Chennai CMO Refuses To Entertain Candidate’s High Salary Demand, Says Glad To 'Break A Gen Z Heart'
Maran Ramalingam, a self-employed Fractional CMO, took to LinkedIn to share his experience. His post quickly gained traction, especially because of his blunt confession: he was "glad" to have broken a "Gen Z heart."
A Chennai-based professional has sparked an online debate after openly admitting he turned down a Gen Z candidate who asked for a significant salary hike. And he has no regrets about it. Maran Ramalingam, a self-employed Fractional CMO, took to LinkedIn to share his experience. His post quickly gained traction, especially because of his blunt confession: he was “glad" to have broken a “Gen Z heart." The candidate in question was earning Rs 5 lakh per annum. When HR asked for his salary expectations, he initially requested Rs 8 lakh. But once in the interview, that number jumped to Rs 12 lakh.
Curious about the steep demand, Ramalingam asked him directly, “Can you help me understand why you believe a 100 per cent hike is justified?" Without hesitation, the candidate replied, “I have the skills." But when it came to proving those skills? Ramalingam wasn’t impressed. “Honestly, it was subpar. I wouldn’t even pay him the Rs 5 lakh he’s currently earning," he wrote.
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Rather than leaving it at that, he pointed out the flaws in the candidate’s work, breaking down where it lacked quality. “I could see, hear and feel his heartbreak. But here’s the thing: I’m glad I did. It’s important for this generation to understand what skills, deliverables, and quality truly mean," he added.
Ramalingam believes confidence is valuable but not enough on its own. “Salaries are determined by a combination of confidence and deliverables. In the real world, ‘I have done it’ always carries more weight than ‘I can do it,’" he explained in his post.
Before wrapping up, he cheekily added, “I might have just saved another interviewer from dealing with such an unrealistic demand."
Check out the post here:
The post quickly went viral, drawing mixed reactions. Some backed Ramalingam’s no-nonsense approach. “He did the right thing. You can’t just demand double without proving your worth," one user wrote. Others felt he was being unnecessarily harsh. “Breaking a ‘Gen Z heart’ shouldn’t be a flex. If his work was subpar, guide him rather than mock him," another countered. One commenter pointed out, “This generation needs to learn that skills matter more than confidence."
However, some argued that Ramalingam could have taken a more constructive approach. “Maybe he needed guidance instead of public shaming," suggested one person.
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