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