I'm not at Airbnb but I've placed people there and coached a lot of candidates through their process. The recruiter phone screen at Airbnb is one of the more substantial ones I've seen, so I want to reset expectations.
First, the Airbnb recruiter screen is not a vibe check. It typically runs 30-45 minutes and covers:
Your background and motivation: Standard, but they go deeper than most. "Why Airbnb specifically" is a real question that gets evaluated, not just pleasantries. They know when you've said the same thing to every company. Connect to something real: the mission around belonging, the specific product surface you'd be working on, whatever is genuine.
Your experience at a high level: They're doing a rough calibration on level. Have a 2-minute crisp summary of what you've built and at what scale. Don't start with your bootcamp or first job out of college.
Logistics: They will ask about: your timeline for making a decision, other offers or processes you're in, whether you need relocation (for SF-based roles), and if you're a US work-authorized candidate. Have honest answers ready. They don't penalize for having competing offers, actually the opposite.
The soft pitch: They will tell you about the role and team. Have questions ready. Good questions signal genuine interest and show you prepared. Ask about team structure, the technical challenges of the specific team, what the first 90 days look like.
A thing I see candidates mess up: treating the recruiter screen as a throwaway. If you're disorganized or haven't thought about why Airbnb, that impression travels to the hiring manager. The recruiter is an advocate for you once you're in the process. Be warm, be specific, give them something good to pass along.
Response times after the screen: most of my candidates heard back within 1 week on whether they were advancing to the coding assessment.