Stephanie Mehta: Welcome, Anjali. I’m so glad you’re here us today.
Anjali Sud: Thank you, it is great to be here.
SM: At Vimeo, lead a workforce of 1,300 people worldwide — you have creatives, you have people, you have technologists. So I’m going to start with really easy question: what was it like to manage this diverse workforce through global pandemic, a racial reckoning and a very fraught return to office?
AS: Oh, it was breeze, Stephanie. No, it was really challenging. You know, think the only constant has been change. And as leader, you obviously — you have a workforce that’s looking for certainty, and they’re looking to what’s happening around them. And I think what we all found, as leaders, no matter what company were … responsible for, was that you couldn’t offer certainty, and you couldn’t control the environment and the things around you. And so, you know, for me, it was about agility. How do we stay flexible as a team? How do we communicate in time and keep people informed as we try and move through things? And then, also just how we lead with more humanity? You know, for Vimeo, one of the things I’ve learned over the last few years is we each experience the world so differently. We have employees who remote. We have an incredible team in Ukraine … employees who on the front lines, who are literally at war. On the other hand, you have people in different of the world who are experiencing mental-health challenges or burnout, and so I think it really just — the hardest part was not being able to give everyone certainty, not being able to apply a one-size-fits-all rule for everyone. But I ultimately think it us, as a company, to build more trust, because to be agile flexible, and to lead with humanity, you have to trust other. And so, I’m sort of optimistic that actually we’re emerging from this time with a that is more flexible and nimble, and also, hopefully, has more trust.
SM: you give an example of something that you put into place, during the pandemic, to enhance communications or build trust or create a sense of community or even to communicate that there is no certainty, that is a muscle that you you’ll continue to use in the organization far into future?
AS: There’s a couple of things that we did. — and we are a video platform, so I have to talk about video, but I mean this sincerely — one of hardest parts, when you’re all sort of disparate, is you lose context and you lose when you communicate. And we did make a concerted effort to move away email and chat, text-based communication, as much as possible, and actually try, particularly for our team, when we were communicating, to do it with face, and your hands and your body and your emotions. And we that through live streaming a lot of communications, recording a lot videos. We sent asynchronous video messages. So I send … I record my screen and send a note out to people. Every new hire does a video welcome and introduce themselves. A lot of our meetings we’ve replaced with just quick video presentations. And actually, what that really did allow the humanity and the context to come through and I that helped us a lot to, kind of, stay close. So that one, I think, really important thing.
Another important thing is, think, just creating mechanisms to make it easier to talk about when aren’t working, because a critical part of being agile is recognizing we have area that isn’t working. And so one of the things that we do Vimeo is we try — I do this in of my town halls, we do it in a lot meetings — is always talk about what’s working, what are our three things, and what isn’t working — yet. And we’ve kind of created, I think, a framework sort of takes the stigma away from talking about what’s not working. when you make that normalized and comfortable for people, I feel like it’s us to be more open, as an organization, about what we need to change, what do we need to pivot. And both of those, being more video-first in communication and being more transparent and normalizing what’s not working, I think has really helpful, and certainly something we’re carrying forward.
SM: I love that advice being video-first. So many of our members of our workforce in a video world. They’re used to video as a of communication. Which brings me to my next question. You’ve about how the organization has changed. How do you the workforce changing? What is different with the young millennials, even, now, the first wave of Gen Z coming into workplace?
AS: I think it’s incredibly different. And, you know, one of the things that we think at Vimeo a lot is a lot of the mechanisms and communication modes that still use today, they’re really antiquated. They were designed for totally different environment and a totally different generation. But I see lot of differences. One of them, I think, is line between your personal life and work life is definitely blending. … If think about your personal life — look at TikTok. This is used to consuming content, learning, engaging, in a specific way. And if they then have to come to work and to trained on a job, read a 300-page manual? Like, it’s not going to happen, right? Or if you miss meeting, and you have to watch the Zoom recording a three-hour meeting — that’s just not going to happen. And I think that there is definitely sort of this — you know, we talk the “consumerization of enterprise.” Those are just fancy words for the way … we communicate and interact in our personal lives is going to to work. And so I definitely think that’s an area of opportunity.
The other thing I see sort of the generation, the newest generation coming into the workforce, is sort of, course mission-driven, but I think there’s a desire to understand the “why” behind things. And one of our mantras is we never talk about the “what” without the “why.” And think there’s a desire to — the idea that, well, there’s hierarchy, or “My boss told me that this is what we’re to do” or — that, I think, is increasingly moving away, and people, they don’t want to do something because someone with formal authority told them to it. They want to do it because they understand it matters, why it ties to the mission. And I think that forces leaders to really bring more of the “why” into how we communicate and motivate people.
So are two of the things I see, and then, you know, third I think is just flexibility. I think — and this is of all of us, but particularly the younger generation — I think they’re looking for flexibility they want options and choices. And it’s not always easy feasible to provide ultimate flexibility, but this is where I try and orient it to agility. How can we have approaches and principles be committed to things, but also know when to question, when to actually pivot?
SM: Yeah. Anjali, can you share few examples of ways that you at Vimeo have tried to really be proactive when it to addressing or understanding what your next generation of are going to want, either in terms of purpose or terms of benefits or in terms of flexibility? Are there programs or processes you’ve put place that really speak to this big sea change we’re in terms of values from the workforce?
AS: Firstly, of course, it’s all about listening, right? And think, like many organizations, the way we’ve tried to and understand our workforce is very similar: it’s Q and As engagement surveys, and things like that. And some of things that we’ve done, we have a people and NPS, net promoter score, the same way we have our users, for our internal teams. But I would say one the things that we’ve really tried to do is appreciate that when we get from our employees, 1,300 employees … you can’t look the averages. You can’t look at it all in totality and try pull out an obvious “Oh, this is how everybody’s feeling.” Because what you actually — when you really into it and truly listen and do focus groups and talk people — what you’ll find is actually there’s very experiences and desires among your employees. And so, I for us, what we’ve really just tried to do is a bunch of different listening mechanisms and then resist the urge to pull, like, “Oh, this is what everyone’s feeling, let’s just do this thing as the action.” And it’s hard, we’re still kind of figuring it out, but I will tell you, some of things that we’ve heard from employees have changed our to hybrid work or travel or even things like our approach compensation or our approach to DE and I. So I it’s more just like I said, that agile listening, constantly understanding what’s happening, but not treating everything as, like, an average or same. And for us, it’s been particularly stark because we offices and teams in so many different countries and differences, they’re substantial. They’re really substantial, about the way we different things. And we used to have a very, sort of, “One Vimeo” global approach in name of consistency and fairness, and what we found is we have to be localized. We really do. We have to design mechanisms to support our in a very different way, because their experiences and the around them is quite different.
So I think that’s definitely one, and I will tell you, it has involved a of — as an executive team and leadership team — it’s a lot of trying things, it not working, and changing them. And a example is our Q and A. I feel like every leader know has a perspective on whether they do open Q and A or anonymous Q A, or real-time Q and A. We’ve changed our approach there multiple times, and I we will again, because we’re still figuring out the right way to listen and have dialogue with a very diverse workforce.
SM: I want to stay on newcomers the workplace for just another moment, because another thing hear from CEOs of my generation and older is a about making sure that we are not just providing youngest employees with the flexibility and the purpose that they need, also the training and the wisdom that comes, oftentimes, from being close proximity to a mentor or to somebody who’s done the job for many more years. What is philosophy and take on making sure that knowledge transfer is happening?
AS: think it’s a major challenge that I don’t know that will sort of have a solution for. I think about that all the time. We have a very workforce at Vimeo. We have people in over eight countries. My executive team is entirely distributed. So I’ve really the benefits of being able to have a distributed workforce and being able to attract and just be more inclusive. On the flip side, there’s definitely, I think, a lack the same kinds of learning opportunities and mentorship, particularly the youngest folks that are entering the workforce. So I think it’s challenge. One of the approaches that we’ve been taking, and what’s sort of nice, is we’re it at the top. So if my entire executive team distributed, that means I have to learn how to provide real-time feedback, mentorship and for a whole set of new executives who have just joined. have sort of changed up the executive team almost entirely in the last twelve months. So I’ve had deal with the same challenges. And we’ve had to literally — we call it operating system — we’ve had to design an operating system, as an executive team, for how we’re to work together in that environment. How do we real-time feedback? How do we create the right communication loops? And so I think, from my perspective, it’s we have to be able to do it ourselves and model and then, I think it’s a more proven mechanism for young people. will say, like many companies … I do believe in-person collaboration is really important for learning. We do have — bring people into an office. If you’re remote, we ask folks to in and spend time in a room with their team, social activities, all of those things. I don’t think they will go away, do I think they should. But, you know, candidly, it’s area that I don’t think we’ve really figured out and I think it’s really critical that as leaders, we do that, that this next generation is able to get the same opportunities that we all had.
SM: Well, and it’s interesting — the tools that mentioned at the very beginning of our conversation, around video, can be really there. I’ve heard of a number of organizations that really encouraged their young people to present, as a way of having to go and find the information they need. And then, because we have video tools available to now, you know, they have an opportunity to share their ideas with a large group of people, first, kind of going through the fact-finding and the research, and then sharing their ideas. In earlier comment, you talked a little bit about mental illness and the different things people are bringing to work, whether it is, you know, exhaustion, burnout. the Black Lives Matter protests, we had a lot of people coming to the feeling trauma, and feeling really personal issues bubble to surface. I’m wondering if you can share a little about how you deal with this increasing personal — you know, when people bring their whole to the office, which we encourage, sometimes, they bring things, parts of themselves that challenging.
AS: Yeah … I’ve always thought the responsibility of leader is to empower people to do their best work the responsibility of a company is to empower our to do their best work. And so, of course, we have real role to play in supporting things like mental-health issues or burnout. And, you know, way I think, like many companies, the way we initially probably to do that was more, you know, you’re seeing a problem and you’re by trying to provide mental-health resources or support or off. And, I think — and empathy, just empathy. I think that’s important. And I always say, to so many of our managers … just care. we just care, a lot of things get easier. You don’t have to design hundred mechanisms if you just have the right people in place who care. At same time, I will say what we’re realizing now, in sort this next phase, is that that’s a reactive approach and actually the root cause — we can control at Vimeo — the root cause of a lot stress and burnout is sometimes people either don’t have enough … focus, we’re asking to do too many things or they don’t feel like they’re supported in those things. And that, I think, is actually where we should spending more time — is how do we actually set the right prioritization and focus. There’s some there, right? There’s a root cause there that’s a “Oh, I feel like I’m stressed there’s too much going on. I don’t feel equipped solve it.” Then, we should get into the “What is the detail there, and do we to do things differently?” And, you know, one of our themes at Vimeo this was “Do less, better.”
SM: As the economy starts to, maybe, move sideways, you think that there are going to be stakeholders who say, you know, “Out with of this touchy-feely, the workplace-as-a-family stuff. Where are my results?”
AS: Absolutely. I the pendulum has already swung pretty clearly. I mean, I in SAS, software as a service, so we already went from “growth at all cost” to “profitability,” you know, swing. My perspective on this — and it hasn’t changed — I think the best and cultures deliver results and treat people well. And I actually think, you treat people well, with kindness and empathy, you will better results. And so, you know, for me, I what I observed over the last few years is — part, I think, hasn’t changed and shouldn’t change. There were, think, a lot of times when companies, we did things because maybe it lip service or we felt pressured. And that’s not to be sustainable. But that’s not what — ultimately, that’s not what people need, in case. So, you know, I sort of see it — the way you channel how you are caring towards employees and how you are empathetic, always should be in of helping people do their best work, which will results, which will be good for the bottom line. And you have to believe that. have to be committed to that and if you use consistently in your decision-making, it should not be a trade-off. are not mutually exclusive things.
SM: Anjali, how have been taking care of yourself during this period of tremendous turmoil and change, but growth? You mentioned you just had a baby. There’s a lot on shoulders. How, as a leader, do you practice some self-care or how do make sure that you’re getting the balance you need to be the most leader you can be?
AS: I think — recently, the phrase I use a lot to is “two things can be true, both can be true.” I say this a lot. for me, I think of it as, like, “This job is hard, and it’s harder.” We went public at the height of the and last year, market volatility has been tremendous. You know, we’re going through a ton with post-pandemic, we have a team Ukraine going through a war — all these things that have happened. And so, it’s a hard job, it’s an incredibly privileged job. It’s a gift, right? And so, think for me, it’s sort of acknowledging both of things has helped me a lot. The way I’ve to kind of lead, has been — it’s always this way, which is, for me, it’s I have to passion. I have to have passion. I have to so deeply that what Vimeo is doing is important matters for the world. And if I have passion, I have energy and then will — I can kind of move through anything. I have to find joy my team. I feel like, especially in hard times, I look back my career and actually, some of my most fulfilling times work were when — in the hardest business situations. it’s because it brought a group of people together all on one team, and so think that’s been, you know, a really big part of it. And then, yeah, like, have to be a little selfish sometimes, and take care of yourself. And I am really fortunate. think I have a great support network around me and I do … My and I have a deal, where on Sundays, I disappear for couple of hours. I just disappear and I walk around the city and I listen to my music do whatever I need to do, and that’s really important.
SM: you talked about how hybrid work is going to very different in the future than how we describe today. It’s basically in office a couple of days, from home a couple of other days. Tell us a bit more about what you could potentially see that into.
AS: I think the idea of an office as a and place completely goes away. And I think it’s really going to be people are going to to work from anywhere, anywhere in the world. Even the concept of where you’re is going to change. And then the idea of like “I’m going work on this time zone” or “I’m going to this meeting that’s scheduled on this date” — I think that’s going go away. And I think what you’re going to is more and more work, particularly from knowledge workers, is going to done anywhere, anytime. Communication and collaboration will happen asynchronously and we will be using and technology — whether it’s video, whether it’s AI — to basically enable that at scale many people, anywhere in the world. And then I think leadership, are going to look different. Because I think it’s going to require — you think about the skill set to be a global CEO 30 ago versus what that will require now — I think in future … the skill set is going to be like, “How do you with diverse, global audiences and employees across time zones in a way that effective, that provides context and alignment at scale? How do you programs, whether it’s compensation, whether it’s, you know, training?” All of is going to look very different. But I think ultimate thing you’ll see is just … there were constraints that we’ve lived with, whether it was time place or budget, in some cases. And I think constraints are going to go away. And the promise is if we are flexible and smart and we use technology in the right way, we’ll actually come away a much more evolved and workforce.
SM: Well, I think you just showed us some of the that you’ve talked about as being the thing that you energy to lead that organization of 1,300 people worldwide. Anjali, you so much for being here today.
AS: Thank you. was great.