No Salary: The Controversial Chief of Staff Role at Zomato

Call it unprecedented, hype, or just playing to the gallery. Zomato CEO Deepinder Goyal needs a Chief of Staff, but he will not pay you any salary. If selected, you need to pay a ₹20 lakh donation to Feeding India. But in return, you gain immense leanings in the first year and inducted as a full-time staff from the second year with a compensation upwards of ₹50 Lakh.

What do you need to land this job?

• Is hungry, has a lot of common sense, empathy, and not much experience (and therefore no conditioning/baggage).
• Is down to earth and has zero entitlement.
• Wants to do the right thing, even if it comes at the cost of displeasing others.
• Has Grade A communication skills and, most importantly, a learning mindset.

What Do We Make of It?

It challenges the conventional norms of executive leadership hires. Typically, a Chief of Staff is a very senior role, and this debunks everything. First, there is no salary, and second, he is not looking for someone with tons of experience but rather someone with passion, purpose, and a learning mindset.

It looks like a great opportunity for aspiring leaders: a Chief of Staff position that challenges traditional employment norms and offers career advancement with a philanthropic commitment.

Is It A Unique Investment in Leadership?

It is. This will appeal more to wannabe hustlers who can use this opportunity—rather than investing in a B-school—to gain hands-on experience in the food delivery business and quick commerce dynamics. They could either use this learning to launch their venture or become a paid Chief of Staff from the second year. Even if they fail to cut, they will gain a lot of empirical learning that will elevate their career goals.

Transformative Learning and Networking Opportunities

The Chief of Staff position promises rich learning and networking opportunities. The selected candidate will work closely with top executives, gaining insights into all the nitty-gritty of strategic decision-making, operational management, and organizational leadership. Of course, these are all intangibles, but they are among the most sought-after skills for a leader.

Deepinder Goyal has made an offer and is very clear about his intentions. It remains to be seen whether this will work in his favor.

Will this bold experiment will shape the future of corporate leadership? We hope a delivery person from Zomato cuts and lands up in this job.

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