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