IIM graduate asked, 'How many kids do you have?' She vents, 'No one wanted to know my experience and achievements'

A seasoned marketing professional was forced to swallow a bitter pill when she was rejected for the position of CMO by a consumer brand, not for bombing the interview or for having unsatisfactory credentials, but for being a mom with growing kids. Taking to LinkedIn, the IIM alumna shared her ordeal and revealed that during the interview, the hiring manager asked borderline invasive questions about her family, and no queries were made about her leadership experience and domain knowledge. Along with the post, she also shared a screenshot of a WhatsApp chat between her and the hiring manager in which they confirmed her worst fears: she wasn’t considered for being a mother.

A Brief Interview Overshadowed by Personal Questions

The interview, which lasted just 14 minutes, was conducted over the phone by the company’s promoter. For the first 11 minutes, the candidate outlined her professional journey, summarizing her 11 years of marketing experience as requested. However, what followed was both unexpected and disappointing. In the remaining three minutes of the conversation, she was asked a string of personal questions, all related to her family rather than her work achievements.

She was queried about the size of her family, the number of children she had, their ages, where her older child studied, and who took care of them in her absence. Even her mode of daily commute and her husband’s career and the performance of his startup were questioned. The only vaguely professional query was about why she had exited her previous job.


Throughout the interaction, there was no mention of her leadership qualities, her record of increasing revenues, her contribution to business growth, her accomplishments in challenging roles, or even her areas of improvement.

"No further questions on my experience, revenue I handled, businesses I grew, industries I worked in, my achievements, my failures, challenging projects I worked on, or amazing work that I have ever delivered. Not even my strengths and weaknesses!" she wrote.

It became immediately clear to her that the outcome of the interview was already predetermined. She followed up with HR the following day, only to have her worst suspicions confirmed in a WhatsApp chat—she was not selected due to her identity as a mother.

A Broader Problem: Maternity Bias and Professional Setbacks

What makes this incident more troubling is that this isn't an isolated case. The woman emphasized that her post wasn’t a complaint about missing out on a role—she didn’t particularly need or want that job—but rather a spotlight on the pervasive problem of discrimination against working mothers. She explained how many of her highly qualified friends, some from elite institutes and top-tier professional backgrounds, have experienced similar treatment.

In many cases, women with children are either overlooked for promotions, subjected to token salary increases, or placed in roles deemed "easier" due to their perceived family obligations. This unfair bias, often referred to as the "maternity penalty," is deeply entrenched in workplace culture. It sidelines capable women solely based on their reproductive choices, denying them fair opportunities to grow in their careers.

Gender Disparity at the Top

Over the past few months, the candidate noted a disturbing pattern while applying for senior-level roles. Most leadership positions in both emerging start-ups and well-established corporations are overwhelmingly occupied by men. Although she holds no prejudice against male leaders, her observation makes it evident that gender disparity in leadership is far from being addressed. In fact, she predicted that the company she interviewed with would likely appoint a man for the CMO role.

Redditors React

The WhatsApp screenshot shared by the IIM graduate quickly gained traction, spreading across LinkedIn and the subreddit Indian Workplace. Users on Reddit were quick to confirm that such discriminatory practices during interviews are, unfortunately, all too common in many Indian workplaces. Several contributors to the discussion shared similar experiences, stating that some employers explicitly prefer hiring young, unmarried individuals under the assumption that they will be more committed to work and free from familial responsibilities.

Others mentioned that even single women often face intrusive questions about their personal lives, including whether they plan to get married soon. Married women, especially those without children, are frequently asked about their husbands’ professions, potential plans to relocate, and intentions around starting a family. Many described how interviewers in corporate India frequently behave more like overly inquisitive neighborhood elders than professional recruiters.

The woman at the center of this viral post has been identified as Pragya, a graduate of IIM Kozhikode.