Not the company I used to love - Anonymous employee Airbnb Employee Review

3.0
Mar 31, 2017
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

The founders and their passion for the Airbnb's mission. The workspaces are beautiful and perks are great as well.

Cons

The environment has gotten quite political in the last couple of years. Because of the flat structure across the eng org, it is hard to move up and getting a title change - ex: they don't have a Senior Manager or Senior Director title. The performance review process has gotten more subjective rather than based on quantifiable numbers over the past year as well. Also, while the company and teams don't hesitate to throw money at extravagant offsites and parties, managers have to fight to ensure their employees are getting the pay raise they deserve.

Explore other reviews about Airbnb

5.0
Jun 25, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Good time working there lots of cool people

Cons

overly-design-led, constant changing priorities based on whims from global leads

5.0
Jun 4, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Airbnb's mission of creating a world where anyone can belong anywhere strongly resonates with me. I'm excited by the opportunity to build products that operate at global scale and directly impact millions of users. My background in full-stack engineering, distributed systems, cloud infrastructure, and AI-powered applications aligns well with Airbnb's focus on innovation, reliability, and exceptional user experiences. I am particularly attracted to Airbnb's engineering culture, emphasis on ownership, and commitment to solving complex technical challenges while delivering meaningful value to hosts, guests, and communities worldwide.

Cons

One challenge of working at Airbnb is the complexity that comes with operating a global platform at scale. Engineering teams must balance reliability, performance, compliance, and user experience across many markets and stakeholders. While this can make development and decision-making more complex, it is also one of the aspects that makes the work technically interesting and professionally rewarding.

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