CEO asks candidate 1 reason to not hire her. This work-life balance answer won her the job

The job interview story shared on Threads resonates with a growing trend: women-led businesses often prioritise work-life balance for their teams. (AI-generated image)

A marketing executive has shared an unusual interview experience that ended with a job offer. Posting on Threads, Beatriz Braga revealed that during her last job interview, the CEO asked her to give one good reason not to hire her. “I told her I wasn’t ready for that question and needed some time to think,” Braga wrote. The CEO agreed and asked her to email the answer later.

Braga assumed the request would be forgotten—but a few hours later, the CEO followed up. “I sat with it for a bit, wrote my answer, and sent it over. And today… I got the job,” Braga said, adding: “So yes, I love woman-led businesses.”

The email that sealed the deal

In her email, Braga wrote: “A good reason not to hire me is that I have my life together. What that means for me is that I keep my personal and professional life organized. I have my time to work, usually around 9 to 5 on weekdays, and I set boundaries to keep work inside those hours.”

She explained that while some companies expect employees to work endlessly, including weekends, she values boundaries: “Setting boundaries is important for people to respect me as a professional. While some people appreciate that, others might see it as a red flag. Being organised and mindful of my time, and other people’s time, is very important to me.”

Braga closed her email on a positive note. “I hope you both have a wonderful weekend, and it was a pleasure to get to know you," she wrote. "Even if this does not work out, I will be happy if our paths cross again in the future.”

Why women-led businesses stand out

Her story resonates with a growing trend: women-led businesses often prioritise work-life balance for their teams. Boston-based entrepreneur Nicole Bernard Dawes, founder of Late July and Nixie, recently told Fortune: “I think I probably am a little bit of a hypocrite, because I don’t unplug. I never do. But I never want to be the person that’s holding up a member of our team.”

Dawes, who scaled Late July into a $100 million brand before selling it to Campbell’s, says employees shouldn’t be expected to adopt the relentless work ethic founders choose for themselves.

Similarly, Edelweiss Mutual Funds CEO Radhika Gupta has called the work-life debate “unfair,” noting that hustle culture often ignores the reality of women juggling careers and caregiving. Gupta recalled a few instances when remarks on work-life balance by men made headlines and triggered nationwide debates.

"All the comments about 'let's work weekends', 'let's work 70 hours a week', '90 hours a week'... I've never seen one of these comments made by a woman, because we know it's not possible," she had said in June. “Working women who have children work 120 hours a week, but we are not a subject of national debate.”

Read more: Namita Thapar 'shocked' at Sridhar Vembu's 'marry in your 20s' tip: 'Similar to 70-hour work week'