Talent Acquisition = Indian Classical Music - AI (the Clueless Audience Member)

Let’s talk about hiring.

Or rather, let’s talk about South Indian classical music. Because if you’ve ever attended a Carnatic concert, you’ll understand something that most modern hiring processes completely miss.

Picture this…

You’re at a grand performance. The musician on stage is playing a piece composed centuries ago, passed down through an unbroken chain of masters and students. The ragas are intricate, the talas are mesmerizing, and the artist isn’t just playing—they’re breathing life into every note.

Then suddenly…

BEEP!

An AI bot in the front row holds up a scorecard: “Lack of formal certification. Does not meet criteria.”

Another bot pipes up: “Please complete this multiple-choice test on ‘The Fundamentals of Raga Alapana’ within 30 minutes.”

And a third one shouts: “Describe a time you struggled to find Sa-Pa-Sa and how you overcame it.”

This is exactly what’s happening in modern hiring.

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Talent acquisition—real, soul-stirring, “find the hidden gem” talent acquisition—is an art.

It’s like Carnatic music:

- It’s not just about technical skills—it’s about how you use them.

- It’s not just about what’s on paper—it’s about what’s in the heart.

- And it’s definitely not about automated pipelines—it’s about human connection.

Talk to any truly exceptional professional—a legendary programmer, a marketing genius, a product visionary, a sales wizard—and at some point, the conversation will turn emotional.  

They will talk about their mentors.  

The people who took them under their wing. The ones who didn’t just teach them theories but showed them how it’s really done.  

This is universal across fields:  

- The coder who still remembers how their first mentor explained recursion with a pizza analogy.  

- The designer who learned the nuances of typography from an old-school art director who obsessed over every pixel.  

- The salesperson who picked up their first closing technique by watching a master negotiator in action.  

Top talent doesn’t just emerge from textbooks and Coursera courses.  

It comes from hours, days, weeks, months, and years spent in the craft—guided by someone who cared.  

And here’s the kicker: You won’t find this in average talent.  

Average talent talks about job titles, salaries, and “the industry standard.”  

Top talent talks about their mentors, the late nights spent perfecting their craft, the moments of frustration and breakthrough.  

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Why AI Is the Awkward Concertgoer

Now let’s talk about the AI-fueled hiring process.

It’s like inviting a robot to a classical concert:

- “This raga did not meet the 85% similarity threshold to pre-approved compositions.”

- “Your tala was off by 0.03 seconds. Disqualified.”

- “We are looking for a candidate with 5-7 years of Veena experience. You only have 4 years and 11 months. Goodbye.”

Look, AI has its place—it’s great for filtering out obvious mismatches (like the guy who applies for a Python developer role but thinks Python is a snake).

But AI can’t spot passion.

It can’t feel potential.

And it definitely can’t sense soul.

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Hiring Like a Maestro

So what’s the fix? Simple: Hire like a Carnatic musician teaches their protégé.

- If you’re hiring programmers, don’t make them take a quiz. Pair them with your best engineer for a coding jam session. See how they think.

- If you’re hiring marketers, skip the PowerPoint assignment. Ask them about the most brilliant ad campaign they’ve ever seen. Watch how they light up.

And when you find someone who gets it—someone with raw talent and untapped potential—don’t just hire them.

Mentor them.

Invest in them.

Pass down your knowledge like a classical master passing down an ancient raga.

Because great hiring isn’t about filling vacancies.

It’s about building legacies.

Now excuse me while I go tune my tanpura.

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