Mumbai CEO rejects senior candidate for seeking husband’s approval before joining. Was it justified?

A Mumbai-based CEO has ignited an intense online debate after revealing that he rejected a senior-level candidate due to an unusual hiring request. Vinod Chendhil, founder and CEO of Naturally Yours, took to X (formerly Twitter) to share that the candidate wanted her husband to meet the company leadership before she accepted the job offer.

Unusual Hiring Request Leads to Instant Rejection

Chendhil described the request as a "huge red flag" and stated that it led to her "instant rejection." He wrote, "Spoke to a candidate today, who wanted us to meet her husband after we had selected her. Instant reject." The candidate had already cleared the interview process and was chosen for a senior role when she asked for her husband to assess the company before she made her final decision.



In a follow-up post, Chendhil elaborated, expressing his concern about the woman’s autonomy in decision-making. "Because she wants her husband to say yes for her to join us. Why would an independent woman want that? Basically, she wants her husband to interview us to see if it's okay for her to join. Shows she is totally dependent on him. How will she ever take any decisions if she cannot take a basic one?" he questioned.

Mixed Reactions and CEO's Response

His comments sparked a divided reaction on social media. Some users supported Chendhil’s decision, arguing that such a request was highly unprofessional for a senior position.

A user named Jaipal shared his perspective, "I have had conversations with female candidates’ parents BUT at intern levels. Mostly to allay any anxiety around their kid being safe & taken care of. At senior levels, it’s a crazy thing. There’s no way it would have worked. Good call."

Entrepreneur DK Agarwal recounted a similar experience, stating, "We interviewed a person from Delhi who agreed to join in Bangalore but then said my family may not allow it. We said an immediate no."

However, others pushed back, arguing that the incident was reflective of societal restrictions on women rather than a personal flaw of the candidate. Sakshi Shukla, founder of Saturn Studios, noted, "This isn’t a red flag on her part. It’s a sign that her family wants to control where she works. You might have rejected a really solid candidate just because society functions against women."

In response to the backlash, Chendhil clarified that this was not the sole reason for rejecting the candidate. "There were other red flags as well," he stated, without elaborating on additional concerns raised during the interview process.