Mumbai Founder Kanan Bahl Shares Success of Hiring Hindi-Speaking Candidate

Mumbai-based entrepreneur Kanan Bahl shared details on social media platform X about his decision to hire a candidate from a Tier-2 city who struggled with English, placing him in a client-facing role that ultimately proved to be his most successful hiring decision.

Bahl stated that while evaluating candidates, he had become frustrated with hiring individuals who possessed strong English communication skills but lacked necessary technical expertise. When interviewing the candidate, Bahl noted that while the applicant's English was weak, his performance on the practical sample task was exceptional.

Despite initial hesitation about placing someone with limited English proficiency into a position that required interacting directly with clients, Bahl decided to extend the job offer. He advised the new hire to conduct client communications confidently in Hindi rather than struggling with English.

Reflecting on the outcome, Bahl confirmed that the employee went on to become his best hire. He noted that linguistic fluency should not be treated as a measure of a person's capability or intelligence, citing examples of international professionals in Japan, China, and Korea who operate effectively in their native languages, as well as popular public figures like Kumar Vishwas who connect with vast audiences primarily in Hindi.

Bahl's post prompted broader discussions online regarding hiring practices and language expectations in the corporate sector. Several respondents noted that in India, English fluency is frequently treated as a core skill rather than simply a medium of communication, contrasting this with hiring environments in other countries where technical competence is prioritised over language proficiency.