I applied online. The process took 3 weeks. I interviewed at Airbnb (San Francisco, CA) in July 2018
Interview
I was selected for an initial call which ended up being the only interview I completed. It was the most bizarre initial call I've ever had in my 13 years of experience. The position was a management role where the workload was getting to be too much for the current Manager, and they were the one interviewing for their peer and partner.
First, the interviewer seemed very run-down and made comments like he was being worked so much that he wasn't getting any sleep. I appreciated the transparency, but this seemed to be the theme of the whole call.
Second, he didn't actually prepare for the call at all. The few questions that were asked were not structured and I knew that I had a limited amount of time to present myself well, and so I caught myself having no option but to pitch myself wherever I could wedge in a word. He seemed so disinterested in learning about me and my skillset that I actually had to ask him "Is there anything you would like to know about me that would help you determine if I could be a good fit for the position?"
Third, the conversation ended in a haste where he asked me to tell him what my biggest accomplishment in my career was, but there was an expectation for me to answer quickly, as if I was literally on a clock to impress him as he was heading to another meeting. He told me to think about the role over the weekend and to let him know if I was interested in moving forward. It was made to sound like I had the decision in my court to move forward. I wrote 4 days later expressing my interest. I was hesitating with him based on our call, but I love Airbnb and wanted to be open minded for another chat. It took 10 days for him to get back to me with a pass.
I don't actually think this interviewer was (1) prepared (2) interested (3) likes their job (4) promised next steps and a timeline for that never happened. I also felt like they didn't want a peer that would challenge them, but rather just take a load of their work off their plate. It's also a conflict of interest to have a potential peer do the first interview. Interviewing someone who could be up for promotions alongside them is a direct conflict of interest. Just sayin'.
I expressed interest in moving forward because I was giving a benefit of the doubt and hoping more would shine through in the second conversation I was promised. I had to check in again to hear back regarding my candidacy. I'm not sure I'll apply to Airbnb again in the future.
I applied through an employee referral. The process took 2 weeks. I interviewed at Airbnb (Toronto, ON) in Mar 2025
Interview
The interview as straightforward. Expectations were set really well. The interviewers were friendly and transparent. I did not move forward due to location issues. I would happily interview with them again.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
How have your leadership skills developed in your current role?
I applied online. The process took 2+ months. I interviewed at Airbnb (San Francisco, CA) in July 2024
Interview
I went through three interviews only to be ghosted by the recruiter halfway through the interview process. The process was very slow, with multiple weeks between interviews - zero urgency on their part. After the third interview, I reached out to the recruiter three times for an update and received no response. It's extremely unprofessional to waste a candidate's time like this, especially given the time and effort already given.
.Screening interview · 2. Phone screen interviews · Metting. 1. Introductions · 2. Light conversation · 3. Professional pitch · 4. Question and answer · 5. Final remarks. hey each have trade-offs. I think the host matching phase allows the candidate to be examined on more than a technical dimension since the host interview is hardly technical and more about you as a person, what experiences you've had, and what your interested in.