Deepinder Goyal on Zomato’s hiring process: ‘We don’t hire people looking for jobs’

Zomato CEO Deepinder Goyal on The Ranveer Show (Ranveer Allahbadia/YouTube)

Zomato CEO Deepinder Goyal has said the company does not hire people who are looking for jobs – because the kind of candidates they want to hire are usually not unemployed. During an appearance on YouTuber Ranveer Allahbadia’s podcast The Ranveer Show, Goyal revealed some details of Zomato’s recruitment process and waded into the controversial topic of poaching talent.

“The kind of workforce that we hire is very different. Ideally we don’t hire people who are looking for jobs, because the kind of people we need, they don’t search for jobs,” said Deepinder Goyal, who launched Zomato in 2008 along with Pankaj Chaddah. His company is today one of the two major players in the country in restaurant aggregation and food delivery – the other being Swiggy.

“Poaching ya approaching…” he said. “We look for good people. Then we work on them – at least the mid to senior level. Our hiring process is very long,” he explained, adding that it can take eight to 12 months to complete the process.

On the challenges of hiring from outside vs internal promotions, he said: “If I hire from outside, it will take six months to bring someone. First, you'll interview for three months. Then he'll have to serve three month notice period in his previous organisation. He'll join in six months and there'll be induction for three months. Then, after a year's time you'll know his performance. That way, you've lost two years. It's easier for me to pick someone from inside, spend three months to grow him/her and put him in that role. He/she knows the business and that works.”