The CEO of Indian food delivery giant Zomato has stoked a public debate by advertising a chief of staff job with an unusual twist: There will be no salary initially and the position instead comes with a Rs2 million ($32,000) “fee”.
Zomato CEO Deepinder Goyal sought “down to earth” candidates in social media posts on Nov 20, saying they must also have “Grade A communication skills” and be willing to help build Zomato, its quick delivery business Blinkit and other verticals.
But the job will have no salary in the first year and require the person to instead pay a $32,000 fee for what the CEO described as an “opportunity” with “10x more learnings than a two-year degree from a top management school”.
However, Mr Goyal assured candidates that the chief of staff position will come with an annual salary of at least Rs5 million from the second year if things work out.
Mr Goyal’s announcement, shared on X, describes the ideal candidate as someone hungry, empathetic and down-to-earth, with zero entitlement and a strong desire to learn.
The job promises unparalleled exposure to some of Zomato’s biggest projects, including Blinkit, Hyperpure, and Feeding India. It’s being positioned as a fast-track learning programme, equivalent to an elite MBA.
The unusual setup is designed to attract people motivated by learning rather than compensation. “Think of this as a fast-track learning programme,” the job description reads. The emphasis is on personal and professional growth, rather than impressing others with a prestigious title or pay package.
The unusual call garnered both bouquets and brickbats on LinkedIn and X, with some business executives and users saying the move will provide a steep learning curve better than an MBA course, but others criticising it for creating barriers for ambitious candidates who can’t afford the “fee”.
“Love the creativity, but it automatically excludes ambitious, hungry folks who don’t have that kind of money (middle class),” Mr Deepak Singh, who previously worked at Walmart’s Flipkart, wrote on LinkedIn.
Ms Aparna Mittal, an expert on diversity and inclusion, wrote on the platform: “This looks like a case of the privileged creating ‘opportunities’ for the privileged only.”
However, tech programmer Arnav Gupta welcomed the unique job offer: “If you’re looking for a career in management consulting/strategy, this is worth way more”.
Reuters
