/images/ppid_59c68470-image-179368503206570238.webp)
/images/ppid_59c68470-image-17936100525967900.webp)
What is the story about?
A former Zoho employee has revisited a difficult phase of his career, describing how his three years at the software company left him stressed, anxious and questioning his abilities. However, he has stopped short of blaming either the company or himself for the experience.
Kewal Agrawal, who worked at Zoho in Chennai as a member of the technical staff between 2015 and 2018, shared his experience in a LinkedIn post. He currently works as a senior product manager at Flipkart in Bengaluru.
Agrawal said joining Zoho had initially been a moment of great excitement. "I was beyond elated the day I got my first job there," he wrote.
But the experience did not turn out as he had hoped.
'Sometimes things just don't click'
Agrawal said his outlook began to change less than a year after he moved to MishiPay, a startup considerably smaller than Zoho. He said he regained his confidence and enthusiasm for work there.
Reflecting on the contrast, he suggested that a workplace can be well regarded and still not be the right fit for every employee.
"Sometimes things just don't click, and nobody is at fault," he wrote. "You could be at the best place in the world, but it might just not be right for you."
He also clarified that his experience had not changed his admiration for Zoho co-founder Sridhar Vembu.
He added that he was relatively inexperienced at the time and did not have the financial or professional confidence to leave the job.
"I wasn't in a position to take risks by quitting, and I wasn't mature enough yet," he wrote.
The post prompted conversations among professionals about the role workplace environments play in career development. Several users agreed that a company's reputation does not necessarily determine whether an employee will thrive there.
One commenter thanked Agrawal for sharing his experience, describing his decision not to blame either himself or the organisation as a healthy way to look back at a difficult period.
Others pointed to the importance of finding a workplace that allows employees to learn, experiment and rebuild their confidence. Some also suggested that employees in difficult roles should give themselves a timeline to reassess their situation.
The discussion comes amid concerns around salary increments at technology companies, including Zoho.
A survey of 2,178 professionals in India by workplace community Blind found that 35% of respondents received either no salary increase or a pay cut in the latest appraisal cycle. Nearly 60% said their hikes were 5% or lower.
The survey indicated a more pronounced trend among Zoho respondents: 95% reportedly received no increment or a pay cut, while 90% said they were dissatisfied with the outcome.
The report attributed the salary freeze at Zoho to co-founder Sridhar Vembu's stated focus on rising investments in artificial intelligence infrastructure and server costs, while seeking to avoid mass layoffs.
A Zoho employee quoted in the report also said some workers had begun discussing unionisation following the pay freeze.
Also read: Pimco CEO warns AI financing is on path to become ‘too much’
Kewal Agrawal, who worked at Zoho in Chennai as a member of the technical staff between 2015 and 2018, shared his experience in a LinkedIn post. He currently works as a senior product manager at Flipkart in Bengaluru.
Agrawal said joining Zoho had initially been a moment of great excitement. "I was beyond elated the day I got my first job there," he wrote.
But the experience did not turn out as he had hoped.
I was constantly stressed and anxious. I slowly lost my confidence, started hating coding, and lost all hope that I would ever amount to anything. KEWAL AGARWAL SAYS, RECALLING his time at Zoho
'Sometimes things just don't click'
Agrawal said his outlook began to change less than a year after he moved to MishiPay, a startup considerably smaller than Zoho. He said he regained his confidence and enthusiasm for work there.
Reflecting on the contrast, he suggested that a workplace can be well regarded and still not be the right fit for every employee.
"Sometimes things just don't click, and nobody is at fault," he wrote. "You could be at the best place in the world, but it might just not be right for you."
He also clarified that his experience had not changed his admiration for Zoho co-founder Sridhar Vembu.
I never blame Zoho for those three years. In fact, Mr. Vembu is among the few people I really admire and look up to. I don't blame myself either AGARWAL ON FORMER ZOHO CEO
He added that he was relatively inexperienced at the time and did not have the financial or professional confidence to leave the job.
"I wasn't in a position to take risks by quitting, and I wasn't mature enough yet," he wrote.
Professionals react to the post
The post prompted conversations among professionals about the role workplace environments play in career development. Several users agreed that a company's reputation does not necessarily determine whether an employee will thrive there.
One commenter thanked Agrawal for sharing his experience, describing his decision not to blame either himself or the organisation as a healthy way to look back at a difficult period.
Others pointed to the importance of finding a workplace that allows employees to learn, experiment and rebuild their confidence. Some also suggested that employees in difficult roles should give themselves a timeline to reassess their situation.
Zoho pay hikes under scrutiny
The discussion comes amid concerns around salary increments at technology companies, including Zoho.
A survey of 2,178 professionals in India by workplace community Blind found that 35% of respondents received either no salary increase or a pay cut in the latest appraisal cycle. Nearly 60% said their hikes were 5% or lower.
The survey indicated a more pronounced trend among Zoho respondents: 95% reportedly received no increment or a pay cut, while 90% said they were dissatisfied with the outcome.
The report attributed the salary freeze at Zoho to co-founder Sridhar Vembu's stated focus on rising investments in artificial intelligence infrastructure and server costs, while seeking to avoid mass layoffs.
A Zoho employee quoted in the report also said some workers had begun discussing unionisation following the pay freeze.
Also read: Pimco CEO warns AI financing is on path to become ‘too much’
/images/ppid_59c68470-image-179381259418614821.webp)
