Last year,
Airbnb
made headlines with the launch of its Live and Work Anywhere
policy. Of course, it’s not remotely (pun intended) surprising that the company that disrupted how to vacation is now presenting an alternative approach to emerging workplace trends. But have we really come so far from traditional corporate office protocols that companies are allowing people to work from anywhere? Even on a boat
?
The answer, it seems, is yes.
As a staunch proponent of flexible work policies that allow people, especially women, to maximize their potential while balancing their work and family responsibilities, I was keen to assess the effectiveness of this initiative, particularly for women.
Last week, I sat down with
Dave Stephenson
,
Airbnb
CFO and Head of Employee Experience (and, full disclosure,
Russell Reynolds Associates
client) to talk about early findings from Live and Work Anywhere and why the company chose this direction. Here are the key takeaways from our conversation:
- It’s not about being remote, it’s about being intentional. Covid may have been the impetus for initiating new policies about office attendance,?but the company used it as an opportunity to think long and hard about what would make most sense for everybody after the pandemic. “Everyone was clamoring for clarity on when we were getting back to the office,” Stephenson says, “but we wanted to take time and learn.” He and his colleagues observed that the companies that had rushed to declare the way they're going to work, ended up backtracking on their plans. Airbnb realized it had to change how it worked, not just where. The intent was not to be remote first, but to design and be intentional about how to collaborate when collaboration is needed. Since starting Live and Work Anywhere (LAWA), which allows people to work wherever they want and doesn’t adjust compensation based on location, the company has inched closer to achieving its objective of having 50% of its employee base be women. “We're currently at 49% women across all roles,” Stephenson notes. “And at the leadership level we're at 45%, so we're making good progress. We still have a ways to go, but L&WA is helping us make substantial progress there.”?
- Listening is key. Stephenson says management spent a lot of time listening to staff about what they felt they needed when it came to being in the office or working from elsewhere—and the listening, he says, has paid off. The company’s attrition rate has dropped roughly by half, and the percentage of people that would recommend Airbnb as a great pace to work has never been higher. Stephenson attributes the drop to people appreciating the choices it gives them. “It's not like a lot of people are going overseas. But they appreciate the kind of core flexibility that they're getting,” he says. They also appreciate the fact that, whether they want to be doing their job from an atoll in Tahiti or to simply avoid an urban commute, the policy was shaped around their feedback.
- Flexibility isn’t just about being able to work from home.One of the crucial learnings for Stephenson and his colleagues was that not everybody wants to work from home. Another was that things aren’t the same everywhere. If you’re living in an expensive city, such as London or Tokyo, where space is at a premium, “you're probably not going to have a spare bedroom that you can use to set up a great office,” he says. If that’s the case, going to the office looks a lot more attractive. Similarly, blanket policies—such as three days in the office—don’t start with clear objectives. “Maybe the accounting team should get together during the month-end close so that they're together at the peak time, but a different team might need a different rhythm,” Stephenson says. In other words, one size doesn't fit all. The key for Airbnb, he explains, is clarity around the objective for being in person so everyone can get the outcome that they want.?
I came away from our conversation thinking about what other companies might learn from what Airbnb has done—especially in terms of recruiting and retaining women. Not all companies are suited for programs such as Live and Work Anywhere, but every company can benefit from listening to employees, being intentional, and considering that different employees have different needs. As you look ahead to 2024, what changes would you like to see in how and where your work gets done? #tothetop
Digital Hello! Jenna Fisher It's cool to see how Airbnb's focus on listening to their staff has paid off. This approach really seems to make a difference in the workplace. What are some simple yet effective ways other companies could adopt this listening-first strategy to improve their work culture?
Partner & Head of Financial Officers and G&A Practice at SPMB
11 个月great piece! Jenna Fisher
Go Dave!
Chief Product Officer @ Epishine | PhD, Organic Electronics
11 个月It's relieving to see that the art of truly listening and engaging with that was hear, instead of just politely nodding and waiting for your turn to speak, has not been lost. Even in big companies like this. Great read!
Innovation Leader, Design Thinker, Business Strategist, Experience Designer, ?C?o?n?Resultant, Entrepreneur
11 个月This is a fresh and welcomed perspective in a world dominated by a lot of double talk, ambiguity, and uncertainty. I still see the bigger opportunity to expand our definition of work beyond the who, what, and where of work to the why and how of work. Companies of all flavors need to ask, “why does this “work” exist…what value or impact does it create?” “what is the work that needs to be done?” “How can this work be most efficiently done?” “What systems and environments would best support the work?” “Does the work require collaboration, solitude, or some blend of each?” “Can the work be automated, freeing up people to focus on higher value efforts?”