A ship about to sink. - IT Employee In A "Core" Role Booking.com Employee Review

1.0
5 Mar 2018
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Smart colleagues! I've met some really smart people here. But with their smartness comes the politics. I have only met a handful of people who are smart yet friendly. Above average pay compared to other companies in Amsterdam. This is pretty much the only reason why I'm stuck here.

Cons

Old mentality: Strict working hours, the old way of evaluation the employees, no flexible work environment. Only politics matter. You will be promoted if you go to enough beers with your manager, or you are Dutch or a Woman who travels all the time, you are in the grace of one of the directors and you are not a Person of Color. Show Pony Culture: Hard workers are critically evaluated while social chill club organizers rake in top bonuses or top performer rewards. Sorry, the company doesn't function by people writing Facebook posts and attending conferences. It functions more by people writing code. In this company, the easiest way to find out who is about to get promoted is by looking around and seeing who is traveling and who is writing lengthy Facebook posts. Nepotism: Please make your promotion process a bit transparent? Being a favorite or having a friend in management can help you climb very quickly. Some people get promoted in 4 months, yes 4 months while others are stuck with a so-called "core" role for a decade.

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Booking.com Response
7y
Thank you for taking the time to write this. We’re sorry to hear about the poor experiences you’ve had. Firstly, we believe everyone should be evaluated fairly and promoted on merit, never favouritism. The behaviour you've mentioned goes against the workplace environment we're trying to create. This is why we value your feedback, but we'd like to hear from you directly. These conversations help us evolve, especially when it comes to our performance management processes. Lastly, we believe in creating a workplace where everyone feels comfortable, supported and inspired. We value our diverse colleagues as the combination of our many, different perspectives is what makes us great. Please consider speaking directly with your HR Business Partner or contacting the confidential Ethics & Compliance Helpline, which you access via the link on your desptop. More information on how to report your concerns can be found on the internal ethics & compliance portal. We want to make sure that you and your colleagues are being treated fairly and getting the opportunities you deserve. Many thanks, The People Team at Booking.com

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5.0
30 May 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Great, definitely recommend if looking for start up

Cons

No cons all pros only

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Booking.com Response
2w
Hi, thank you for the wonderful feedback! We're so glad to hear that Booking.com has been a great fit for someone with a startup mindset. Our culture of experimentation and innovation is something we're really proud of, and it's great to know it resonates. We hope you continue to thrive here! The Booking.com team
3.0
18 June 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

The team had a fun environment.

Cons

You have to deal with tough customers.

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