Amit Gupta, Director of startup Factoryal, took to LinkedIn to criticise India's hiring methods, claiming they were fundamentally wrong.
"Hiring in India isn't about finding the best person for the job — it's about finding the right person for the comfort of the decision-maker," he said.
His post triggered a heated debate, with professionals discussing their personal experiences and complaints with prejudices that extend far beyond assessing abilities and experience, Business Today reports.
Gupta discussed how employment in India frequently prioritises "culture fit," which he claims leads to biases based on personal experience, language, geographical affinity, and even surnames. “Skills? Secondary. Experience? Negotiable. But culture fit? That’s where the real bias creeps in,” he added.
Referrals dominate the process, entire businesses are populated by people from the same groups, and diversity — whether in gender, thought, or problem-solving style — suffers as a result, he said.
“When culture is a gatekeeper instead of an enabler, companies hire for comfort, not competence. And then they wonder why innovation is missing,” Gupta continued.
Another user criticised how hiring pressures candidates to fake answers: “Why can’t they simply say they’re looking for a better fit or took a career break? Why is honesty mistaken for badmouthing?” They argued that companies underpay, withhold salary details, and force candidates to meet unrealistic expectations, leading to scripted interviews and exaggerated skill claims.
The issue isn’t limited to India. “Welcome to Europe, where the same biases prevail on a larger scale,” wrote one commenter, citing nationality, language, and regional preferences as frequent biases.
Others cited systemic faults in the hiring process, emphasising how cost-cutting frequently trumps talent. “Budget (lower salary) determines hiring chances. I haven’t seen people hired purely for skills,” commented one user.
However, not everybody agreed.
A dissident voice admitted to prioritising loyalty above ability: “I can teach skills to an average but loyal employee. It’s much harder to manage an intelligent guy who just uses the offer letter to get a better deal elsewhere. Loyalty trumps ability any day.”
