Career 'treadmill': Why chasing percentage hikes equals "no progress," says Anupam Mittal
Anupam Mittal cautioned that professionals who frequently job-hop purely for a salary bump often sacrifice depth, edge, and true career compounding.
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A recent LinkedIn post by prominent entrepreneur and investor Anupam Mittal has ignited a fierce debate among Indian professionals, challenging the widespread practice of routinely expecting a 30-35% salary increase when switching jobs. Mittal, the founder of Shaadi.com and an investor on Shark Tank India, described the benchmark as having "no logic, no context, just ritual."
The 'Treadmill' of Chasing Percentage Hikes
Mittal strongly argued that this annual pursuit of a percentage-based raise is akin to "running on a treadmill – a lot of motion, no progress." He cautioned that professionals who frequently job-hop purely for a salary bump often sacrifice depth, edge, and true career compounding.
Instead of focusing on pay, Mittal urged individuals to prioritize growth in cognitive skills, stating, "If there’s one number worth chasing, it’s not a 35% raise. It’s a 35% growth in your judgement – in critical thinking, first principles thinking & creative problem-solving."
His central point is that in the era of Artificial Intelligence, the professionals who will thrive are those who focus on producing meaningful outcomes rather than just mere outputs.
Clarifying the Stance on Increments Responding to comments, Mittal clarified that his critique is not against high salaries, but against the arbitrary "standard" of a 35% hike.
"To be clear, I am all for a 100% hike as well if the role demands it... If you bring that value by all means you should get paid what you are worth," he wrote.
He attributed the existence of this expected increment to India's stable economic environment, suggesting that the lack of a major crisis in the last two decades has led to a degree of entitlement among the workforce.
The post has resonated across the Indian professional community, prompting many to acknowledge the pressure to chase annual raises while simultaneously questioning the long-term value of such a practice for career development.
