As we’ve witnessed, technology has the power to radically change the way people think, learn, communicate and behave. Airbnb is a prime example of this, having uprooted the hospitality industry in an unexpectedly short amount of time and with little warning. In this special feature, we zeroed in on the world of disruptive technology and asked Aaron Zifkin, country manager, Canada at Airbnb about maintaining a competitive advantage in the high-tech industry, motivating and inspiring employees through culture, and more.
Describe your career path.
It’s been something of a pinball game! Prior to joining Airbnb, I was the senior vice-president of global development at Artez Interactive, the world-leader in multi-channel fundraising for charities. I was also the vice-president at Succession Capital/Alphaform. Before that, I co-founded the Kawartha Lakes Ski School, one of Ontario’s largest waterski and wakeboarding programs, with one of my best friends. I’ve been an entrepreneur, a mentor, a protégé and now I’m excited to be the first-ever country manager for Airbnb in Canada.
As a platform business, consistently delivering customer experiences that are aligned with your brand can become challenging. How do maintain the quality of your products and services?
At Airbnb, one of our core values is “every frame matters.” Like a movie editor, we like to break out each frame from both the guest and host journey to ensure we are focused on every aspect of the Airbnb experience. We think holistically, but execute with obsession to detail. We put emphasis on every frame, which helps us maintain quality as our business grows.
Competitive barriers, as traditionally defined by economists, don’t mean much in the world of high-tech. How do you create a long-term strategy for building and maintaining a competitive advantage?
“The stuff that matters in life is no longer stuff. It’s other people. It’s relationships. It’s experience.” – Brian Chesky, co-founder & CEO, Airbnb
I believe there is a shift happening in the way we, as a society, experience the world. We now value experiences over things. Memories over materials. This creates a massive area for the collaborative and sharing economy to fill, an area where Airbnb can continue to grow in the coming years. We want people to enrich their lives through experiences, through exploring and through new interactions. Our advantage will always be the strength of our community and the unique experiences they provide our guests.
Efforts to change the rules by transforming human behavior, values and expectations often come with unrelenting social and political barriers, as many disruptive tech companies have experienced. How do you maintain a company culture that inspires and motivates employees to overcome these hurdles?
Airbnb’s mission is to bring communities together and enable people to belong anywhere. Airbnb is becoming a SuperBrand, one that changes the way the world thinks and behaves. Those who work in or around Airbnb agree to champion the mission by living it, because they believe in it. Airbnb’s work environment is so exhilarating and motivating. The rate at which we execute ideas is awe-inspiring and truly rewarding.
What is one of the biggest mistakes you see other companies making when it comes to recruiting for top tech talent?
Most companies look for leadership, communication and technical skills in potential hires. Nowadays, these skills are expected. But what many companies don’t look for in potential hires is the ability to dream, think big, be wildly curious and interesting, which in my opinion is of utmost importance.
Dajana Radic is the marketing and content coordinator and Trina Boos is president of Boost Agents, a specialist recruitment provider to the marketing, advertising, design and communications industry.
