'We have over 10,000 applications': Zomato CEO Deepinder Goyal after Rs 20 lakh-fee job alert

According to the job description Deepinder Goyal had shared on Wednesday, the chief of staff would have to pay Zomato Rs 20 lakh (equivalent to the first year salary) for its charitable initiative Feeding India.

Zomato co-founder and CEO Deepinder Goyal has already received more than 10,000 job applications for the role of chief of staff in less than 24 hours after sharing the hiring alert. Sharing the update on Thursday, he said that the deadline for applications is 6 pm.

"We have over 10,000 applications, a lot of them well thought through, mixed between - 1. Those who have all the money 2. Those who have some of the money 3. Those who say they don’t have the money 4. Those who really don’t have the money," Goyal wrote.

According to the job description he had shared on Wednesday, the chief of staff would have to pay Zomato Rs 20 lakh (equivalent to the first year salary) for its charitable initiative Feeding India.

Update 2: we have over 10,000 applications, a lot of them well thought through, mixed between -1. Those who have all the money2. Those who have some of the money3. Those who say they dont have the money4. Those who really dont have the moneyWe will be closing the https://t.co/8a6XhgeOGk
Deepinder Goyal (@deepigoyal) November 21, 2024

Goyal promised further updates about the selection process, but social media users have hailed the incident as a marketing gimmick. The Zomato boss's recent update also follows a severe backlash he received on social media after several users, including industrialist Harsh Goenka, pointed out that the "unconventional call" would eliminate candidates with good potential but without the money power.

"Rs 20 lakh fee excludes talented but underprivileged candidates," Goenka wrote on X. "Asking to pay for a job feels exploitative, even if positioned as 'learning'. Lack of clarity on year 2 salary, innovative idea- yes I like it (good PR value too) yet it raises ethical concerns."

On Wednesday evening, the Zomato boss had announced: "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. In fact, we are making this job unattractive for most people. There is no salary for this role for the first year. You will have to, in fact, pay Rs 20 lakh for this opportunity. 100% of this 'fee' will be paid in the form of a donation directly to Feeding India."

Also, to demonstrate that the company is not trying to save money, Zomato would contribute Rs 50 lakh (equivalent to a chief of staff salary) to a charity of the employee's choice.

"Second year onwards, we will start paying you the usual salary (definitely more than Rs 50 lakh, but something we will only talk about at the start of the Year 2," Goyal added.

On the other hand, listing the perks of the job, the Zomato boss said that the chief of staff would get "10x more learnings than a 2-year degree from a top management school, working with him and some of the "smartest folks in consumer tech".