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Founder says 1,290 applied for internship, none hired yet at his startup: 'Almost nobody wants to prove...'
The founder shared that his firm received 1,290 applications for internship openings. However, only a small fraction of applicants completed hiring process.
A Chennai-based startup founder has sparked a discussion on LinkedIn after revealing that none of the candidates who interviewed for an internship role at his company has been selected despite receiving nearly 1,300 applications.
Taking to LinkedIn, Ramesh Ravishankar, co-founder and chief go-to-market officer at Highperformr.ai, shared that his firm received 1,290 applications for internship openings last month. However, only a small fraction of applicants progressed through the hiring pipeline.
"1,290 applications. 83 attempted the assessment. 23 cleared it. 10 moved to interviews. 0 cleared interviews so far," he wrote.
"Read that again. 1,290 people raised their hand. 83 actually showed up when it was time to do the work. That's 6%," he added.
Ravishankar said that the company also encountered candidates who cleared the assessment but skipped interviews, declined the opportunity after learning relocation was required, or stopped responding altogether.
"Everyone wants to work at an AI startup. Almost nobody wants to prove they can do the work," he wrote.
"Somewhere along the way, we started confusing visibility with effort. The application is easy. The LinkedIn post about landing the role is exciting. The personal brand says 'AI/ML enthusiast.' But the assessment? The relocation? The actual grind of showing up every day and building something nobody will applaud you for? That's where 94% disappear," he added.
Ravishankar further argued that many young professionals today prioritise titles and personal branding over developing skills and putting in consistent effort. "We've built a culture where young professionals are encouraged to become thought leaders before they've had a chance to become thoughtful workers. Where the title matters more than the craft. Where 'just an intern' feels like something to apologize for instead of something to earn," he said.
"But here's what I've learned building a company: civilizations aren't built by people chasing extraordinary titles. They're built by people who show up consistently and do ordinary work extraordinarily well. Patience. Reliability. Doing the unglamorous thing when nobody's watching," he added.
Concluding the post, Ravishankar said that his firm looks beyond resumes when evaluating candidates.
"The 83 who attempted the assessment told us more about themselves than 1,200 polished resumes ever could. They didn't need to be exceptional. They just needed to try," he said.
"We don't hire for resumes. We hire for slope. Is this person smart? Do they give a damn? Will they attempt something hard even when nobody's watching? You can teach the craft. You can't teach give-a-damn," hr added.
(Also Read: Techie exposes remote work reality after losing job in 6 months: 'I'm just gutted and exhausted')
How did social media react?
The post quickly gained traction, with several LinkedIn users questioning the company's hiring process and expectations.
One commenter asked whether the startup offered relocation support, saying companies also have a responsibility to create supportive workplaces rather than expecting interns to simply "grind" and "hustle."
Responding to the criticism, Ravishankar clarified that the company does provide relocation assistance.
"We do support relocation. My point wasn't about asking interns to 'hustle' at any cost. It was about follow-through. If someone isn't interested or can't relocate, that's completely okay. What surprised me was how many people simply stopped engaging after applying," he wrote.
Another user highlighted a different issue faced by job seekers, saying many companies ask candidates to complete assignments only to ghost them later.
"Just wanna say as someone who's done a good amount of assignments and interviews, nowadays a lot of good companies give you an assignment and then just ghost. It's so frustrating," the user commented.
Ravishankar acknowledged the concern, saying, "I get that. Ghosting after asking someone to invest time is a terrible experience. If we ask candidates to complete an assessment, we have a responsibility to review it and close the loop."
"if I had that many candidates not show up I'd assume that I WAS missing something instead of saying 'I can't teach give-a-damn'," another user wrote.
Responding, Ravishankar said the feedback was valid but maintained that commitment remains a key hiring criterion. "That's a fair challenge. We constantly refine our hiring process. At the same time, showing up for the next step is a signal in itself. We value that as much as technical ability," he said.
