HR Vs Employee experience

The change from personnel to human resources was not an easy transition. The shift from the cuddly image was to extreme to a clinical badge that did not really relate to people. Individuals are not resources and whoever refers to their employees as humans.

Airbnb, a company valued at $25.5 billion dollars has announced they are redefining their HR function in terms of what it is and what it does. To herald this change they have appointed “Global Head of Employee Experience”. This role will oversee and connect everything to do with their “workplace as an experience” vision which is central to their culture and customer centric approach.

HR has argued for a long time of their strategic positioning to be at Board level and be more strategic in the direction of companies.



Bringing meaning to the workplace is nothing new and having a clear mandate from the top, has been demonstrated at Google, Yahoo and Southwest Airlines.

Mark Levy is the lucky man at Airbnb to take the title Chief Employee Experience Officer. He will combine traditional HR functions of recruiting and talent development with marketing, real estate, facilities, social responsibility, and communications. This is a huge range, the success lies in the centre of the model the employee experience.