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