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