As the valley’s Spanish-speaking population increases, more and more businesses and agencies are finding that being bilingual is no longer a frill, but a necessity.

But finding and keeping workers who are bilingual — and bicultural — is sometimes muy difícilmente (very difficult).

As the demand for bilingual workers increases in the private sector, they are often drawn away from low-paying nonprofit and social service areas where they have traditionally been needed, reports Matt Conens of Consumer Credit Counseling Service in Medford.

"We lost our Hispanic outreach coordinator a few months ago and put out the word to nonprofits that we’re looking for another bilingual speaker, but they’re in the same boat as we are," says Conens. "We’ve got a population we want to serve, but it’s tough filling the spot."

Before it hired bilingual workers a few years ago, the Housing Authority of Jackson County found it "cumbersome and not user-friendly" to borrow a translator from another agency when it worked with Latinos not fluent in English, says social services coordinator Christie Van Aken.

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The agency now employs five people who can speak Spanish well enough to help Hispanic clients with the self-sufficiency and home-ownership programs, Van Aken says. A key part of self-sufficiency for Hispanics, she added, is mastery of English — and they must commit to that to get benefits.

The complexities of buying a home and getting a loan are difficult enough in one’s own language, but, for the process to be fair and understandable to the Hispanic buyer, there must be a Spanish-speaking loan officer present, says Judi Robinson of People’s Bank of Commerce in Medford.

"We have a couple people here who speak Spanish (as a second language), enough to get by, but we don’t have a Spanish-speaking loan officer," says Robinson. "I absolutely call one in to translate. It’s a big step for buyers and many people don’t know what they’re getting into. They trust someone, and can be an easy target."

People’s Bank also has borrowers read loan applications online in Spanish before signing.

Just knowing Spanish words and sentences is not enough to communicate at the level necessary for good business, says Conans. "There are cultural differences you have to understand in order to be sensitive to the customer’s needs — otherwise you can easily make them uncomfortable or insult them."

With the Latino population now officially estimated at 6.7 percent in the Rogue Valley, that’s a lot of potential customers to lose — and it’s only going to increase, says Silvia Jaurebui, a builder and real estate agent with D.J. Smith in Medford.

"At the rate shown by statistics, there will eventually be more Spanish-speaking people than English," says Jaurebui. "Many professionals are requiring their children to learn both languages. Mine did. It’s a big benefit."

Knowing customs and body language of Hispanic cultures is vital, she adds, or translation will not come out accurate.

"When you’re bicultural along with bilingual, then you understand where they’re coming from," she says, noting that at a recent funeral here, the directors understood Hispanic burial customs — the family burying the body by throwing dirt on the coffin.

"The authority in the Hispanic household is the male — and people don’t look directly or respond quickly with others if they’re of higher authority," Jaurebui says. "Family is very important and we are always in groups, socializing and finding any excuse for a party or barbecue. You have to be bicultural and know these things if you’re going to be competitive in business. We’re going to go in the place that’s bilingual and bicultural, the same as you would if you were in China and saw a sign in a restaurant that they speak English."

Spanish is widely offered in local colleges and high schools and is critical for communication to many market segments and among employees, said Bob Bluth, Harry & David vice president and general counsel, who grew up in a bilingual environment in Mexico.

"Fifteen years ago, it was only in the orchards, but now there’s a substantial Spanish-speaking community here," said Bluth. "In my job, I cross paths with Spanish-speaking people regularly and it’s great to speak to them directly. When you have the bicultural dimension, you appreciate things are different, not wrong — and life is enriched and broadened."

John Darling is a freelance writer living in Ashland. E-mail him at jdarling@jeffnet.org.