Since Steve Kaufer LOVES reviews... - Anonymous employee Tripadvisor Employee Review

2.0
19 Oct 2017
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

The perks, even for those of us who were not in HQ: fully covered employee insurance, annual vacation stipend, 401K matching, health and wellness stipend, extended holiday calendar, to name a few.

Cons

- The perks, which are/were a replacement to giving you a salary representative of similar roles/fair market. - Bloated middle management. - Red tape to fixing broken processes/inefficiencies. - Even after being revamped, the review process made it impossible to do well. - Also RE: the review process, being told that "No one ever gets 100%" on their reviews is unconscionable! - Favoritism amongst management. - Despite having a peer recognition program, management selectively (not surprisingly) gives out these accolades, to those who do not deserve it. - Speed does not win: iteration is great for engineering, but not across the board. Steve does not even follow this himself when every new hire has to cross his desk.

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Tripadvisor Response
8y
Thanks for taking the time to leave your review--although I’m disappointed to read that several aspects of your employment here did not meet your expectations. You specifically mention frustrations with our talent review and recognition processes. Although it may have been your individual experience, the feedback of "no one gets 100%" on their review is not a company policy or practice. However, we did get employee feedback that the review process overall was an opportunity area for us, and made several changes to it over the past year that will improve the quality of feedback, and our ability to recognize and reward great performers. I appreciate you recognizing the great team of co-workers that you had at TripAdvisor. It’s the smart and collaborative people who truly make TripAdvisor a wonderful place to work. I wish we had gotten the chance to speak in person about your other frustrations. As a company that truly values transparency, we encourage employee feedback. As you noted, we respond to many of our Glassdoor reviews. We do so not to refute any employee claims, but to ensure that employees know that their feedback is heard, discussed and acted upon. We take any and all feedback very seriously and use it to move the company forward. I'd welcome the opportunity to speak with you directly about your specific situation and feedback, even though you are no longer an employee; just send me an email and I am happy to arrange a call. We wish you the best of luck in your next opportunity. Beth Grous Chief People Officer

Explore other reviews about Tripadvisor

5.0
18 Jan 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

people are awesome remote work is common pay and benefits are good

Cons

can they stay relevant in the world of AI

1
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Tripadvisor Response
4mo
Thank you for your positive remarks. As our company continues to evolve, we are appreciative of employee comments that highlight our strengths as well as areas we can improve upon.
2.0
21 June 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

The people you get to work with are genuinely great, and the work-life balance remains fairly solid. In the past, the company attracted top-tier engineering talent from the most reputable tech firms, and the expectations were high but rewarding. A lot of that collaborative culture still exists among the engineers. You will be surrounded by capable individuals who want to do good work.

Cons

The company has been battered by unresolved structural issues over the last decade. The core meta-search business was crippled when Google altered its algorithms to prioritize its own travel products, effectively choking off the organic traffic Tripadvisor depended on. Combined with the impact of COVID-19, leadership tried launching new products to escape this SEO reliance, but those attempts consistently missed the mark. Now, the rapid adoption of LLMs is delivering another severe blow. Users no longer need traditional meta-search to plan travel. The core Tripadvisor product has essentially become a legacy cash cow, with the Experiences division (Viator) being the primary engine keeping the business afloat. Following the departure of the former CEO, thousands of highly skilled employees have left through attrition or ongoing restructuring. Layoffs have become a grim constant, happening once or twice a year. Even if you manage to avoid the cuts, the compensation structure is no longer competitive for the tech industry, and RSUs have virtually dried up. Because of the abysmal direction and the very high chance you won't survive the next round of looming layoffs, I strongly recommend avoiding this company as a new hire.

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