‘Those who can’t afford to pay my friend…’: Anupam Mittal’s joke on Zomato CEO’s ‘Rs 20 lakh chief of staff job advertisement’

Deepinder Goyal, CEO of Zomato, caused a stir on social media by posting an unconventional job advertisement for the position of Chief of Staff. Applicants were asked to donate Rs 20 lakh to Feeding India and work without salary for the first year, which quickly drew criticism for the unusual conditions.

The announcement sparked widespread backlash, with many users condemning the elitist nature of the demands. Adding to the discussion were humorous comments from industry figures, particularly Shaadi.com founder Anupam Mittal.

He took to LinkedIn, playfully inviting candidates who couldn’t afford Rs 20 lakh to apply for the position of “Executive of What?” position, humorously instructing candidates to define their own responsibilities.

Mittal wrote, “All those who cannot afford to pay my friend Dipi 20 lacs please send me your application. I’m also looking for the chief of staff 💪 although I don’t know exactly what he does, I think it’s possible. I want this to be your first task 🫵, but you must be prepared to do the following:

– Accept compensation from day one > this requirement is negotiable 😇

– Send your resume (ab tak kuch nahin phoda toh aagey kya hi 🤷♂️)

– Describe the role and value so I can prepare interview questions.

– Contact our HR department because I am not paid to screen candidates.

– Bear the title ChiefOfWhat? for 6 months (thick skin test)”

Mittal’s message received mixed reactions; while some found it funny, others criticized it as an attention-seeking maneuver. One commentator suggested that Goyal would feel the sting of backlash, to which Mittal responded by noting Goyal’s knack for humor.

Posted by Deepinder Goyal

Among the requirements laid out by Goyal were that candidates would “accept compensation from day one”, detail their potential role and value, go through a vetting process with the HR team and have a temporary title of “Lead of What?” within the first six months.

Facing criticism, Goyal clarified that the Rs 20 lakh donation was primarily meant to measure the motivation of the applicants. He also highlighted that despite the hype, there were over 18,000 applications for the position, indicating significant interest in the position.

The job advertisement, originally posted Wednesday, described the ideal candidate as having “hunger,” “compassion” and “common sense,” while emphasizing that no prior experience was required. Despite the lack of salary, Zomato has committed to donating Rs 50 lakh to a charity of the chosen candidate’s choice – an amount typical for the position.