Airbnb interview process and top questions

Excited about the prospect of joining Airbnb? With its remote-first environment and values-driven culture that fuels innovation, Airbnb seeks talent that’s skilled and passionate about its vision. In this blog, we’ll break down the Airbnb interview process, explore key Airbnb interview questions, and share tips to help you prepare effectively for each stage.

Airbnb’s culture and values#

At Airbnb, cultural alignment is a major part of the hiring process. Their core values go beyond words—they shape how the team works and grows together. Here are the main values you’ll want to understand:

• Champion the mission: Airbnb aims to create a sense of belonging and connection worldwide, which drives their work.

• Be a host: Candidates should prioritize hospitality, respect, and care for teammates and customers.

• Embrace the adventure: Adaptability and resilience are important as Airbnb constantly evolves. Employees should be open to new ideas and able to handle change.

• Be a cereal entrepreneur: This value reflects Airbnb’s startup roots, emphasizing creativity and persistence. The term comes from when Airbnb founders sold cereal boxes to keep the company going—a symbol of creative problem-solving and grit.

Airbnb strongly emphasizes cultural fit more than most other tech companies, so candidates who reflect these values are more likely to succeed in hiring.

Airbnb interview process: An overview#

Airbnb’s interview process is known to be thorough, typically lasting between three weeks and three months, though candidates often receive feedback quickly after each round. Here’s a breakdown of what to expect during each round:

Recruiter call (30 minutes)#

The process begins with a recruiter call to discuss your resume and gauge your interest in Airbnb. This initial conversation often includes questions like:

• “Can you describe a challenge you faced at work?”

• “What’s your approach to building a team?”

Technical phone screen (1 hour)#

For technical roles, the next step is a coding interview conducted on CoderPad or HackerRank, where you’ll write and execute functional code. You can expect questions that cover data structures, algorithms, and problem-solving skills. For example, you might ask, “Design an algorithm to find the lowest common ancestor in a binary tree without additional memory,” or “Implement a solution to efficiently find the shortest path between two nodes in a large, unweighted graph.”

On-site interview (5–7 hours)#

The on-site interview is the most comprehensive stage, typically lasting between 5–7 hours, and includes multiple rounds designed to evaluate both technical skills and cultural fit.

• Coding rounds: Tackle challenging algorithms and data structure questions with fully functional code.

• System design round: This round assesses your ability to design scalable, efficient systems.

• ML round (for ML engineer candidates): If you’re applying for an ML role, expect questions on machine learning fundamentals, model selection, data preprocessing, and deployment strategies. You may also be asked to solve case studies or discuss real-world ML applications.

• Behavioral round: Interviewers focus on how you handle projects, collaborate, and adapt. This round is crucial to demonstrating how you would contribute to Airbnb’s team. During this stage, you might be asked, “Tell me about a time you handled a project with competing deadlines. How did you prioritize tasks and communicate with your team?”

• Culture fit (host interview): This unique round, conducted by a non-engineer, evaluates your alignment with Airbnb’s values. Your cultural fit is a key criterion; failing this interview could affect your chances even if you perform well technically. Sometimes, this round includes an informal lunch with an Airbnb team member to give you a feel for the company culture. You may encounter questions like, “How do you see yourself supporting Airbnb’s mission to create a sense of belonging for guests and hosts?”

Team matching and final decision#

After completing the on-site rounds, Airbnb moves selected candidates to the team-matching stage, where you’ll meet potential team members or hiring managers. This stage aims to find the best placement for you within Airbnb:

• Final decision and team feedback: The hiring manager considers feedback from each interview to assess your fitness for the role.

• Leveling committee: A committee evaluates your skills to assign the appropriate level, ensuring optimal placement within the company.

Top Airbnb interview questions #

To help you prepare effectively, here are some of the most common interview questions you might encounter in Airbnb’s interview process. These questions are categorized by role to provide targeted preparation.

Coding questions#

Expect challenging coding questions that test your algorithmic skills and problem-solving abilities.

Here are some example questions to help you get started with coding problems:

1. Missing number: Given an array containing $n$ distinct numbers in the range $[0, n]$, find the only number in the range missing from the array.

2. Palindrome pairs: Given an array of unique strings, words, return all pairs of indices $(i,j)$ such that the concatenation of words[i] and words[j] forms a palindrome, where $i \neq j$.

3. Minimum window substring: Given two strings, s and t, return the smallest substring of s that contains all the characters of t (including duplicates).

4. Maximum profit in job scheduling: Given n jobs, each with a startTime, endTime, and profit, determine the maximum profit that can be achieved by selecting a subset of non-overlapping jobs.

5. Combination sum: Given an array of distinct integers and a target, return all unique combinations of numbers that can be chosen repeatedly to sum to the target.

6. Happy number: Determine if a number is happy—it reaches 1 after repeatedly replacing it with the sum of the squares of its digits; otherwise, it enters a loop and is unhappy.

7. Group anagrams: Given an array of strings, group the strings that form anagrams.

System design#

Airbnb’s system design interviews evaluate your ability to architect scalable, efficient systems. As part of your preparation, ensure you are ready to discuss your design approach and the reasoning behind your choices.

Here is a list of sample questions commonly asked during these interviews:

1. Design a system for Airbnb’s payment processing

2. Design a cache system

3. Design a database system

4. Design a load balancer

5. Design Facebook Messenger

6. Design an authentication platform

7. Design a real-time notification system for a social media platform

Machine learning#

For machine learning roles, Airbnb assesses your understanding of ML principles, project experience, and production deployment.

Key questions that might get asked during this interview:

• How would you design a recommendation system for Airbnb?

• Describe the steps to deploy a machine learning model to production.

• Propose a solution to predict guest cancellations on Airbnb’s platform.

• Tell me about a past machine learning project you worked on.

• Describe a challenging ML project and how you handled it.

Behavioral questions#

Behavioral interviews at Airbnb focus on your cultural fit and alignment with Airbnb’s core values.

Here are some questions you might encounter:

1. Why do you want to work at Airbnb?

2. Tell me about a time you went above and beyond in a project.

3. What strengths would your current manager highlight about you, and what areas for improvement might they point out?

4. Describe a time when your colleagues disagreed with your approach. How did you handle it and bring them into the conversation?

5. Can you share an experience where you had to adapt to a significant change at work? How did you handle it?

6. Describe a situation where you had to collaborate with a difficult team member. What strategies did you use to ensure a positive outcome?

7. Tell me about a time you made a mistake at work. How did you address it, and what did you learn from the experience?

Unique Airbnb interview questions#

Airbnb is known for asking unique and thought-provoking questions to assess creativity, adaptability, and problem-solving skills. Here are a few examples:

1. What position am I interviewing you for?

2. What is something you can teach me in a few minutes?

3. Explain what happens when you enter a URL in a web browser.

4. How would you explain Airbnb’s business model to a 5-year-old?

5. If you could have dinner with any historical figure, who would it be and why?

6. If you were tasked with designing a new feature for Airbnb’s platform, what would it be, and how would it benefit both hosts and guests?

7. Imagine Airbnb is launching in a new country with unique regulations and cultural differences. How would you approach product adjustments to fit this market?

How to prepare for the Airbnb interview process: Tips for success#

Preparing for an Airbnb interview requires combining technical expertise, understanding of Airbnb’s culture, and a strategic approach. Here’s how to give yourself the best chance of success:

• Understand Airbnb’s culture and mission: Study Airbnb’s core values to show that you’re a good fit for the company. Review Airbnb’s recent initiatives and news to understand its current focus. Tailor your responses to align with its mission.

• Practice behavioral questions: Practice responses to behavioral interview questions using the STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) method to provide structured answers highlighting your problem-solving, adaptability, and teamwork skills. Prepare to discuss specific examples that reflect your alignment with Airbnb’s values.

• Brush up on technical skills: Review core data structures, algorithms, and system design principles. The coding challenges require precise, functional code, so ensure you’re comfortable writing and debugging code in real time.

• Stay informed about Airbnb’s product and industry trends: Airbnb expects candidates to be familiar with their product and business model. Browse Airbnb’s website to understand Airbnb’s unique market position. Read news articles and familiarize yourself with product updates. Consider how Airbnb differentiates itself from competitors and be ready to discuss why you’re excited about contributing to its success.

• Mock interviews: Mock interviews are a great way to prepare for Airbnb interviews, as they simulate real conditions and offer personalized feedback. To arrange one, you can contact an experienced friend or colleague in the industry or connect with a practice partner on Reddit or LinkedIn. Alternatively, explore a wide range of AI-driven mock interviews offered by Educative.

• Know when to discuss salary expectations: During early interviews, avoid discussing salary expectations or mentioning offers from other companies. Focus on the role, your skills, and the company culture. If salary comes up, politely defer until later stages.

Conclusion#

Airbnb’s interview process is comprehensive, evaluating technical expertise and cultural alignment. Success in this process requires dedication, preparation, and a genuine enthusiasm for Airbnb’s mission. So, approach each round confidently, keep an open mind, and embrace the opportunity to make an impact at Airbnb. Remember, each step brings you closer to a potential role at one of the world’s most innovative companies.

Good luck!

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