Top-down injection of politics is creating rifts which our customers will pay for - Software Engineer Vrbo Employee Review

Thanks for sharing your thoughts about diversity and inclusion at HomeAway. It is a current and very relevant topic that impacts our employees, our partners and our travelers, and at it is at the core of our company values and strategy. We are in a marketplace that connects people from around the world, and incorporating diverse ideas helps us gain a truly global perspective. HomeAway values inclusion as a prerequisite for innovation. When we broaden our cognitive diversity, we have a better understanding of our employees, and that facilitates a positive employee experience, insightful collaboration and fuels our technological and global growth. We welcome all feedback – not just the praise, but also the criticism. If all we talked about were the triumphs, then we’d be missing half the conversation – the half that can show us where we lack awareness, or could do a better job of raising awareness. Difficult conversations often reveal our blind spots and show us where we need to improve as a company, and as individuals. An open, inclusive culture is something we cherish and want to support -- and improve. We want HomeAway to be a place where people feel safe to voice their ideas and concerns, debate many different perspectives and challenge the status quo. We’re working hard to support this core value, but we aren’t perfect. We are a work in progress, and we can’t succeed without your help, because you -- and all of our employees -- are the heart and soul of this company. None of our employees should feel or be told that their opinion doesn’t matter or that they shouldn’t speak up. That’s why we try to provide a variety of opportunities for meaningful conversations on topics ranging from implicit bias to interpersonal communication. Over the past year we’ve hosted events led or facilitated by outside experts and their colleagues, with a great deal of thought and planning around ways to help people feel more comfortable participating in important conversations. Our Slack channels, Affinity Groups, Business Partners and internal events that celebrate diversity and inclusion are meant to be an extension of those conversations – and to provide a place where people can support one another and build relationships. I’m sorry to hear about the instances noted here, and I’m sure you aren’t alone in these feelings and opinions. But I’m also glad to have this information so we can include it in future employee diversity and inclusion conversations. And these conversations are absolutely worth continuing. HomeAway has grown and changed a lot over the years, and we know that’s caused some growing pains. We are all still learning as we go – and when we fall short, we want to learn from our mistakes so we can do a better job of helping our employees learn and grow, too. Please feel free to reach out to me, John Kim or your Business Partner directly if you’d like to share any other comments and concerns. Thanks again, Ana Mitrasevic VP, Human Resources