
Amid heated discussions about work-life balance and the push for 90-hour work weeks, a Singapore-based COO (Chief Operating Officer) shared a troubling anecdote about workplace attitudes, as stated in a report by Hindustan Times.
Parminder Singh, the COO of United Kingdom (UK) magazine Tatler Asia, took to X (formerly Twitter) to recount how an Indian boss once rejected a marketing candidate solely because he mentioned his hobbies in his CV.
"Once a candidate applied to my team for a marketing role in India. Besides being a capable marketer, his CV mentioned that he runs marathons and plays guitar. My boss didn’t let me hire him, saying, 'Yeh aadmi yeh sab kuchh karta hai to kaam kab karega?'" Singh shared, reflecting on the incident.
Singh expressed regret over not being able to hire the "capable" candidate, highlighting the value of well-rounded individuals in the workplace. He cited Google's approach to hiring as a stark contrast. "I couldn't hire him, and I regret it.
This happened many years ago. I've been away from India and assumed things would have changed, but it looks like they haven't. Compare this to my time at Google, which had an unwritten policy: if you excelled in the Olympics, you could walk into a Google office and get a job. Excellence is a transferable skill!" he wrote.
Outrage over L&T chairman's remarks
The conversation about toxic work cultures reignited recently when an undated video of Larsen & Toubro Chairman SN Subrahmanyan surfaced on Reddit. In the clip, Subrahmanyan advocated for a 90-hour work week, expressing dissatisfaction with employees having Saturdays off.
“What do you do sitting at home? How long can you stare at your wife? How long can the wives stare at their husbands? Get to the office and start working," Subrahmanyan said. In a reference to the comments, Singh added, "I thought such managers were extinct. Turns out they aren't."
The remarks drew widespread criticism from corporate leaders and social media users alike, with prominent voices like Anand Mahindra, Harsh Goenka, and Adar Poonawalla condemning the statement.