'Easy to learn, hard to unlearn': Thyrocare's Rs 5,000 cr man, Dr Velumani explains why he always hired freshers

Hiring decisions often focus on experience, but Thyrocare founder Dr A Velumani believes experience can sometimes become a disadvantage. Drawing from years of mentoring professionals, the entrepreneur recently explained why he consistently preferred hiring freshers over experienced candidates. His reasoning goes beyond technical skills and delves into mindset, learning, happiness, and the ability to embrace change. In a thought-provoking post, Velumani argued that success is easier to teach than the willingness to unlearn deeply ingrained habits.

Dr A Velumani on mentoring

Thyrocare founder Dr A Velumani took to X to reflect on his experience as a mentor, saying that people generally seek guidance for two reasons: to become successful or to become happy.



According to him, those chasing success usually come with the intention of learning. He observed that most of them absorb new ideas, go on to succeed, and later express gratitude. Even those who do not achieve the desired outcome, he said, at least understand the lessons they were taught.

The second group, he explained, approaches mentoring in search of happiness rather than success. However, he believes many of them struggle because they are unwilling to acknowledge that their own thinking may be holding them back. Instead of accepting uncomfortable truths, they often argue, become emotional, and eventually distance themselves from the process. Only a small number, he noted, recognise that changing themselves is the real challenge.

Why he always preferred hiring freshers

Velumani then connected these mentoring experiences to his hiring philosophy. He explained that freshers are far easier to teach because they arrive with open minds and fewer fixed assumptions. Experienced professionals, on the other hand, often find it difficult to let go of habits and beliefs built over years of work.

His message was simple: it is easy for a fresher to learn, but extremely difficult for an experienced employee to unlearn. Until a person is willing to unlearn outdated ways of thinking, meaningful relearning becomes almost impossible.

His message for unhappy employees

Velumani also addressed workplace dissatisfaction. He argued that employers usually have little hesitation in accepting the resignation of unhappy employees because there is no shortage of such people in the job market.

In his view, many professionals mistakenly believe changing jobs will automatically make them happier. Instead, they spend their time searching for happiness through new employers without recognising that lasting happiness often begins with changing their own mindset rather than expecting others to change.

A final message for parents

Velumani concluded his post with a brief but striking message aimed at parents. He cautioned parents against over-pampering their children, suggesting that resilience, adaptability, and the willingness to learn are qualities that need to be nurtured from an early age. His broader argument is that people who learn to accept change and remain open to growth are better equipped to succeed professionally and find happiness personally.

About Dr A Velumani

Dr A. Velumani, founder of Thyrocare, often draws from his own experiences to advocate resilience over comfort. In his previous tweets, he has shared how, while working at BARC in the early 1980s, he earned extra income by tutoring a wealthy family's son. The job gradually became more about keeping the child entertained than teaching him. Although the tuition paid better than his salary, the boy eventually failed Class 12. Years later, after the family faced financial hardship, Thyrocare employed him. Velumani says the experience reinforced his belief that over-pampering children weakens their ability to face life's challenges.