Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky is taking an unusually hands-on approach to hiring, arguing that recruiting should be a top priority for CEOs rather than a responsibility left primarily to human resources or senior managers, Fortune reports.
Chesky says he now spends about three hours a day recruiting and considers himself a “co-hiring manager” for his direct reports. His reasoning is focused on succession planning. Executives may eventually leave, and the people they hire could become their successors, making it important that those employees are aligned with Chesky’s vision for Airbnb’s future. Chesky says managers who object to his involvement or require significant autonomy from him may not be a good fit for the company.
Chesky credits OpenAI CEO Sam Altman with changing his perspective on recruiting. Altman previously told Chesky that hiring should consume as much as half of a CEO’s time, particularly during OpenAI’s rapid growth surrounding ChatGPT.
Chesky says he previously devoted far less attention to hiring and ultimately learned that he had not made it enough of a priority. His philosophy now centers on hiring for the company Airbnb aims to become, rather than simply filling roles for its current needs.
The approach reflects a broader trend among CEOs who are becoming more directly involved in evaluating talent. Other executives have developed unconventional interview techniques, from extended testing and informal dinners to reference checks and behavioral questions.
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