From IIT Bombay to IISc: Ola CEO Bhavish Aggarwal to begin hiring the 'best and brightest'

Ola CEO Bhavish Aggarwal is actively seeking fresh talent by visiting India’s top educational institutions. In a recent tweet, Aggarwal mentioned his recruitment efforts at IISc, IIMs, ISB, IIT Madras, IIT Delhi, and soon, IIT Bombay. His tweet conveyed enthusiasm about meeting young talent.

This initiative is part of a broader trend among CEOs, including Zomato’s Deepinder Goyal, who are using social media to attract talent. Goyal’s unconventional hiring process for a Chief of Staff role recently gained significant attention.

Aggarwal's approach is becoming popular among tech leaders who aim to attract top minds and present their companies as dynamic workplaces. For Aggarwal, this aligns with Ola’s expansion into electric vehicles and mobility innovation, requiring highly skilled professionals. These interactions serve as both recruitment drives and branding exercises for Ola.

Social media plays a crucial role in these recruitment efforts. Goyal’s viral job listing for a Chief of Staff attracted over 10,000 applications, despite the ₹20 lakh fee in the first year. CEOs like Aggarwal and Goyal leverage social media to humanise the hiring process and engage directly with potential employees.

The actions of Aggarwal and Goyal reflect a shift in recruitment strategies. CEOs are taking a hands-on approach to hiring, showcasing their company’s vision and leadership. This strategy not only attracts top talent but also enhances their organisation’s image as desirable workplaces.

While Aggarwal focuses on elite educational institutions, Goyal targets individuals with a desire for growth, regardless of their experience. These efforts illustrate how Indian companies are evolving their recruitment methods to remain competitive.

As Aggarwal continues his campus visits and Goyal reviews applications, it is clear that India’s top CEOs are redefining talent scouting by combining personal interaction with the reach of social media. Whether this proves more effective than traditional methods is yet to be determined, but it certainly impacts the recruitment landscape.