The Largest Virtual Career Fair for Women Concludes with Over 500 Profiles Shortlisted by Employers

Based on the theme Margins to Mainstream: Women Accelerating Equity', the virtual fair was targeted at enhancing equity at the workplace and attracting women from intersectional diversities, accelerating their career journeys, and helping them rise higher in leadership roles. The event presented a unique opportunity for women from various educational backgrounds (who want to return to the workforce or make lateral entries), Persons with Disabilities (PwD), and the LGBTQ+ community to connect with top employers, apply for open positions, and exchange professional experiences and learnings.

The event attracted 1,596 registrations and over 800 attendees, for 60+ job opportunities from partnering employers. 550 profiles have been shortlisted for processing by participating employers. After a period of one-month, which is presumed to be the time needed for completing the process, the employers are expected to reveal the number of job offers made to applicants.

In pursuit of hosting a truly inclusive career fair, for the first time ever in the country, the entire event was interpreted in Indian Sign Language (ISL) in real time by the representatives from one of the community partners, SignAble Communications, Indias first on-demand Indian Sign Language interpretation service for the deaf. This immensely benefitted around 40 deaf women who attended the event. All participants got an opportunity to interact with the top brass of featured employers in individual company booths. The interaction at these booths was also signed in ISL by sign language interpreters.

"As strong believers that diversity enriches workplaces and being an organisation that is driven forward by women every single day, it is a delight for us to host 'Career Fair for Women' successfully year after year. Through such events, we endeavour to provide a platform to all women, irrespective of age, work experience, career breaks or disabilities, to network with the top representatives of the world's best employers and, in turn, create inclusive workplaces for everyone. We are seeing increased participation from employers who share the same vision of providing female talent with a level playing field to unlock their potential and access better opportunities," opined Mr. Anshuman Das, CEO and Co-founder, Careernet.

The key speakers at the virtual career fair were Sumanth Nayak, Chief Human Resources Officer, Societe Generale's Global Solution Centre, India; Sudeept Maharana, VP Engineering and Site Leader, Priceline India; Rajani Nesargikar, Director R&D, Sandvine; Mukesh Hegde, Senior Director, Operations, Cornerstone; Nidhi Bhasin, CEO, NASSCOM Foundation; Krupa Nagda, Talent Acquisition Manager, Cornerstone; Yatish Shivaprasad, Managing Director & Head of CFT India and Romania, Societe Generale; and Teena Mary, AVP - L&D, Careernet.

Addressing the attendees and other speakers during a session on 'Advocacy and Collaboration in Accelerating Equity for all Women', Ms. Nidhi Bhasin, CEO, Nasscom Foundation, said, "One policy change can get women up the ladder. Even one woman up the ladder can mentor hundreds of more women."

"Careernets Career Fair for Women proved to be a meticulously planned and efficiently executed event. It has been an absolute delight for me to be among the distinguished speakers at this esteemed career fair. The event served as a platform for hundreds of women to establish connections and gain insights from influential leaders within the industry. I firmly believe that the discussions centred around Accelerating Equity for Women were a source of inspiration for all participants, motivating them to reintegrate into the mainstream workforce. Additionally, this forum facilitated the resolution of numerous queries and concerns. I eagerly anticipate witnessing a greater influx of women across various sectors, as well as their ascent up the hierarchical ladder within the corporate realm," said Ms. Rajani Nesargikar, Director R&D, Sandvine.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Mukesh Hegde, Sr. Director - Operations & India Chief of Staff, Cornerstone, said, "Cornerstone OnDemand is committed to setting industry benchmarks for diversity at all levels within the organisation. With the goal to further raise our diversity percentage, we participated in Careernet's 'Career Fair for Women'. We were overwhelmed by the response and the interest espoused in our mission. We thank Careernet for creating this platform to reach and engage with talented and motivated women professionals."

The event was aided by community partners: NASSCOM Foundation, WinVinaya Foundation, Spectrum of Inclusion, TALMS Charity Foundation, and SignAble Communications, and technology partner HirePro.

Through Careernet Prism, Careernet aims to accelerate employers in India to foster inclusive workplaces with diverse talent. In the year 2022, every 3rd candidate placed by Careernet was a woman.