I  2025  I  DEEP DIVE INSIDER PROFILES 

Work at Tripadvisor looks very different in 2025 than it did just a few years ago. Karen Mendoza, Director of Employee Experience, has led the charge in reimagining how the company connects with employees in a hybrid and increasingly digital environment. For Karen, this shift was not simply about preserving engagement but about designing an entirely new way of supporting people throughout their journey at the company.

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Tripadvisor once relied heavily on in-person energy, with perks and activities that created a strong sense of belonging. Today, that same sense of connection is built through intentional design and a strategy rooted in listening. Karen created a team dedicated to employee experience and introduced a framework called the employee journey wheel. The wheel maps every stage of the employee lifecycle, from attraction and onboarding to departure and alumni. By using it as a guide, her team has been able to identify the pivotal moments that matter most and ensure employees feel supported throughout their time at the company.

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This framework became the foundation for how Tripadvisor approached change. In 2024, Karen and her team used the wheel to guide new system rollouts and organizational initiatives. Clear and timely communication at critical moments helped employees adapt quickly and feel confident in the process. With leadership backing, the journey wheel now informs decisions across people operations, embedding the employee perspective into company strategy.

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Listening has been central to this transformation. With the help of Maya’s tools and dashboards, Tripadvisor gathered regular feedback from employees and segmented the data to reveal patterns by team, tenure, and function. These insights gave leaders a clear view of where engagement was thriving and where additional attention was needed. For example, when burnout emerged within a technical group, leaders were able to intervene quickly with targeted support.

Having access to so much information also created challenges. Leaders at times felt overwhelmed by the data and unsure how to prioritize action. To solve this, Karen introduced a monthly report called The Gold Mine. Designed in gold as a nod to CEO Matt Goldberg, the report distilled engagement insights into simple, actionable recommendations. Each edition highlighted shifts in employee sentiment and offered one concrete step leaders could take, from broad recognition initiatives to CEO lunches with specific groups.

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By 2024, The Gold Mine had become essential reading across Tripadvisor’s leadership team. Nearly every recommendation was acted on, reinforcing to employees that their feedback was shaping real change. Participation in surveys rose, and leaders began to adopt a more empathetic and responsive style of management. Karen notes that the report also earned her a valued seat at the executive table, serving as a direct link between employees and senior leadership.

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The impact carried into 2025. Tripadvisor’s leaders now make decisions with a sharper understanding of employee needs, backed by continuous listening and clear data. Engagement scores have remained strong, and employee trust in leadership has grown. Most importantly, the company has proven that culture can evolve and thrive even as the nature of work changes.

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Karen’s story shows that culture is not built on office perks or one-off initiatives. It is built by listening with intent, acting on insights, and making the employee perspective central to strategy. By embedding active listening and accountability into its leadership practices, Tripadvisor has created a more connected, resilient workforce that is ready for the future of work.