Stuart Cameron is the founder of STICKS & STONES – the self-proclaimed rock star among career fairs. In the interview he talks about his own experiences as a gay employee and why companies would do well to come out as “proud employers”.
UNIGLOBALE: Why was the time ripe for a career fair like STICKS & STONES?
I've been missing a career fair where I can see which companies actually don't care who you are. Many people think: the main thing is that I have a qualification, then I'll have a career and the rest is nonsense. But that's not true. There are still reservations - whether you are a woman, a foreigner or, like me, gay. If a company does not clearly show and communicate to the outside world that it stands behind every employee - regardless of whether they are a woman or a man, gay, lesbian, straight, bi or transgender, with or without a migration background, old or young - then that can cause problems for you make.
UNIGLOBALE: Are you speaking from personal experience?
Yes. There is hardly any direct denunciation. We don't do that in our society. This is more likely to be expressed by people turning their backs to you instead of talking to you. That there is gossip and words like “the gay” are used. At some point I no longer felt like talking about my weekend or bringing my boyfriend to the company party and then hearing whispers like “Oh, that colleague, he's from the other side!” I would have liked a company that would come out and says: “I am a proud employer”. Then things would have been easier for me.
UNIGLOBALE: What do you consider to be “proud employers”?
Companies that treat the issue of diversity seriously and in which diversity is lived. To put it bluntly, women here don't just work in the human resources department and migrants don't just work in positions that no one else wants to do. These are companies that see openness as an advantage and celebrate differences.
It doesn't matter to me that I have an employer who always gives me high fives and introduces me as the "gay employee of the year". People should talk about it normally and make it clear on the website that gays and lesbians, bisexuals and transgenders and all other forms of difference are also welcome. If a company really doesn't care about sexual identity, I want it to be there somewhere and clearly addressed. As a statement from the company.
UNIGLOBALE: Doesn't diversity also bring advantages to a company?
Yes, sure. It's more exciting and productive to work with people who tick differently and have different values than you. In order to attract talent, you have to be an open employer these days and offer an environment in which you feel comfortable and don't have to pretend. My impression: The most successful companies are often the most open. It would be interesting to investigate this connection scientifically. Talented people want to work for a company that is attractive and has an appreciative corporate culture. And attractiveness doesn't just mean good pay. An example: Mark Zuckerberg from Facebook, who was on a float with 1,000 employees at the last Pride in San Francisco. If your boss does something like that, that's a cool statement.
UNIGLOBALE: In order to be present with you, companies have to apply. What “qualifications” might such an application contain?
Exhibitors must prove that they are an open company or are on the way to becoming one. For example, through special commitment in the LGBT area, through the fact that there are outed managers, through letters from “at the top” in which the management convinces us with planned projects, or through the existence of a company's own LGBT employee network.
UNIGLOBALE: Were there companies that surprised you with their commitment?
To be honest: most of them. We have many of the big top companies with us. I used to think that some of them were quite homophobic. It was only later that I found out what they were doing. For example, IBM, which has been heavily involved for 20 years, has changed its corporate guidelines, grants heterosexuals and homosexuals equal rights in tax matters and has received many awards for this.
UNIGLOBALE: Many people still don't dare to come out. Is there a general lack of role models? For example, outed managers?
Sure, there is Klaus Wowereit, Guido Westerwelle and Thomas Hitzlsperger. But in their own environment, very few people can think of gay executives or board members.
Many who want to go “up” don’t come out. This is still considered the end of a career, because it's not about qualifications, but about who you know and not showing any weakness. And being gay is often interpreted as a weakness. At least that's what is often argued. I'm not sure if that's really true or if it has more to do with one's own fears. A positive example is Apple boss Tim Cook. He's at the head of a big company and just said it at some point without making a big deal about it and running into everyone's pride. There are many outed executives, especially in the tech industry.
UNIGLOBALE: Is there a right time to come out?
I can only recommend everyone to be who they are and not to pretend. Because it's so tiring, this game of hide-and-seek. This also applies to heterosexuals. You don't have to play the fat guy and laugh at every dirty joke your colleagues make if you don't feel like it.
The companies have now become so transparent, you can find so much online and get information in advance. I would never apply to a company that didn't clearly support me. Why should I subject myself to all this stress and deal with questions like “When do I come out?” If the company isn't open to diversity, it won't get my application.
UNIGLOBALE: Who is STICKS & STONES the right career fair for?
We don't want to build a parallel society here, we want to bring people together. The companies are not looking for gays or straights, but for people who are good. That's why everyone is welcome here, regardless of whether they're LGBT, straight, something outside of that or in between - we just have no place for homophobes, sexists and racists.
What you shouldn't expect, of course, is that you'll get a job just because you're gay, lesbian or something else. To get a job with us, you have to be qualified, have achieved something, have enthusiasm and passion.
www.the-rockstar.com
Sticks & Stones Career Fair on vimeo.com
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Stuart Cameron is the founder of STICKS & STONES – the self-proclaimed rock star among career fairs. In the interview he talks about his own experiences as a gay employee and why companies would do well to come out as “proud employers”. UNIGLOBALE: Why was the time ripe for a career fair like STICKS & STONES? Mine has
