Startup Founder Gets Called Out for Advertising Problematic Job Role

Dhruv described the ideal candidate as 'under 30', 'hustling go-getter', looking to "make something of themselves

Many people criticised Dhruv for displaying ageism, and setting unrealistic and arbitrary criteria for the job.

(Photo Courtesy: The Quint)

In recent years, as stress-related health problems have surged, efforts to initiate discussions on fostering healthy workplace environments and prioritizing work-life balance have gained importance. However, despite these attempts, the pervasive 'hustle culture' propagated by startups continues to prevail.

One such incident was highlighted after a startup founder, Dhruv Bhushan, listed a job opening. In his post, the founder jotted down several criterias for an ideal candidate which required him to be "under 30", "hustling go-getter", who is looking to "make something of themselves or prove themselves to their families/teachers/exes/former bosses/ society/ anyone else that did not believe in them,". He went on to offer air-tickets to Europe to anyone who gives a successful referral.

The original post was shared by Dhruv on LinkedIn, but later it found its way to Twitter for its bizarre criteria. It was shared with a caption that read, "Welcome to red flag city". The post soon gained traction, and it did not go down well with netizens. Many people criticised Dhruv for not only displaying ageism, but for setting unrealistic and arbitrary criteria for the job.

Taking a sarcastic jibe on Dhruv, a user wrote, "this reads like a personals ad from craigslist that leads to a limited true crime series"

Another user joked, "Going to DM him the Forbes 30 Under 30 list and start planning a Europe trip."

Here's what others said:

However, despite facing significant criticism, Dhruv Bhushan took to LinkedIn once again, acknowledging the backlash and expressing gratitude to a Twitter page that helped generate more attention for his job post. He also clarified that his original post was not deleted by him but was taken down by LinkedIn under the suspicion of being a spam advertisement.