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‘Sir, I'll need a 30-minute nap every afternoon’: IITian founder reacts to Gen Z candidate’s request
The founder’s post on his interaction with a Gen Z candidate has prompted varied responses on social media.
A Noida-based founder took to LinkedIn to share his surprising experience during a job interview, in which a candidate boldly requested a mandatory 30-minute afternoon nap. While initially caught off guard, the founder used the moment to reflect on shifting workplace norms, claiming that actual deliverables matter far more than rigid desk hours.
"‘Sir, I'll need a 30-minute nap every afternoon. It boosts my productivity.’ A Gen Z candidate said this to me,” founder and CEO Nitin Verma wrote on LinkedIn. He recalled how the candidate didn’t make the request nervously or as a joke. “He said it like he was negotiating a salary.”
Also Read: ‘Sir, I have a life outside office’: Delhi founder hires Gen Z who refused Saturday work
The founder’s first reaction was to end the interview; instead, he just smiled and moved on. However, the interaction got him thinking whether the candidate was really wrong in asking for a specified nap time.
“Was he wrong? I've read the same studies he probably has. A short afternoon nap can genuinely sharpen focus, memory, and energy. Half the corporate world runs on people quietly dozing off in 3 PM meetings anyway. He was just honest enough to ask for it out loud,” Verma posted.
He continued, “So here's where I landed, and it's somewhere in the middle. I respect the honesty. Most people hide who they are in interviews. He told me exactly how he works best. That takes guts.”
So instead of promising a specified nap time, the founder told the candidate, “I don't care when you nap. I care whether the work gets done. Deliver, and I'll never count your hour. Don't, and no nap in the world will save you.”
He explained, “Because that's the real shift Gen Z is pushing, and honestly, they're not entirely wrong. The old world measured effort by hours at a desk. The new world is asking a better question. Not ‘how long did you sit there,’ but ‘what did you actually produce?’ I'm not saying every demand they make is reasonable. A lot of it isn't.”
Did the candidate get the job?
The founder wrote, “But this one made me think. And a candidate who makes you rethink your own assumptions is usually worth a second look. He got the job. The nap wasn't the point. The confidence to ask, and the results to back it up, were.”
(Hindustantimes.com has reached out to Nitin Verma. This report will be updated when he responds.)
What did social media say?
An individual expressed, “Maybe the real productivity debate isn't about when people work, but whether we have built workplaces where results matter more than appearances.” Another commented, “Moving past traditional desk-time metrics to focus on radical honesty, personal autonomy, and actual output proves that the future of work is all about delivering results rather than counting hours.”
Also Read: 'Gen Z is not what people think': Sridhar Vembu shares 19-year-old employee's inspiring story
A third posted, “I’m glad to see organizations that value these thoughtful adjustments, enabling employees to perform at their best. Great initiative, Nitin!” A fourth wrote, “Gen Z really knows how to negotiate the important benefits.”
