Zomato Hires Two Chiefs of Staff After Receiving 18,000 Applications

Zomato founder and CEO Deepinder Goyal announced on Wednesday that the company has hired two individuals for the role of Chief of Staff. This follows the company’s controversial job listing, which required candidates to pay ₹20 lakh for the opportunity.

Sharing an update on X, Goyal revealed that Zomato has recruited 18 professionals for key leadership positions, including two Chiefs of Staff.

Update on Zomato’s Hiring Process

“Four of the 18 new hires work directly with me, with two serving as Chiefs of Staff,” Goyal wrote on X.

He further detailed the extensive hiring process, stating, “We received over 18,000 applications and had the privilege of meeting more than 150 incredibly talented individuals. Out of these, 30 outstanding candidates were offered roles, and 18 have already joined Zomato and its group companies like Blinkit in high-impact positions.”

Among those selected, Goyal highlighted a diverse group of professionals, including “founders who built startups from their dorm rooms, engineers who rewrote entire tech stacks in a weekend, operators who scaled businesses from chaos, and a handful of brilliant young minds fresh out of college.”

The ₹20 Lakh Controversy

Back in November, Goyal posted a job listing for the Chief of Staff role, stating, “There is no salary for this role in the first year. In fact, you will have to pay ₹20 lakh for this opportunity. 100% of this amount will be donated to Feeding India (if you are offered the role and accept it).”

The listing sparked widespread backlash on social media, with critics questioning the hefty price tag for a job opportunity. Goyal later clarified that the ₹20 lakh fee was intended as a “filter” to attract candidates who truly valued the role.

Social Media Reactions to Zomato’s Hiring Update

Following Goyal’s recent update, social media was quick to respond with humor:

– “Wow, 18,000 applications! Seems like getting into Zomato is harder than finding a table on a Saturday night.”*
– “Reopen applications, please! Some of us were held back by that ₹20 lakh clause.”
– “18,000+ applicants, 30 offers, 18 hires—basically, tougher than getting into Hogwarts!”
– “Curious to know what ‘handsomely compensated’ actually means in numbers.”

With the new hires in place, Goyal emphasized that these individuals will play a key role in shaping Zomato’s future.