Airbnb Announces New Diversity and Inclusion Goals

Airbnb, a company that recently became publicly traded and achieved a valuation of $100 billion, has established two objectives designed to foster greater diversity within its workforce and operations, acknowledging that current levels are not meeting the company’s expectations, as stated in a recent blog publication.

By the close of 2025, Airbnb intends to have underrepresented minorities comprise 20% of its U.S.-based employees. This group encompasses individuals who identify as American Indian or Alaska Native, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latinx, or Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander. Presently, these groups represent only 12% of the company’s total employee population.

The company’s second aim is to elevate the proportion of female employees to 50% by the end of 2025. Airbnb currently reports that women make up 46.9% of its global workforce; however, it is important to note that the company’s most recent comprehensive diversity report was published in 2019, detailing data from 2018.

These initiatives follow Airbnb’s June pledge to ensure that 20% of its board of directors and executive leadership team are individuals of color by the end of 2021. Currently, Kenneth Chenault serves as the sole Black director on the board, and Melissa Thomas-Hunt, who leads global diversity and belonging, is the only Black member of the executive team.

This is not the first instance of Airbnb establishing diversity-related targets. In 2016, the company committed to increasing the representation of employees from underrepresented groups from 9.64% to 11% by the end of 2017. Airbnb successfully met this goal, suggesting that the implementation of specific objectives can be effective in advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).