Veritas Celebrates Pride Month, an interview with Hashmeet Sahani

Veritas Perspectives June 30, 2023
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Hashmeet Sahani, a visual designer for the Employment Brand team manages content design for our branding communications and India office events. They started their journey at Veritas in January 2022 as an intern and has become one of Veritas’ exceptional intern conversions. I’m honored to have the opportunity to work with them each day on numerous projects. Hashmeet shares how they feel valued and appreciated as a member of the LGBTQIA+ community at Veritas by saying:

“I appreciate the transparency of communication across different levels. Veritas truly is a team that creates a sense of belonging.” 

Q: What does Pride Month mean to you?

Pride month to me is a celebration of queer liberation and is a movement to bring positive change and help liberate and celebrate many different communities globally. It’s a month to share and accept love as it comes and an annual reminder to be inclusive of the LGBTQIA+ community within our society. It’s the time to educate more people about LGBTQIA+ rights – as a matter of fact, I’ve come across many individuals who thought gay marriage was legalized in India when, homosexuality only became decriminalized in 2018. We still have a long journey ahead in working towards gaining equal rights for all.

Q: Why is it important for a company to prioritize and promote inclusivity?

When people with different viewpoints collaborate, they bring unique insights to the table, leading to better decision making and more effective solutions. The feeling of being heard and seen makes us more productive and helps us to build stronger relationships.  

Q: Tell me about a time when you felt included, valued, and heard.

Every time a colleague makes the effort to correct themselves and use my preferred pronouns, I feel valued and heard. It shows that they’re willing to take the steps, no matter how big or small, to make their teammate feel more comfortable as their most genuine self and shows their willingness to accept another person’s identity.

Q: How has your team, colleagues, or manager promoted or created a safe and inclusive work environment?

My teams and managers have created a safe space for me to vocalize my opinion and ask any questions I have at any time. I feel like they strive to hear my point of view about many projects and during meetings. This includes understanding each other better on a personal and professional level.  

Q: What types of engagements have you noticed or participated in at Veritas that have made an impact on you?

I participated in the mentorship program, which helped me overcome nerves when asking a senior leader or manager for help. The mentorship program helped me with everything from managing my time to networking with different organizations at Veritas.

Q: What ideas do you have to improve DEI efforts at Veritas?

Webinars and workshops are a great way to help employees act and learn how to be more inclusive in their daily lives inside and outside of the office. Having open discussions about specific instances such as sharing examples when any conscious or unconscious bias is observed are also very helpful to educate each other about Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. I believe that it’s important to call out these things to help others learn about and grow with the LGBTQIA+ community. I appreciate the numerous virtual webinars we’ve had that focused on the unique journey and hurdles an individual who comes from a diverse background faces.

If you enjoyed Hashmeet’s story and would like to learn more about Life at Veritas, check out our Employee Value Proposition. And if our Employee Value Propositions resonate with you, consider joining us! See our open roles on our careers page.

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Emily Cai
Staffing Specialist
Human Resources
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