Airbnb boss Brian Chesky says he personally called CEOs he knew to ask if they could hire the thousands of staff he laid off during the pandemic

Tue, 10/10/2023 - 06:33

Brian Chesky speaks at the Fast Company Innovation Festival at Convene on September 20, 2023 in New York City.
Eugene Gologursky/Getty Images for Fast Company.

Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky made the tough decision to lay off 1,900 staff during the pandemic.
Chesky made an alumni directory for laid off Airbnb staff so recruiters could connect with them.
He said in The Diary of a CEO podcast that the layoffs were like "breaking up with 2,500 people."

Airbnb's CEO Brian Chesky made the tough decision to lay off 1,900 staff during the pandemic and he took a personal hand in helping employees secure jobs after, he said in The Diary of a CEO podcast with Steven Bartlett.