To combat the lack of workspace diversity, Vividh, organised by LGBTQIA+ growth network, called 6 Degrees and marketing firm, The Event Studio, has organised a day-long career fair on Sunday. Aimed at both corporations and candidates irrespective of age, gender, sexualities and abilities, the event will incorporate on-the-spot interviews, CV assessments, panel discussions and film screenings.
The impetus to organise the fair, stemmed from a lack of conversation about employment possibilities for the queer community. Compassion and acceptance were the only topics in the spotlight at queer meet-ups and looking for jobs with corporates seemed like a distant dream. As Praful Baweja, co-founder of 6 Degrees and a marketing and events professional, points out professions or challenges at work were never really talked about. “Why only focus on love? There is much more to a person than that,” said Baweja, in an interview with The Hindu . “We are a great community of overachievers because we compensate a lot. So when we work, we feel obligated and work doubly hard.”
Three core areas
Through private forums online, Baweja and other LGBTQIA+ activists would often receive resumés of people who faced difficulties landing jobs owing to their gender identity or sexuality. “It is not guilt but the sheer knowledge that we are wasting such resources that brought Vividh to life,” he said. The heartening news is that ever since the diversity career fair was announced the organisers’ inboxes have been flooded with applications from both candidates and corporates.
The fair involves three areas into which the venue will be divided. The first part, Interface, where employers will meet with candidates and conduct on the spot interviews. Among the recruiters are companies like IBM, Godrej Group and Standard Chartered. The second area, Interact, will have entrepreneurs who will offer personality and CV assessments in addition to food stalls. The third phase, Intellect, is where the fair will host panels, speakers and films. Blew Minds, a business consultancy will conduct sessions on entrepreneurs who overcame odds and set up successful businesses.
While some corporates freely agreed to participate as recruiters, others have wanted to be a part of the event to showcase workforce diversity but not to actively promote it. “[Some companies] had a tick-box mandate of maybe employing a few transgenders or people with disabilities.” Baweja asserted, “[The] invisible population that includes the [the queer community] is not preferred because it doesn’t show so well on their papers. There has to be value and deliverance.” Apart from recruiters, company representatives will be attending sessions to learn about building inclusive corporate workforces and the well-being of diverse employees.
Skill training
The fair also has skill training and counselling for the faction of the community who could not avail of education. Marzy Parakh, co-founder of eateries Bombay Haveli and The Fork Tale, will supervising workshops for handicapped persons. “There are so many [professions] where skill training might not be such a big deal as we think” Baweja said. Organiser of job fairs, Shefali Dani, will also be offering acid attack victims and persons with disabilities work-from-home options.
The first edition of Vividh is being held today at Nehru Science Centre, Worli, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
