CHENNAI: An atmosphere of tension permeated the South India Mega Job Fair event on Saturday. There were tears, too, albeit, of relief, after getting selected; and frustration, on the faces of those when told their age (and work experience) exceeded the criteria for the job of their choice.
With innumerable copies of their resumes, trans people and persons with disabilities (PwD) milled about Loyola College. With every passing hour, the number of job-seekers grew. Recruiters from corporates like E&Y, and Tata Consultancy Services, were surprised to see job-seekers from northern states arrive, too. At every corner, volunteers were responding to participants who had sign language and wheelchair assistance requests; even comforting those who looked dejected. Several trans volunteers were seen proudly sporting ‘she/her’ and ‘he/him’ stickers, too.
The Mega South India Job Fair, which aids PwDs to find employment, has been in the running for around seven years. “This year, we decided to include trans people who are on the hunt for jobs,” said Kasim Basith, founder, We Are Your Voice initiative, who conducts the fair annually. “With over 150 companies looking to fill 3,500 vacancies, the fair has received a great response from those hiring. Out of the 2,521 job-seekers who attended the fair, 320 received direct offers and 1,219 were shortlisted by the companies,” Basith said.
Terming the fair as a unique opportunity to meet and recruit several diverse job candidates at a single spot, Magesh M, director of talent acquisition, AGS Health, said, “We are hiring 50 to 60 candidates with visual, auditory, and locomotor disabilities this year, as part of our company’s Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) policy, in areas ranging from data entry, voice, and finance, to support functions.
At our facility in Hyderabad, we have built an exclusive washroom for our transgender employees. We have a workplace mentor who will stay present with PwD employees requiring assistance. The services of a third-party counsellor, too, are provided.” The fair has also been a connecting point for them to meet organisations providing resources on training, and talent management, he added.
Start-ups offer more flexibility than corporates, and hence, can focus on better integrating diversity hires into the workforce, said Sultan Refai, founder, Superlyfe. “We have hired two trans employees and are planning on training them for front-end roles at our stores. Hopefully, customers, too, will welcome this inclusive move,” he said.
Opening up avenues for all
An inauguration ceremony earlier in the day witnessed the presence of dignitaries including chief guest Ezhilan Naganathan, MLA, Thousands Lights Constituency, while secretary to Government, Umanath, and Jhony Tom Varghese, commissioner - Director of Department for Welfare of the Differently Abled, had presided. The event was conducted by We Are Your Voice, one of the execution agencies for the state’s Differently Abled Employment and Livelihood Center (DELC)’s Equal Opportunity Policy (EOP).