Woman shares why she rejected a ‘genuinely good’ candidate in interview: ‘It was a difficult decision’

A Geographic Information System (GIS) professional’s social media post about rejecting a seemingly deserving job candidate has triggered a wave of reactions online. The professional, Priyanka Joshi, shared her thoughts on X, explaining how she had to make a tough call despite empathising with the applicant’s situation. A woman’s viral post on turning down a job seeker despite feeling empathy drew mixed reactions on social media.(Representational image/Unsplash) In her now-viral post, Joshi wrote, “Today, I had to reject a candidate for a job interview. He seemed like a genuinely good person, but he simply didn’t possess the skills required for the role. I could sense his desperation… perhaps he had a family to support, maybe EMIs weighing on him… yet, I couldn’t let empathy cloud my professional judgment. It was a difficult decision, but a necessary one.” Joshi referred to a lesson from the Bhagavad Gita, noting, “In the Bhagavad Gita, Lord Krishna repeatedly emphasises the principle of ‘Nishkama Karma’—performing one’s duty without attachment to the result. Karma, in this context, isn’t about punishment or reward. It’s about alignment… acting in accordance with your role, truth, and responsibility, without being swayed guilt or sentiment. I did my Karma. Let the rest unfold as it must.” Check out the post here: Following her initial post, Joshi shared a follow-up comment: “Lots of reactions—some negative and some positive. I could have taken him and trained him if it would have been a long-term engagement. However, unfortunately, the project is short, and I wanted someone who can immediately jump into things.” Mixed reactions onlineThe post, which has now crossed over 60,000 views on X, drew mixed opinions from users, some lauding her professionalism while others felt compassion could have played a larger role. One user commented, “Never ever get emotional ma’am. What you did was absolutely right.” Another wrote, “Offer him another job or connect him to someone who might need his skills.” Several others weighed in thoughtfully. One said, “I would have done the same. Might have helped him in other ways, but no way could I risk my project.” Another remarked, “Yes. Do your part and move on. We don’t need to be tied emotionally to outcomes.” Others encouraged her to help indirectly, with a user suggesting, “Probably you can connect him with relevant folks in your network who may need someone like him.” HT.com has reached out to Priyanka Joshi for her comments. This story will be updated when a response is received.