Zomato isn’t just looking for fresh talent to join its ranks — it’s actively courting people who’d once worked at the company to return.
In an unusual public outreach, Deepinder Goyal, who recently stepped aside as CEO to let Albinder Dhindsa take the reins at what is now called Eternal (Zomato’s parent company), has issued a direct appeal to former employees. The message is striking in its candor and scope: whether you left on your own terms or were asked to leave, Goyal wants you back.
“If you used to work at Zomato, whether you chose to move on, or I was the one who asked you to leave, this is for you,” Goyal wrote in the post. “I know that for many of you, Zomato didn’t have the environment, or the leadership you needed at the time. But I know for sure, that you loved being at Zomato, and it is quite possible that you never felt like home anywhere else since you left.”
For those hesitating because they believe “the door is closed, or because you think I’m holding onto the past,” Goyal’s message is clear: “I’m not. I want you back.”
The post is notable for its acknowledgment of past shortcomings. Rather than glossing over why people might have departed, Goyal directly addresses that the company may not have provided the right environment or leadership at the time. It’s a rare admission from a founder who has led the company through numerous pivots, controversies, and ultimately, success.
This isn’t merely hypothetical outreach. According to Goyal, the strategy is already working. “We have over four hundred people at Eternal today in their second or third stints,” he revealed. “Many of them are doing their best work now. Maybe because they’ve grown, but also because the company has grown.”
The transformation Goyal describes is significant. “We are more organised, a little less chaotic, and hopefully, I’ve learned a few things along the way too,” he wrote, acknowledging both organizational evolution and personal growth.
The timing of the appeal is particularly interesting given Goyal’s recent transition. He addressed head-on what might be a concern for potential returnees: “You might say that Eternal is not going to be the same, because I am not the CEO anymore. But ask yourself a question. Did titles ever matter at Eternal? I am still very much here, and I’d love for you to be a part of this next phase of Eternal.”
What Goyal is asking people to return to is considerably more ambitious than the Zomato many left behind. Eternal now encompasses a sprawling family of companies: Zomato, Blinkit Quick-Commerce, Blinkit Ambulances, District, Hyperpure, Nugget, and Feeding India. “There is so much to build at Eternal,” Goyal emphasized.
The pitch to former employees is strategic. “We need people who already know what good looks like here, and who care enough to fight for it,” he wrote. “There is no better person for that than someone who has been here, left, grown, and wants to come back.”
The post concludes with a dash of humour: “The Gurgaon pollution is still a bug, but being at Eternal is the feature. Let’s talk and find a role that fits your life as it is today.”
It’s an unconventional hiring approach that speaks to both the startup’s ambitions and Goyal’s willingness to bridge past rifts in service of future growth. Goyal is no stranger to unconventional hiring approaches — he’d once advertised a role of Chief of Staff in which the selected candidates would have to pay Rs. 20 lakh to join. Whether his latest move succeeds in bringing back significant talent remains to be seen, but the openness itself marks a departure from how hiring is done at a company its size.