'Bad idea': Zomato CEO Deepinder Goyal seeks 'Chief of Staff' with no salary but Rs 20L fee, sparks debate

Deepinder Goyal, the CEO of Zomato, has placed a strange job posting on his social media channels, looking for a "Chief of Staff" with remarkable qualities. The ideal candidate should be hungry, empathetic, and down-to-earth, with no entitlements and a burning desire to learn. However, this opportunity comes with a unique condition: the chosen candidate will not be paid in the first year and must pay a fee of Rs 20 lakh.

During the same period, Zomato will donate Rs 50 lakh to a charity of the candidate's choice. From the second year on, the Chief of Staff's remuneration will exceed Rs 50 lakh per year.

Deepinder Goyal is looking to hire 'Chief of Staff'

Update: I am looking for a chief of staff for myself. pic.twitter.com/R4XPp3CefJ

¡ª Deepinder Goyal (@deepigoyal) November 20, 2024

"I am looking for a chief of staff for myself. However, this role is not a conventional role with the usual perks that such jobs come with. We are making this job unattractive for most people. There is no salary for this role for the first year. You will have to pay Rs 20 lakh for this opportunity. 100% of this 'fee' will be paid in the form of a donation directly to Feeding India. Second year onwards, we will start paying you the usual salary (more than Rs 50 lakh, but something we will only talk about at the start of Year 2,'' Goyal wrote.

Goyal stated that Zomato seeks individuals who are motivated by the role's potential for self-development, rather than external recognition or financial benefits.

Notably, the successful candidate will have the opportunity to work on Zomato's high-impact projects, including Blinkit, Hyperpure, and Feeding India. It's designed to provide an intensive learning experience that reflects the rigour and value of a top MBA school.

How did people on the internet react?

The unique job posting has sparked a social media controversy, with some praising its novel strategy to lure growth-oriented people and others decrying the high financial requirement and year-long unpaid work obligation. Some labelled it a "publicity stunt." Here's what people wrote in the comments.

They will surely go hungry after the loan for 20L

¡ª Shantanu Goel (@shantanugoel) November 20, 2024

As if exploring the Gig economy workers wasn¡¯t euf , now kick the middle class parent cause food delivery company with inflated pricing wants a chief of staff..

Just say you want to test 100people in 1 year without paying

¡ª Abhishek :) (@KingELF2022) November 20, 2024

Bad idea. Please pay. 3 months into it, if you feel the person is not the right fit. He will lose a lot of money. And will gain nothing but a bitter experience.

Young people need money, not the afterglow of charity.

¡ª Gabbar (@GabbbarSingh) November 20, 2024

I know people are commenting various stupid things about "paid internship"

Leaving this note here as someone who got the chance to work 1 year with @deepigoyal, if you're looking for a career in Management Consulting / Strategy, this is worth waaaay more than ?20L!

¡ª Arnav Gupta (@championswimmer) November 20, 2024

We¡¯re trying to normalize working without a salary to seem cool and different, but let¡¯s be real, a job is supposed to help you pay bills and put food on the table. You can¡¯t expect people to work for free and also shell out ?20 lakhs. Zomato is just a company, not a country,¡­

¡ª Aaraynsh (@aaraynsh) November 20, 2024

Also read: Deepinder Goyal offers job to Bengaluru-based Product Manager after his suggestions for Zomato's Food Rescue feature

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