Feeling violated at every step

I wonder at times how men view women in their everyday lives. Do men really respect women as they talk to them, interact with them in their daily lives, or is the whole concept of mutual respect nothing short of farce? Working in an office that boasts of equal opportunity for those unbiased of gender and sexual orientation has given me confidence to start viewing certain matters in a way that was deemed impossible nearly a decade ago. But, certain observations seem to mar the very concept of respect towards people of the opposite gender.

A man talks to his female colleague politely, while others of his team continue to look at them curiously. While both might be busy discussing about some report that needs to be completed urgently or new software programs that might alleviate their workload, other men in the team are busy evaluating their female colleague based on traits like waist size, breast voluptuousness, length of skirt or height and sharpness of heels. Then they silently smile at each other making eye contacts to indicate vile comments that better be left unsaid.

While I am not acquainted with men coming from every level of Indian society, the kind of remarks I hear my male colleagues making about women in their families or office makes me wonder if any kind of professional association with them does possess any value in the long run. Traditionally, the society hails women as gossipmongers and backbiters, while the current scenario clearly indicates how men are not far behind when it comes to violating the dignity of those around them or with them. 

Violation of dignity is not limited to molestation or rape alone. A negative look can do much damage, in fact, worse, if not checked. 

Quality of tests matter

Is going back to the basics really the right way of judging if the candidates have adequate grammar and punctuation skills needed to pursue a career in content writing? This is the first question that crept in my mind while I glanced through the questionnaire handed over to me by Accenture, one of the leading MNCs in the country. 

The huge multistory building at one of the most bustling areas in Gurgaon boasts of hiring the smartest people while allowing them relevant opportunities. The reviews on Internet make one believe that the tests taken are one of the most stringent kind allowing no scope for mistakes. Practical experience proved to be otherwise. The questions that the candidates, including me, were required to answer are simpler than the examples quoted in Wren & Martin, a book hailed as the best working piece on grammar.  The essay test seemed like a pastime activity for a 10-year old.

Jokes apart, if this is the level MNCs boast of being high and stringent, one wonders how they define the word “easy”. This kind of lax attitude followed by the management while ensuring employees of the greatest quality reinforces the myth that most companies do not value the importance of Content Writing as a profession or its importance in marketing of their products and services.

The selection process believed to be strict and innovative proved to be easy, long and boring instead. While such MNCs stress on the way they portray themselves in media, they need to exercise caution while planning the course of an interview meant to recruit employees looking to build a career with them. Such tests only coerce the candidates to ask the question, “Does the company understand what it is looking for in its employees?”