Deepinder Goyal, CEO of Zomato, Updates on his Odd Employment Offer

Nitin Konde, Varun Bhardwaj

Nov 23, 2024 — 2 min read

Zomato CEO Deepinder Goyal Addresses Odd Employment Offer

Zomato CEO Deepinder Goyal reacted to social media on 21 November to clarify that charging people INR 20 lakh was never part of the strategy, and he hoped that 'paying the company to get a job' would not become the standard. This came a day after Goyal posted an unusual job vacancy for his Chief of Staff.

Goyal revealed that over 18,000 individuals had applied for the position before announcing the application closing in a post on X. This was no ordinary job posting. According to Goyal, "You have to pay us 20 lacs (sic)" was just used as a filter to identify those who were capable of appreciating the chance for a fast-track career without becoming constrained by external factors, as some individuals noted.

Goyal reaffirmed that charging INR 20 lakh was never part of the plan while sharing a screenshot of his chat with a user on X. "We will not eventually ask for 20 lacs (sic) and pay the right person anyway," he remarked during the conversation.

Focus on Selecting the Right Person

Goyal went on to say that the whole idea was to turn down the majority of applications that had a financial objective. He went on to say that the majority of applications from those who have money or have even discussed money will be rejected by the company. From the plethora of applications it has received, the firm will identify sincere intent and a learning attitude.

Goyal asserted that "money is an essential thing to keep people's lives running," saying that he thinks it's important to pay more than the going rate in order to prevent money from getting in the way of excellent work. He added that during the course of the following week, the company will analyse the submissions and get in touch with the applicants they felt would be the best fit for the company.

How this Entire Episode Started?

"Anything and everything to build the future of Zomato (including Blinkit, District, Hyperpure, and Feeding India)" was the job description Goyal posted on X on November 20th for his "Chief of Staff." Working with some of the most intelligent people in consumer technology, he said the position would provide "ten times more learnings than a two-year degree from a top management school." "This role is not a conventional role with the usual perks that such jobs come with," Goyal said.

"There is no salary for this role for the first year," Goyal stated when asked about pay details. In actuality, you will need to spend INR 20 lakh for this chance. If you are given the position and accept it, Feeding India will receive a direct gift in the amount of this "fee."

Instead of applying for a fancy, well-paying job that would make you look cool in front of yourself or the people you want to impress, Goyal advised applicants to apply just for the learning opportunity it offers.