‘Applications closed’: After backlash, Zomato CEO claims ‘₹20 lakh for job’ a ploy to filter candidates

In an update, Goyal elaborated on the controversial ₹20 lakh ‘fee’ that candidates were expected to pay. He called it a unique experiment to identify candidates with a genuine hunger for learning and growth, rather than a traditional hiring or fundraising approach.

The role, based at Zomato’s Gurugram headquarters, attracted over 18,000 applications. “We have closed applications for my chief of staff role. We have received more than 18,000 applications,” Goyal said.

“This wasn’t just another hiring post. As some people pointed out, the ‘you have to pay us 20 lacs’ was merely a filter to find people who had the power to appreciate the opportunity of a fast-track career without getting bogged down by the constraints in front of them,” he added.

Here’s the final update on this –https://t.co/bLDp1UzdUX

— Deepinder Goyal (@deepigoyal) November 21, 2024

To substantiate his claim, Goyal shared a screenshot of a private conversation with a Twitter user, in which he revealed that the company never intended to collect the money and would compensate the selected candidate appropriately.

“Thanks for defending the idea. Appreciate it :)”

“Hopefully 1/100 people will get it, and that’s exactly what I wanted :D”

“Between you and me, we will not eventually ask for 20 lacs, and pay the right person anyway,” the texts read.

Also Read: Deepinder Goyal get more than 10,000 applications for ‘no salary’ chief of staff job

Zomato is now in the process of reviewing the thousands of applications, focusing on finding the right candidate. Goyal noted that applicants discussing the money or donation aspect would be rejected.

“We will go through these applications over the next week and reach out to the people who we think are the right fit for an organisation. We want to build a learning organisation, and we now know thousands of people who exhibit their hunger for learning and constant improvement over short-term constraints and their current reality of life,” Goyal said.

“We are going to reject most of the applications who have the money, or even talked about the money. We are going to find genuine intent and learning mindset from the sea of applications we have received,” he added.

The original job listing, posted on platforms like LinkedIn and X (formerly Twitter), described the role as ideal for someone with “common sense, empathy, Grade A communication skills, zero entitlement” but no substantial experience.

It promised unparalleled learning opportunities, stating the candidate would gain “10x more learning than a 2-year degree from a top management school.” However, the lack of salary in the first year and the ₹20 lakh fee—intended as a donation to Feeding India, Zomato’s food relief initiative—sparked outrage online.

Critics argued that the job posting was exploitative and set a dangerous precedent. Many questioned whether such a practice would become a norm in the corporate world. Responding to these concerns, Goyal clarified, “I really hope that ‘pay the company to get a job’ doesn’t become a norm in this world—that’s not cool.”

“Money is an essential thing to keep people’s lives running, and I believe in paying more than market rate so that money doesn’t come in the way of great work,” he said.

Goyal described the initiative as a one-of-a-kind experiment, stating, “Something like this can only be pulled off once in the world. Now that everyone knows the real intent, we won’t be able to replicate it.”