09/02/2026

MONDAY | FEB 9, 2026

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CGPA-based hiring stifles potential I T was during a casual conversation with a friend, an executive at a prominent semi-government organisation, that I received a jolt of anecdotal, suggests a resounding no. I, like many managers, have witnessed the full spectrum.

towards competency-based hiring, assessing portfolios, project outcomes, situational judgement and cultural add. So why does this GPA fetish persist, particularly in certain established or semi-government sectors? It is often a flawed proxy for “quality control”, a misguided attempt to minimise risk in hiring. It is an administratively easy filter in a sea of applications. But this ease comes at a catastrophic cost: the loss of diverse thinking. By filtering for a narrow band of academic achievers, organisations end up homogenising their workforce. They weed out the late bloomers, the interdisciplinary thinkers, those who overcame adversity and the pragmatic doers who may have spent their university years building a startup or mastering a craft instead of chasing an “A”. What should corporates and organisations truly look for beyond the transcript? First, problem-solving aptitude. Can they deconstruct a vague, real-world challenge and devise a pragmatic path forward? This is often revealed through case studies or discussions of past projects, not grades. Second, adaptability and learning agility. In a fast-changing world, can they learn, unlearn and relearn? A curiosity-driven mindset is far more valuable than mastery of yesterday’s syllabus. Third, resilience and grit. The ability to face setbacks, receive feedback and

persevere is arguably the greatest predictor of long-term success. This is forged in life’s trials, not lecture halls. Fourth, collaboration and emotional intelligence. Success is almost always a team sport. The ability to communicate, empathise, negotiate and inspire cannot be graded on a 4.0 scale. Finally, purpose and drive. What motivates the candidate? A hunger for meaning and impact often outperforms a hunger for mere achievement. It is time for organisations, especially those in the public and semi-public sphere that shape national potential, to lead a paradigm shift. Hiring must be an act of projection; not retrospection. It should answer the question: “What can this person build, solve and inspire here?” not “How well did they test a decade ago?” Let us retire the CGPA as a primary gatekeeper. Let us design recruitment processes that are rigorous, fair and capable of seeing the whole person. Our organisations and our society’s progress depend not on a cohort of flawless test-takers but on a vibrant mosaic of thinkers, builders and resilient doers. Their transcripts are the least interesting thing about them. DrBhavani Krishna Iyer holds a doctorate in English literature. Her professional background encompasses teaching, journalism and public relations. She is currently pursuing a second master’s degree in counselling. Comments: letters@thesundaily.com

The 4.0 graduate who struggles with a simple client email or collapses under the mildest pressure and the 2.8 holder whose creativity, grit and interpersonal genius become the engine of team success.

“The workplace is not a closed-book exam; it is a messy, collaborative and unpredictable arena where problems are ill-defined and rulebooks are written daily.

FOR decades, the global conversation around water and sanitation has followed a comforting, linear narrative: We are making progress. More people now have access to clean water than before. The world is on a path, however slow, to solving this basic human need. Guy Howard’s critical assessment, “ The future of water and sanitation: Global challenges and the need for greater ambition “, shatters this complacency. His findings are a stark wake-up call – our current approach is not only inadequate but dangerously misaligned with the realities of the 21st century. We are trying to solve yesterday’s problems with yesterday’s tools while a perfect storm of new threats gathers force. The central and most devastating finding is this: climate change is unravelling our hard-won gains. We can no longer view water access as a static development goal to be checked off a list. A well built today may be dry in a decade due to shifting rainfall patterns. A water treatment plant on a coastline may be inundated by saltwater intrusion or extreme flooding. Climate change isn’t a future threat; it is a present-day multiplier of water scarcity, pollution and infrastructural failure. Our investments are becoming increasingly fragile. This leads to Howard’s second crucial point: the profound and an unwritten yet ironclad rule that any recruit, irrespective of age, experience or demonstrable skill, must possess a CGPA of 3.5 or above even to be considered for employment in the organisation. My surprise was not born of ignorance but of disbelief. In an era that celebrates diverse talent pathways, dynamic upskilling and holistic potential, how can a two-digit figure from one’s academic past wield such absolute veto power? This fixation on the cumulative grade point average is not merely an outdated practice; it is a profound failure of imagination in talent acquisition. What does a CGPA truly indicate? At its best, it signals a student’s consistency in progressing through a structured, largely theoretical academic system over a defined period. It rewards memorisation, adherence to syllabus and performance in standardised assessments. It is, in essence, a measure of academic compliance within a controlled environment. But does it predict professional brilliance? The evidence, both empirical and obsolete revelation. She mentioned, almost offhandedly, that her organisation adhered to

The workplace is not a closed-book exam; it is a messy, collaborative and unpredictable arena where problems are ill-defined and rulebooks are written daily. Here, qualities like resilience, ethical judgement, practical problem-solving,

communication emotional intelligence are the real currencies of success, none of which are encapsulated in a CGPA. Globally, the tide is turning against this lazy metric. Leading tech giants, innovative start-ups and forward thinking governments have increasingly de-emphasised or entirely removed degree and grade requirements from a host of roles. They recognise that brilliant coders can be self-taught, that transformative salespeople may have studied philosophy and that the most inspiring leaders often emerge from non-linear journeys. Countries like Germany and Switzerland, with robust vocational training models, have long understood that applied competence trumps theoretical grades. The world is moving and

COMMENT by Prof Datuk Dr Ahmad Ibrahim

Looming water crisis demands paradigm shift

dangerous inequality in water security. The article would argue that the divide is no longer just between the global North and South but between the resilient and the vulnerable everywhere. The wealthy can afford desalination plants, private tanks and adaptive technologies. The poor are left with contaminated sources, erratic supplies and the brutal consequences – disease, lost education and economic paralysis. This is not just an issue of justice; it is a recipe for social instability and conflict. So, what’s holding us back? Howard identifies a critical failure of ambition and a funding gap that is more of a chasm. But the problem is deeper than money; it is a failure of imagination. We remain trapped in a siloed mindset: The water-sanitation split – we often treat clean water and safe sanitation as separate issues. In reality, they are two sides of the same coin. Inadequate sanitation contaminates water sources, making the provision of clean water infinitely more difficult and expensive. A holistic approach is not just efficient; it is the only one that works. The innovation lag: Where is the “Apollo programme” for water? We have seen breathtaking innovation in renewables, computing and medicine but the fundamental technologies for managing water and waste in a sustainable, circular way have not

We can no longer view water access as a static development goal to be checked off a list. A well built today may be dry in a decade due to shifting rainfall patterns. – ADIB RAWI YAHYA/THESUN

kept pace. We need a surge of investment in smart water grids, affordable purification and waste-to resource technologies that recover water, nutrients and energy. The way forward: From incremental to transformative. Howard’s call for “greater ambition” is the heart of the matter. It means building for resilience, not just access. Every new water and sanitation project must be climate-proofed. This means using climate data to site facilities, designing for drought and flood, and protecting natural ecosystems like wetlands and forests that are our first line of defence. Embracing the circular economy: We must stop seeing wastewater as a problem to be disposed of and start

seeing it as a resource to be mined. Singapore’s NEWater and other projects show it is possible to close the loop, turning “waste” into clean water, fertiliser and biogas. Prioritising the poorest and most vulnerable: Ambition means targeting those hardest to reach – not because it is easy but because it is essential. This requires nuanced, context specific solutions and a relentless focus on equity. The conclusion is inescapable. Achieving universal, safe and sustainable water and sanitation is the bedrock upon which all other development goals – from health and gender equality to poverty reduction and climate action – depend. Howard’s work shows us that our

current trajectory is a path to managed decline. The question is no longer if we can afford to act with greater ambition but whether we can afford not to. The future of water is not a pre-determined fate; it is a choice. We must choose to be as ambitious, innovative and resilient as the challenges we face. Our collective stability, health and prosperity depend on it. Prof Datuk Dr Ahmad Ibrahim is affiliated with the Tan Sri Omar Centre for STI Policy Studies at UCSI University and is an adjunct professor at the Ungku Aziz Centre for Development Studies, Universiti Malaya. Comments: letters@thesundaily.com