As holiday season approaches, many of us will use Airbnb to book getaways, family visits, or summer adventures. But beyond the app and the quirky rentals, Airbnb offers something business leaders rarely pause to consider: a blueprint for how to build a workplace where people truly feel they belong. In the following, we shift focus from user to observer, asking what organisations can learn from Airbnb’s internal culture, leadership philosophy, and approach to wellbeing.
Belonging as a Brand Strategy
In 2014, Airbnb launched its now-famous “Belong Anywhere” campaign. This wasn’t simply marketing spin. It was a clear articulation of their mission: “to create a world where anyone can belong anywhere.”
“We asked ourselves what our company really stood for, and we realised that the opposite of loneliness is belonging. That became our guiding principle.” — Brian Chesky, CEO
The campaign differentiated Airbnb from traditional hotel chains by focusing not on amenities, but on emotional connection and human experience. Guests weren’t merely booking accommodation; they were being invited into homes, communities, and moments of shared humanity. This brand philosophy resonated deeply with a generation increasingly sceptical of corporate sameness and hungry for meaning.
Translating Brand into Culture
What makes Airbnb especially instructive is how it translated external messaging into internal practice. Airbnb didn’t only promise belonging to its users, it committed to creating it for its employees.
From onboarding rituals like the “human tunnel” to office spaces designed to feel like a home, Airbnb invested in fostering genuine human connection. According to employee reviews and interviews, transparency and psychological safety were prioritised through regular sharing of executive meeting notes and open Q&A forums with leaders.
Airbnb’s culture wasn’t built on free snacks or gimmicks. It focused on trust, community, and mutual respect, a direct extension of their mission.
Addressing Psychosocial Risk Through Practice
Although Airbnb does not explicitly use the term “psychosocial risk,” many of its policies serve as practical controls for the kinds of hazards described in standards like ISO 45003. These include excessive workloads, lack of autonomy, emotional demands, and poor support systems, all of which are linked to burnout and mental ill-health.
Airbnb’s core practices include:
- Mental Health Support: Employees have access to therapy, mental health resources, and generous leave policies, including time off for personal well-being.
- Flexible Work Arrangements: The “Live and Work Anywhere” policy provides employees with autonomy and flexibility, a proven buffer against work-related stress.
- Support for Growth: Learning stipends and internal mobility signal the company’s investment in career development, a known contributor to workplace satisfaction.
These offerings function as preventive measures for psychosocial risk.
Interestingly, Airbnb has also examined work-related risks beyond its corporate offices. Research into the experiences of Airbnb hosts has revealed challenges like social isolation, emotional exhaustion, and role ambiguity, all classic psychosocial hazards. While hosts are not employees, the company’s exploration of their well-being reflects an evolving understanding of distributed and non-traditional workplace risks.
Leadership, Culture, and Resilience
Airbnb’s leadership model, especially Chesky’s emphasis on operating in “founder mode,” encourages leaders to remain close to their people, listen actively, and adapt quickly.
“A company is a product of its culture. If you want to change the company, change the culture.” — Brian Chesky
This philosophy was tested during the COVID-19 crisis. After laying off 25% of its workforce in 2020, Airbnb handled the process with transparency and compassion, offering generous severance, extended healthcare, and alumni support. The move was widely praised as a model of humane leadership during crisis, and when the business recovered, Airbnb re-emerged stronger.
The Results Speak for Themselves
Airbnb’s alignment of brand, culture, and wellbeing has paid off. In 2023, Airbnb reported nearly $10 billion in revenue, up from $4.8 billion in 2019, the last full year before the pandemic. It also has one of the highest Glassdoor ratings among tech companies.
According to Gallup,
organisations that score in the top quartile for employee engagement are 23% more profitable than those in the bottom quartile.
Meanwhile, Deloitte reports that
poor mental health costs UK employers up to £45 billion annually.
Airbnb’s approach delivers results that go well beyond good intentions.
Lessons for Other Businesses
Airbnb shows what’s possible when belonging is treated as strategy, not sentiment. For other companies, the takeaway is clear: if you want the benefits of innovation, resilience, and performance, you need to build systems that support the human beings doing the work.
That means treating workplace wellbeing not as a perk but as a core part of organisational health. It means embedding cultural values into the employee experience. And it means ensuring that leadership is equipped to navigate not just profit and process, but people.
In a world where both employees and customers are demanding more humanity from business, Airbnb offers a roadmap.
Belonging isn’t soft. It’s strategic. And increasingly, it’s what sets the best apart from the rest.