Pay transparency is a journey and does not begin and end with listing salaries on job postings. Rather, it is an approach to being forthright and upfront about both expectations and what is possible, in terms of rewards, benefits and compensation through the lifecycle of an employee. For instance, sharing what the interview process looks like, and what are the attributes that will be looked for are also important elements of transparency. 

The term “self-expression” is commonly understood as the ways in which we physically express our inner selves and communicate our individuality to the outside world. Self-expression is a basic human right, but in our workplaces, it still remains a privilege. According to a survey conducted by Be Yourself At Work, only 16% of the global workforce feels like their authentic selves while at work. This suggests that, for the sake of employment, 84% of working professionals have to hide parts of themselves. For a major part of their adult lives, they are forced to fit into moulds of people they simply do not identify with. 

Ria Shroff Desai tell us how interviews and hiring are a matchmaking process - if done right, can be a win-win for both, the candidate and the company. Ria came to the world of Indian startups and venture capital with stopovers across the US, Latin America, nonprofits and SMBs. She's passionate about (re)building great workplaces and breaking the mould when it comes to harnessing the power of people and culture for business.

Who among us hasn’t thought of starting our own café? Twitter user @_waabi_saabi_, who writes on food & culture, tells us why so many of us share this dream. She also speaks to her F&B friends who've made the leap from the corporate to the culinary world. They talk about their motivations, challenges, and share tips.

No matter how fulfilling our Friday nights and Saturdays may have been, Sunday evening has a way of casting a shadow over our peace of mind. It's as if our worries about the week ahead decide to crash the party, stealing our attention away from the present moment. Suddenly, thoughts of looming deadlines, demanding projects, and challenging meetings take center stage, overshadowing the laughter and enjoyment we were just experiencing.

Finding your Zone of Genius is a pilgrimage, which means there will be many mountains to climb and U-turns to take. But patience pays off, and so does a steady trust that by taking small steps each day, you will eventually assume agency and captaincy over the life you want to live. One of the greatest accomplishments in life is to firmly believe that the work we do is both personally fulfilling and beneficial for the world around us. And that conviction is a true triumph of human existence!

Building confidence in yourself as a professional takes time and the transition from being a young naive student, to a working adult will be difficult but we’re not alone in that journey. Dealing with self-doubt will always be a work in progress, but there are people around, who you can always rely on and I think we tend to forget that.

Or maybe you’re thinking: ‘what the hell are microaggressions?’ Microaggressions are subtle but harmful forms of discrimination that are often experienced by marginalised individuals in the workplace, on the basis of their identity.

Tough career decisions are not as simple as a one-size-fits-all framework where the only rule is hustling. Career decisions are often a function of privilege, and it obviously takes a level of self-awareness to realise that. Something that a one-size-fits-all always misses.

Someone suggested I write my first piece for Humanise about how women can prepare before joining a new workplace to ensure that their gender does not affect their experience. Here is why this is not that piece. And why I will probably never write that piece.