'Company Is Not Family': Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky On Mistake He Made During Layoffs In 2020

"I wrote that letter fairly quickly... I didn't have a lot of time, and so I wrote what I felt, and that's what I felt, and I was pretty emotional when I was writing it," Chesky added

Airbnb's CEO, Brian Chesky, recently reflected on a mistake he made when conducting layoffs during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. During a podcast, Chesky disclosed that he had written a note to employees announcing the impending layoffs and wrote, “I have a deep feeling of love for all of you.” However, he admitted that he would convey his appreciation differently if faced with the same situation today.

"Thinking of your workplace as family can be an effective motivational tool, but it can also make it difficult for bosses and employees alike to do their jobs," Chesky said, according to a CNBC Make It report.

"I wrote that letter fairly quickly... I didn't have a lot of time, and so I wrote what I felt and that's what I felt, and I was pretty emotional when I was writing it," Chesky added. 

He stated that he personally reviewed the names of each employee being let go at the time. He emphasised that while he may not have known everyone who was leaving, he wanted to ensure that the decision was made with careful consideration. Chesky added that he wasn't leading a family, or if it resembled one, it would be a dysfunctional one. "It is true that a company's not a family. In fact, we had to make that pivot," he clarified.

"We used to refer to ourselves as a family, and then we did have to fire people or they'd have to leave the company, and yeah, you don't fire members of your family," he said.

Moreover, the CEO stated that although he has since moved away from the family-oriented culture, he still holds onto the sentiment to some extent, aiming to foster warmer business relationships. He sought to convey a sense of appreciation to those who departed by offering them vested equity and what he describes as a strong network.

"Trust is integral to good teams," Chesky remarked, noting that while the company may not function like a family, "there can be a bond that can be deeper than a typical work contract," he emphasised.