‘Skill is a tool, but…’: Startup founder points out common red flags among job seekers, as seen during interviews

Jaya Shakthi Kannan highlights the importance of problem-solving and ownership over skills, advocating that candidates should not jump jobs solely for salary hikes. 

A recent LinkedIn post has sparked a wide discussion on hiring. Jaya Shakthi Kannan, an entrepreneur, shared his hiring experience. He had interviewed more than 50 candidates recently. During this process, he noticed some common red flags.

The biggest red flag, he said, was blame. Many candidates blamed their previous company. Some blamed their previous manager, too.

Others switched jobs purely for a salary hike. He admitted that salary does matter. But he feels it should not be the only reason. According to him, people should not jump companies just for money.

When hiring, he looks beyond skills and experience. He wants to see genuine passion for the role. He also looks for passion towards the larger goal.

Another quality he values is thinking beyond the job description. Problem-solving ability matters a lot to him. So does the willingness to take ownership. He gave a simple example to explain this.

The startup founder wrote, “For example, I don’t just want a video editor who can edit videos. I want someone who can look at a problem and say, ‘What kind of content will solve this problem?’”

“Similarly, I don’t just want a marketer who knows marketing. I want someone who can understand the business, identify the problem, and use marketing to solve it. Skill is a tool. Problem-solving is the mindset,” he added.

LinkedIn reacts

The LinkedIn comments section reflected wide agreement with this idea. One reader called this the most important line of the post.

“Skills are easy to screen for; that mindset thing is what interviews usually fail to catch,” the user wrote.

Another commenter shared a similar experience from their own company: “...skills matter, but ownership and problem-solving mindset matter more.”

“Skills may get the opportunity, but mindset often shapes what we do with it,” came from another LinkedIn user.

Not everyone found this easy to relate to, though. One person asked how he managed to attract so many candidates. They mentioned that finding good profiles has become tough nowadays. Even getting people to show up for interviews is hard.

Who is Jaya Shakthi Kannan?

Jaya Shakthi Kannan is the founder of CDIX Innovations, which is an “Industrial Automation company focusing on building cost-effective, profitable solutions for the Industries”. The company, founded in 2019, is based in Chennai, Tamil Nadu.

Kannan is also the founder of Makers Tribe. According to the official description, it is “Chennai's first full-fledged makerspace with a focus on IoT, community of communities, and 3rd Maker Space in India and 2nd in South India”.

About the Author

Sounak Mukhopadhyay covers trending news, sports and entertainment for LiveMint. His reporting focuses on fast-moving stories, box office performance, digital culture and major cricket developments. He combines real-time updates with clear context for everyday readers. <br><br> Sounak brings newsroom experience across breaking news, explainers and long-form features. He has a strong emphasis on accuracy, verification and responsible storytelling. His work tracks audience behaviour, celebrity influence and the business of sport and cinema. He helps readers understand why a story matters beyond the headline. <br><br> Sounak has contributed to widely read digital publications. He continues to build a body of journalism shaped by consistency, speed and editorial clarity. He is particularly interested in the intersection of media, popular culture and public conversation in contemporary India. <br><br> At LiveMint, he writes daily coverage as well as analytical pieces that interpret numbers, trends and cultural moments in accessible language. His approach prioritises factual depth, balanced framing and reader trust. The reporting aligns with modern newsroom standards of transparency and credibility. <br><br> Outside daily reporting, he explores storytelling across formats including podcasts, filmmaking and narrative non-fiction. Through his journalism, Sounak aims to document the rhythms of modern entertainment and sports while maintaining rigorous editorial integrity. <br><br> Sounak continues to develop audience-focused journalism that connects speed with substance in a rapidly-changing information environment. His work seeks clarity, trust and lasting public value in every story he reports.

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