Talent Unfiltered: Rohit Thakur on Why Candidates Should Never Be Treated Like a Commodity

Rohit Thakur has led HR at Microsoft, Accenture and GE, and is now Group CHRO at Mahindra, one of India's best-known conglomerates. In this episode of Talent Unfiltered, he joins Rohan Sylvester, Talent Strategy Advisor at Indeed and Glassdoor, for a candid conversation on what candidates really notice in an interview, why Mahindra keeps people for the long haul, and where AI fits into the future of hiring.

View the full conversation here:

The Breakdown

• 01:30 - What would make a candidate drop out: respect for their time, two-way questions and chemistry with the interviewer
• 02:15 - The biggest "bug" in hiring: treating candidates like a commodity
• 03:00 - Active versus passive talent, and why the best candidate for the role is what matters
• 06:26 - Employer reviews and why authenticity counts
• 07:57 - How Mahindra builds careers in a world of shorter stints
• 12:49 - AI, productivity and the case for "man plus machine"

Key Insights from the Conversation

1. Respect the candidate's time, and the interview is half the battle
Asked where a candidate might drop off in Mahindra's funnel, Thakur points to the experience itself: interviews that start on time, a real chance for candidates to ask questions rather than just be quizzed, and chemistry with the interviewer. That person is an important stakeholder for the candidate, so how they make a candidate feel welcome matters.

2. The biggest bug in hiring is treating candidates like a commodity
If hiring is a product, Thakur says its biggest flaw is running candidates through a factory-style process. Every candidate is unique and has taken time to assess the opportunity, whatever level they're interviewing for. In the rapid-fire round he returns to this as the trend he's most tired of, saying candidates should be made to feel special.

3. A strong brand is built on who you are, not just what's in the news
Thakur is happy for a company to be in the news for the right reasons, but says the real pull comes from culture, values and what the organisation represents. At leadership level, he says, nobody has turned down a conversation with him in his time at Mahindra. He also says today's candidates are well informed and read reviews on platforms like Glassdoor. What he hopes they find is authenticity, and when employee feedback is right, he says, the company works on it.

4. A conglomerate can offer careers, not just jobs
Mahindra spans very large businesses and well-funded startups, so employees can see a path across businesses, segments and industries. Thakur says attrition in the auto and farm sector is under 10%, and about 85% of employees there have been with the company for more than ten years. Add fair hygiene factors like compensation, and he says it makes a strong recipe for retention. It also means the company hires for fit with that long-term ethos.

5. AI is a partner, and the future is "man plus machine"
Thakur says he first saw AI as a productivity enhancer, but now sees it as a game changer for how things are architected, and says Mahindra is still learning. He doesn't see humans losing relevance: people will stay essential in turning AI's insights into decisions. He's optimistic about AI's power, though a little apprehensive about how people choose to use it.