Zomato's search for chief of staff still not over
What's the story
Eternal CEO Deepinder Goyal has revealed that his controversial 2024 announcement about hiring a chief of staff was actually a strategic move to filter out the right talent. The company is still going through the applications from the initial pool of 17,000 candidates. Speaking on entrepreneur Raj Shamani's podcast, Goyal said he had been considering this idea for nearly five years.
Filter
Strategy to identify potential candidates
Goyal admitted that his move could hurt his personal reputation but he went ahead with it after building enough goodwill to withstand the backlash. He wanted to find candidates who could see through what he called a "bluff" and still apply for the position. Those who applied despite the ₹20 lakh condition, showed they were focused on learning and impact rather than money, Goyal said.
Defense
Goyal defends controversial job posting
In November 2024, Goyal had announced on LinkedIn that Zomato was looking for a chief of staff. The post went viral due to its unusual requirement, candidates would have to pay ₹20 lakh to Zomato before joining. Despite the outrage on social media, Goyal defended the posting and reiterated that the target was to attract individuals who valued learning over immediate financial compensation.
Results
Zomato's recruitment process and hires
Last year, Goyal revealed that Zomato had gone ahead with hiring from this applicant pool. The firm appointed two individuals as chiefs of staff, while 18 others were recruited into high-impact roles across various functions within the organization.