What is happening? - Manager Tripadvisor Employee Review

2.0
30 Nov 2015
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

free lunch and very nice office; used to be very smart people to work amongst as well

Cons

Judging by the flood of goodbye emails with tinges of anger, frustrating and disappointment it looks like a lot of us are starting to become disillusioned. What used to be a big company with small-company mindset of getting things done without red tape is now a corporate "not-it" culture with committees formed to discuss the upcoming subcommittee's committees over the course of unhelpful and contentious meetings where nothing gets accomplished. Decisions are often made politically rather than what makes sense - something that's evolved here recently - and half-baked products are launched and iterated after the fact (if there are any engineers that haven't (speed wins!) moved on to a new project already) at the expense of customer experience. Engineers and experienced staff are leaving in droves and being replaced by the new influx of future management here - SALES. It seems that making money has finally replaced the need for solid development teams to maintain quality products and features. It's a real disappointment - and people aren't nice to you here either. Good luck!

Explore other reviews about Tripadvisor

5.0
18 Jan 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

people are awesome remote work is common pay and benefits are good

Cons

can they stay relevant in the world of AI

1
avatar
Tripadvisor Response
4mo
Thank you for your positive remarks. As our company continues to evolve, we are appreciative of employee comments that highlight our strengths as well as areas we can improve upon.
2.0
21 Jun 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

The people you get to work with are genuinely great, and the work-life balance remains fairly solid. In the past, the company attracted top-tier engineering talent from the most reputable tech firms, and the expectations were high but rewarding. A lot of that collaborative culture still exists among the engineers. You will be surrounded by capable individuals who want to do good work.

Cons

The company has been battered by unresolved structural issues over the last decade. The core meta-search business was crippled when Google altered its algorithms to prioritize its own travel products, effectively choking off the organic traffic Tripadvisor depended on. Combined with the impact of COVID-19, leadership tried launching new products to escape this SEO reliance, but those attempts consistently missed the mark. Now, the rapid adoption of LLMs is delivering another severe blow. Users no longer need traditional meta-search to plan travel. The core Tripadvisor product has essentially become a legacy cash cow, with the Experiences division (Viator) being the primary engine keeping the business afloat. Following the departure of the former CEO, thousands of highly skilled employees have left through attrition or ongoing restructuring. Layoffs have become a grim constant, happening once or twice a year. Even if you manage to avoid the cuts, the compensation structure is no longer competitive for the tech industry, and RSUs have virtually dried up. Because of the abysmal direction and the very high chance you won't survive the next round of looming layoffs, I strongly recommend avoiding this company as a new hire.

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