Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky spends three hours daily on hiring and expects managers to accept his role
Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky says he dedicates roughly three hours each day to recruiting and wants to help choose hires for his direct reports' teams. He adopted the practice after OpenAI CEO Sam Altman told him hiring should consume half a CEO's time. Chesky added that managers who object to his involvement may be told to leave.
Brian Chesky, Airbnb’s chief executive, reportedly sets aside roughly three hours every day for recruiting. He does not limit himself to signing off on senior appointments; he also shares hiring responsibility for teams run by his direct reports and has said managers who resist may be told to leave.
Chesky adopted this stance after OpenAI’s Sam Altman advised him that hiring should take up half a CEO’s time. The two have known each other since 2006, when Altman mentored Chesky at Y Combinator. Chesky now describes hiring as his foremost internal priority.
Chesky’s example may influence how other founders and executives view hiring, potentially pulling senior leaders deeper into talent decisions. Employees and managers could see less autonomy, while candidates might face more founder-driven vetting. If copied widely, such practices may concentrate cultural influence at the top and shape workplace norms, though effects depend on company size and implementation.