A job listing on LinkedIn has gone viral after it explicitly warned applicants not to apply if they are not “highly intelligent and hardworking.” The post, which was for a sales and analyst role at a remote company, was shared on Reddit, where users questioned both its tone and expectations.
The listing claimed that in its previous hiring round, “more than 5,000 candidates applied” but “zero” were found to be both highly intelligent and hardworking. In an apparent attempt to weed out unqualified applicants, the company declared it was now targeting the “top 1%” of talent in India” for its US-based clients.
The job description asked candidates to apply only if they can work under pressure without losing precision.
However, the post’s boldness and blunt demands drew attention and also sparked criticism. Many Reddit users argued that the role seemed to bundle three separate, high-demand jobs into one position.
“Any SaaS company would have three different functions for these roles and hire the right skills for each role,” one commenter noted.
Others called it a reflection of an increasingly competitive job market.
“It is normal in the upcoming IT market. It’s gonna be worse and more competitive, especially for companies that haven’t touched a billion yet,” wrote one user.
Some speculated the tone came from frustration with past hires, while others questioned who would even apply to such a job.
“Looks like they have had some bad experiences with the candidates before. But who will apply for such job descriptions anyway?” said one of them.