The Hidden Power of Vulnerability: How Airbnb and Hilton Faced the COVID-19 Crisis with Honesty and Compassion

As humans, we’re inexplicably drawn to authenticity and truth.

Think about your own life – it’s endearing when people use self-deprecating humor. It’s refreshing when someone admits a weakness. It’s compelling when you’re asked for your help because one of your strengths is recognized and appreciated.

Most of all, when you’re vulnerable, you imply honesty, which is what builds trust, affinity, and real engagement.

In the words of Brene? Brown, “What makes you vulnerable makes you beautiful.”

If you have not read Dare to Lead, I highly recommend it. Brene? Brown talks about the benefit of owning your vulnerabilities and eloquently positions the idea of vulnerability as a strength—in fact, more than that, the derivative of love, belonging, joy, courage, empathy, and creativity.

Being vulnerable is not something we see much of every day, but it doesn’t take a huge stretch of the imagination to see that if you dare to be more open and honest about your whole self, it’s a powerful way to let people in—to connect with you on a deeper level.

Now imagine if organizations had the same amount of courage to be vulnerable. To admit the gaps. To talk about the challenges, the adversity, and the long road ahead. If you admit your imperfections, the vision yet to be realized is the biggest opportunity to engage, motivate, and connect with people.

In today’s article, we’ll explore how two brands – Airbnb and Hilton – have faced the COVID-19 crisis head-on with vulnerability, transparency and compassion. While the economic fallout of this crisis has caused innumerable challenges, particularly to the travel industry, these employers have shown remarkable honesty and vulnerability. 

As we’ll see, being vulnerable can have a powerful impact on much more than just the employee experience -  it also strengthens and builds trust in your consumer brand, too. 

Why should employers embrace vulnerability?

Vulnerability is a key component in building trust – trust with your employees, your candidates and your customers.

Talking about a vulnerability doesn’t mean talking about something that’s particularly negative or a major disadvantage to competition. If you back up a vulnerability with the conviction to change, improve, or do good, it can be incredibly alluring and very difficult to resist, especially when you believe you could have a significant role in getting them there.

Leaning into vulnerability and being honest about the harsh realities at your organization can work wonders to improve your brand sentiment. This is especially true during times of crisis, when there’s no hiding from the stark realities of the situation at hand. 

When we say, “brand sentiment”, we simply mean how people feel about your brand when you come up in conversation or into someone’s mind. That sentiment is then articulated by what those feelings mean in terms of what people think about you. Essentially, it’s their opinion of your brand – who you are, what you do and why you do it. 

A simple barometer to measure this is to gauge sentiment as a positive or negative, but in reality, brand sentiment is much more complex and three-dimensional than a simple positive or negative score.

The power of vulnerability at a time of crisis

The COVID-19 crisis has served as a stark reminder of an important maxim: people will remember how you treat your employees. Consumers are increasingly conscious of brands that mistreat staff, and will respond accordingly with their wallets. 

At Ph.Creative, we believe vulnerability is the quickest way for employers to demonstrate that your brand is human. People emotionally connect with vulnerability, because it makes you more identifiable and builds trust faster than any other form of communication.

In fact, vulnerability is the fastest way to satisfy an audience’s previously insatiable search for truth. It sets a humbler foundation for intention, aspiration and conviction, which helps audiences identify with.

That’s why, even when times are tough and difficult decisions must be made, approaching the situation with honesty, transparency and vulnerability will open the door for a more positive brand sentiment. 

Real-world examples of employer vulnerability

To help cement these ideas, let’s take a look at how Airbnb and Hilton used vulnerability to address the harsh realities of the COVID-19 crisis, namely large-scale furlough schemes and widespread redundancies. 

Through honesty, openness and a willingness to admit the truth, we’ll see how these employers addressed employee fears, answered pressing questions and set the groundwork for a stronger future.

In doing so, these companies built a greater level of trust in their services, products and vision - both as an employer of choice and a consumer brand that people will feel proud to buy from. 

1. Airbnb

Airbnb Co-Founder and CEO Brian Chesky released a statement in early May on the company’s website addressing the difficult challenges the business faced. In light of plummeting travel and tumbling profits, Airbnb had to reduce its staff by 25% in order to keep the company afloat. 

From a human perspective, this is very sad news for thousands of people. Rather than sugar coat the truth or attempt to skirt around the subject, Airbnb addressed the crisis head on and provided a very honest and transparent account of how they arrived at the decision, what they are doing for staff that are being let go, and what happens next.

Brian Chesky writes, “Today, I must confirm that we are reducing the size of the Airbnb workforce. For a company like us whose mission is centered around belonging, this is incredibly difficult to confront, and it will be even harder for those who have to leave Airbnb. I am going to share as many details as I can on how I arrived at this decision, what we are doing for those leaving, and what will happen next.”

Framing the announcement from this perspective is admirable, because this sort of decision is a terrible one that no business leader ever wants to make. To keep employees informed, Airbnb laid out, in simple and practical terms, the guiding principles for how the decision was made:

• Map all reductions to our future business strategy and the capabilities we will need.
• Do as much as we can for those who are impacted. 
• Be unwavering in our commitment to diversity. 
• Optimize for 1:1 communication for those impacted. 
• Wait to communicate any decisions until all details are landed — transparency of only partial information can make matters worse. 

This included additional context and information around severance packages, as well as a commitment to ensuring the health and safety of employees that had been let go. Airbnb used its own money to cover 12 months of health insurance for every US-based employee, and committed to covering health insurance costs for every international employee through the end of 2020.

What’s more, the company offered additional job support facilities with the goal of “connecting our teammates leaving Airbnb with new job opportunities”. From the creation of a public-facing ‘alumni talent directory’ to asking existing Airbnb recruiters to help ex-employees find new work, these are bold and powerful statements from Airbnb that show a real commitment to the wellbeing of its people. 

Finally, Brian Chesky outlined a crucial piece of the puzzle: what happens next. This includes specific details for employees that had been made redundant, as well as practical next steps on what to expect over the coming days.

Taken as a whole, this example of extreme vulnerability shows a great deal of compassion and integrity. For ex-employees and existing employees, it’s empowering to see leadership openly acknowledge the harsh realities of a deeply troubling situation. While the toll on human livelihood is sobering, by being proactive and transparent, Airbnb has laid the framework for a more positive brand sentiment.

By offering generous severance packages, extending healthcare to all ex-employees and providing ongoing job support, Airbnb is committed to ensuring no one feels left out or forgotten. The impact of this goes beyond employer brand and employee experience; for consumers, it is inspiring to see a company try to do right by its people in the midst of unforgiving circumstances.

Through vulnerability, Airbnb has taken ownership of the harsh realities, implemented real steps to help ex-employees and laid the groundwork for a brighter future. 

2. Hilton

For global hotel brand Hilton, the COVID-19 crisis hit company profits equally hard. 

In fact, new research suggests that half of the hotels in the US could close this year. This, coupled with the fact that the US travel industry faces several hundred billion dollar losses in 2020, means the impact of coronavirus in the United States is already more severe for the hotel industry than the September 11 attacks and the 2008 recession combined. 

As a worldwide company, Hilton employs 60,000 people directly and 200,000 at its franchised properties across the US. In the wake of this troubling news, Hilton launched a back-to-work initiative to help find temporary work for its tens of thousands of furloughed employees.  

While the travel industry is facing a serious crisis, some industries have been less affected, while others too have seen a surge in demand. To assist furloughed staff, Hilton has partnered with a number of companies, including Amazon, CVS Health, Walgreens, Albertsons and Publix, to help find temporary work for its qualified and experienced employees.

Chris Nassetta, Hilton President and CEO, said, “When we learned other leading companies were stepping up hiring to meet pandemic-related demand, Hilton was eager to partner with them to provide expedited access to opportunities for our team members. As I’ve told our teams, this too shall pass - and when it does, we hope to welcome our team members back with the hospitality and warmth our world needs so much right now.”

To help furloughed staff find new, temporary roles, Hilton created an online portal that allows workers to have an expedited recruiting and onboarding path to a number of different partner companies. In this instance, Hilton has shown real vulnerability and accountability by taking action to help its employees find new means of subsistence. 

Taking decisive action will pay massive dividends for the company, not only by enhancing its employer brand reputation, but also in the eyes of its customers, too. These acts of goodwill show that employers can face difficult times with a high degree of empathy, compassion and honesty.

While the situation is beyond challenging for many, having the courage to stand up for your employees and do what’s right by them will stand Hilton in good stead for many years to come. 

There’s never been a more socially acceptable time to be vulnerable 

As the world tackles the collective devastation of COVID-19 together, it’s clear that there’s never been a more socially acceptable time to be vulnerable.

During a time of crisis, people don’t want you to sugarcoat the truth. Be honest, be accountable, and be vulnerable. Sometimes the truth isn’t easy, but when you embrace the harsh realities and harness vulnerability, there’s a real opportunity to discover, explore, grow, learn, excel, advance, develop, create, and contribute.

This philosophy impacts all aspects of brand sentiment – touching employee engagement, employer brand and consumer brand reputation.

For companies, being vulnerable can lead to admiration and affinity, without the risk of being seen as bragging, showing off or appearing arrogant and of touch with an audience’s opinions. 

It’s a powerful strategy that resonates with our innermost human tendencies. For employers around the world, Airbnb and Hilton should serve as inspiring examples of what is possible when you face the truth head on and lean into vulnerability.