entire company, including levels of leadership. It's not just about being transparent with salaries or checking the box of the desired percentage of Latinas in a company. There are still people who are unconsciously biased towards Latinas when it comes to receiving a promotion or enjoying a salary uplift; companies should combat bias against Latinas at work.” —Johanna Figueira, social media marketing manager, Facebook Advocate for legislation "My loved ones and many of my friends and peers are Latinas. All of them are hardworking. To this day, they do not get the recognition and fair pay they rightfully deserve. They face many other challenges in the labor force that men, particularly white non-Hispanic men, do not. Companies need to acknowledge their pay gaps and make meaningful changes. Don't do it just because it's good PR. Reinvest money and resources to Latina/e employees as well as BIPOC women. Congress needs to also pass legislation that will eliminate the wage disparity. It starts at the top." —Joseph Magallanes, social media manager (contract), Latinx in Gaming Encourage candidness vs. silence “Change must start when companies prioritize giving Latina women advancement opportunities since promotions and raises for Latinas are few and far between. Too often we hear 'calladita te ves más bonita,' which translates to 'you look better when you’re quiet.' This saying, among other factors, has held us back from negotiating salaries, asking for a raise or promotion, because we are told we should be thankful we have a job. "Upper management should encourage employees to have these conversations and provide their teams with the necessary tools for them to move up the corporate world, including but not limited to high profile assignments that bring visibility to employees so people can see what we truly bring to the table." —Luciana Villalba, executive director, Mitú Equate fair compensation to respect “There are several ways industries can help eliminate the pay gap, beginning with increased transparency. Companies need to audit their wages and take action on how things could be better through open discussions about compensation. If this is not a priority for employers, then how can change even begin? Awareness matters. Surely, a majority of my peers don’t realize how big the pay gap is for Latinas is in the workforce. Being paid fairly is nothing more than being treated with respect. Not only as Latinas, but women need advocates and empowerment to speak up for themselves.” —Laura Patricia Godoy Figuera, social media community manager, Molson Coors/Inside Ideas Group Reflect on the social factors “The first thing the ad industry must do to eliminate the pay gap for Latina women is to commit to a greater cultural understanding. We’re Black, Indigenous, immigrants, mothers and everything in between. That means this issue can only be solved through intersectional solutions. If our industry is supposed to be at the forefront of culture, then industry leaders should also be expected to show up on the frontlines, interrogating social norms. Asking questions like ‘Why don't we disclose our salaries? Who benefits from this type of practice? How can we do better?’ is a start.”—Susana Rivera, creative strategist, Snap Inc Answer tough but fair questions “There are multiple approaches that may eliminate the pay gap, but until companies become proactively transparent, one suggestion I offer to Latinas and other women of color is to ask: What is the company doing to ensure compensation is equitable across all demographics and are the expectations for growth potential clear and consistent?" —Sara Toussaint, vp of brand management and sponsorships, Wells Fargo Keep the conversations going “I believe change can start with transparency and discussion. We hear of the gender pay gap, but the conversation often stops there. Raising awareness of the inequalities in pay for people of color and Latinas is a start. Let’s be transparent, not only by discussing the issue at hand but by educating and empowering Latinas by making wage ranges accessible for all roles and levels. The industry can help by making this a topic of conversation, by providing us with the same level of support as would be done for others, and by making resources available for career advancement.” —Joanna Rentería, social media strategy and operations manager, Google Success and Equality: Latinx Marketers Share the Meaning of the American Dream