What It’s Really Like to Work at Airbnb

One of the greatest motivators for any employee is working for a great employer, who not only appreciates their effort but also creates an ideal work environment. Huge companies strive every day to provide the best for their employees to attract and retain the best of them. A good example of such a company is Airbnb. The company operates a genius system that allows people to rent their homes as hotels. It was founded by Brian Chesky, Joe Gebbia and Nathan Blecharczyk, in San Francisco during 2008. The idea for Airbnb came about when the founders were to attend a conference away from their hometown but did not have enough money to cover the travel expenses. Two of them then decided to rent out their apartments, while they were away, to help pay for the trip. This gave birth to the idea. Since its inception to date, the company has experienced tremendous growth attributed to its efficiency and impressive services. Since employees are mostly responsible for maintaining a company’s image, it is expected that Airbnb does treat it, employees, but, does it? Read on to follow what it is like working at Airbnb.

Airbnb’s Hiring Culture

The company is known to only hire individuals passionate about what they do. This trickles down from it co-founders who are so passionate about the company. Brian Chesky, one of the company’s founders, has been heard from time and again expressing how much they prefer passionate employees compared to those who are only technically qualified. According to an interview tip offered on Blind, the company does reject employees who despite being technically competent are not a good culture fit.

Food Culture

Airbnb values the health of its employees and has therefore ensured they get to enjoy healthy meals in between breaks. According to the Muse, Airbnb offices boasts of large kitchen spaces. Usually, chefs come to prepare the food and when its time to eat, employees come together to enjoy the meals and each other’s company. In case one feels hungry before mealtimes, there are fridges packed with healthy drinks and snack rooms where you can go grab a bite. Also, some offices have incorporated creative food cultures to further add spice to the work environment. For example, in Singapore, there is ‘Wow Wednesdays’ that features a snack break where people get to bring local foods and share the stories behind them. This not only refreshes employees but also brings them together and strengthens their work relationship.

Salary

Good pay is one of the indicators of a great job. Besides, in the current world, there are so many bills to pay hence a job’s salary is of great importance. Airbnb is a suitable company to work for as it does provide decent pay to its employees. According to PayScale, on average Airbnb pays its employees $110,341 a year. The highest-paid employees are software engineers who receive an average of $136,864 a year. While the lowest-paid employees are community organizers with an annual average of $40,000. It is also important to note that some employees rely on commission. These are positions directly related to the sales and marketing of the company.

Working Spaces

Airbnb’s creativity and passions shine through its offices’ designs. It features vibrant spaces that redefine what office spaces should look like. Currently, the company operates in 191 countries with most having their own offices. Airbnb offices embody the culture of the people where the office is located. Nevertheless, common identities of these offices include open light-filled spaces, benches, beanbags and colorful meeting rooms.

Perks

Apart from the salary, Airbnb offers attractive perks to its employees. They may not be as many as those offered by companies such as Facebook but still, they do make a huge difference. Reportedly, employees acquire stipends such as phone service, commuting, biking, and education. They also get 100% employer-paid medical, health and dental insurance. Additionally, since Airbnb is an international company, travels within countries can be expected. To cater for this the company offers credits of up to $2000 a year.

Working Hours

Work at Airbnb features the normal 8 hours a day. However, there are positions which are quite flexible and allow you to work from home. Just like most jobs, you get a day off during the week and also two paid weeks off December/January.

Employees Diversity

Airbnb takes employees’ diversity quite seriously and it ensures to have a proper balance. Currently, about 40% of the employees working at Airbnb are female whereas about 11% are from underrepresented populations. According to a review from a current employee in the company, Airbnb is very inclusive and brings in people from different backgrounds. The diversity makes the company incredible and empowering.

Growth

Just like most startups, Airbnb is still on its way to find the best ways to conduct its operations. This also means that the growth and rising up the ranks by its employees will mostly depend on what they bring to the table. In the fast-changing hospitality scene, one needs to be bold when working for a start-up like Airbnb. Most employees report that as long as you are smart, take initiative and work hard, it is easy to climb the ladder and grow in the company. Besides, the company is still expanding to cover even more regions in the world thus presents even more opportunities for deserving employees.

Management

Managing over 2000 employees is no easy feat. Though Airbnb has got brilliant and smart people in its management positions, just like in any other big company, there are challenges. Some online reviews point out that communication and execution in the company can be quite slow. However, the management is always ready to listen to what the employees have to say on improving the company’s operations.

Conclusion

According to Indeed, both former and current employees of Airbnb have given the company an overall rating of 4.2 out of five. This is a pretty good rating and shows that employees are generally happy working at Airbnb.