Stephanie Mehta: Welcome, Anjali. I’m glad you’re here with 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 people, you have technologists. So I’m going to start with a really easy question: what it like to manage this diverse workforce through a global pandemic, a racial reckoning a very fraught return to office?
AS: Oh, it a breeze, Stephanie. No, it was really challenging. You know, think 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, leaders, no matter what company you 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 really about agility. How do we stay flexible as a team? How do we communicate in real time and people informed as we try and move through things? And then, also just do 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 … 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 think it really just — the hardest part was not being to give everyone certainty, not being able to just apply one-size-fits-all rule for everyone. But I ultimately think it forced us, as a company, to more trust, because to be agile and flexible, and to lead humanity, you have to trust each other. And so, I’m of optimistic that actually we’re emerging from this time with culture that is more flexible and nimble, and also, hopefully, has trust.
SM: Can you give an example of something that you put into place, perhaps the pandemic, to enhance communications or build trust or create a greater sense of or even to communicate that there is no certainty, is a muscle that you think you’ll continue to use in organization far into the future?
AS: There’s a couple of that we did. One — and we are a platform, so I obviously have to talk about video, I mean this sincerely — one of the hardest parts, when you’re all of disparate, is you lose context and you lose when you communicate. And we did make a concerted effort to away from email and chat, text-based communication, as much as possible, and actually try, particularly for our leadership team, we were communicating, to do it with your face, and your hands your body and your emotions. And we did that live streaming a lot of communications, recording a lot of videos. sent asynchronous video messages. So I send … I record screen and just send a note out to people. Every new hire does a video to and introduce themselves. A lot of our 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 us a lot to, kind of, stay close. So that was one, I think, really important thing.
Another thing is, I think, just creating mechanisms to make it to talk about when things aren’t working, because a critical part of being agile is recognizing we have an that isn’t working. And so one of the things that we at Vimeo is we try — I do this in all of town halls, we do it in a lot of meetings — always talk about what’s working, what are our top things, and what isn’t working — yet. And we’ve kind created, I think, a framework that sort of takes the stigma away from talking about what’s working. And when you make that normalized and comfortable for people, I feel it’s allowed us to be more open, as an organization, about what do we need change, what do we need to pivot. And both those, being more video-first in our communication and being more transparent and what’s not working, I think has been really helpful, and something we’re carrying forward.
SM: I love that advice being video-first. So many of our members of our live in a video world. They’re used to video as a means of communication. Which me to my next question. You’ve talked about how organization has changed. How do you see the workforce changing? What is 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 we think about at Vimeo a lot is a lot of the mechanisms and communication that we still use today, they’re really antiquated. They were for a totally different environment and a totally different generation. But I see lot of differences. One of them, I think, is the line your personal life and work life is definitely blending. … you think about your personal life — look at TikTok. This generation is used to consuming content, learning, engaging, a very specific way. And if they then have to to work and to be trained on a job, a 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 of enterprise.” are just fancy words for saying the way … we communicate and interact in our personal is 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 sort of, of mission-driven, but I think there’s a desire to really understand “why” behind things. And one of our communication mantras is we never about the “what” without the “why.” And I think there’s a desire — the idea that, well, there’s a hierarchy, or “My boss me that this is what we’re going to do” or — that, I think, is moving away, and people, they don’t just want to do something because someone with authority told them to do it. They want to do it because they why it matters, why it ties to the mission. 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 is just flexibility. I think — and this is true of all of us, but the younger generation — I think they’re looking for and they want options and choices. And it’s not easy and feasible to provide ultimate flexibility, but this is where I try orient it more to agility. How can we have and principles and be committed to things, but also know when to question, and when actually pivot?
SM: Yeah. Anjali, can you share a few of ways that you at Vimeo have tried to be proactive when it comes to addressing or understanding your 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 this big sea change we’re seeing in terms of from the workforce?
AS: Firstly, of course, it’s all about listening, right? And I think, like organizations, the way we’ve tried to listen and understand our workforce very similar: it’s Q and As and engagement surveys, and things that. And some of the things that we’ve done, we have a and culture NPS, net promoter score, the same way we for our users, for our internal teams. But I would one of the things that we’ve really tried to do is appreciate that we get inputs from our employees, 1,300 employees … you can’t look the averages. You can’t look at it all in totality and try and pull an obvious “Oh, this is how everybody’s feeling.” Because what 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 and desires among your employees. And so, I think us, what we’ve really just tried to do is have a bunch different listening mechanisms and then resist the urge to conveniently 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 kind figuring it out, but I will tell you, some the things that we’ve heard from employees have changed our approach to hybrid or travel or even things like our approach to compensation or our approach to DE and I. I think it’s more just like I said, that agile listening, constantly really understanding what’s happening, not treating everything as, like, an average or the same. 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, 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 we have to be more localized. We really do. We to design mechanisms to support our teams in a very way, because their experiences and the world around them is quite different.
So think that’s definitely been one, and I will tell you, it has involved lot of — as an executive team and leadership team — it’s involved a lot of things, it not working, and changing them. And a great is our Q and A. I feel like every I know has a perspective on whether they do Q and A or anonymous Q and A, or real-time and A. We’ve changed our approach there multiple times, I know 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 stay on newcomers to 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 and the purpose that they need, but also the training and wisdom that comes, oftentimes, from being in close proximity to a mentor to somebody who’s done the job for many more years. What is your philosophy take on making sure that knowledge transfer is happening?
AS: I think it’s a major challenge that don’t know that everyone will sort of have a for. I think about that all the time. We have a distributed workforce at Vimeo. We have people in over eight countries. My executive team entirely distributed. So I’ve really realized the benefits of being able to a distributed workforce and being able to attract talent and be more inclusive. On the flip side, there’s definitely, I think, a lack of the same kinds learning opportunities and mentorship, particularly for the youngest folks that are entering workforce. So I think it’s a challenge. One of the approaches we’ve been taking, and what’s sort of nice, is we’re it at the top. So if my entire executive is distributed, that means I have to learn how to real-time feedback, mentorship and development for a whole set new executives who have just joined. We have sort of changed up executive team almost entirely in the last twelve months. I’ve had to deal with the 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, for how we’re to work 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 to be able to do ourselves and model it and 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 bring people into an office. you’re remote, we ask folks to come in and time in a room with their team, do social activities, all those things. I don’t think they will go away, nor do I think should. But, you know, candidly, it’s an area that I don’t think we’ve really figured out perfectly and think it’s really critical that as leaders, we do that, so this next generation is able to get the same opportunities that we all 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 have really encouraged their people to present, as a way of having to out and find the information they need. And then, because have video tools available to us now, you know, have an opportunity to share their ideas with a large group of people, but first, of going through the fact-finding and the research, and sharing their ideas. In an earlier comment, you talked a little about mental illness and the different things that people are bringing to work, it is, you know, exhaustion, burnout. During the Black Lives Matter protests, we a lot of people coming to the office feeling trauma, and 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 their selves to the 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 best work and the responsibility of a company is to empower our people do their best work. And so, of course, we a real role to play in supporting things like mental-health or burnout. And, you know, the way I think, 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 mental-health resources or support or time off. And, I think — and empathy, empathy. I think that’s really important. And I always say, to so many of managers … just care. If we just care, a lot things get easier. You don’t have to design a hundred mechanisms you just have the right people in place who care. At same time, I will say what we’re realizing now, in sort of next phase, is that that’s a reactive approach and actually the cause — that we can control at Vimeo — the root cause of a lot of stress and is sometimes people either don’t have enough … focus, we’re people to do too many things or they don’t feel like they’re supported in doing things. And that, I think, is actually where we should be spending time — is how do we actually set the right and focus. There’s some issue there, right? There’s a root cause there that’s “Oh, I feel like I’m stressed because there’s too 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, one of themes at Vimeo this year was “Do less, better.”
SM: As the starts to, maybe, move sideways, do you think that there going to be stakeholders who say, you know, “Out with all of 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 work SAS, software as a service, so we already went from “growth at cost” to “profitability,” you know, pendulum swing. My perspective on this — it hasn’t changed — I think the best leaders and deliver results and treat people well. And I actually think, if you treat people well, kindness and empathy, you will get better results. And so, know, for me, I think what I observed over last few years is — that part, I think, hasn’t changed and shouldn’t change. were, I think, a lot of times when companies, we did things because it was lip service or we felt pressured. And that’s not going be sustainable. But that’s not what — ultimately, that’s not what need, in any case. So, you know, I sort see it as — the way you 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 deliver results, which will be good for the bottom line. And you have to that. You have to be committed to that and if you use that consistently your decision-making, it should not be a trade-off. These are mutually exclusive things.
SM: Anjali, how have you been taking care of yourself this period of tremendous turmoil and change, but also growth? mentioned you just had a baby. There’s a lot on your shoulders. How, a leader, do you practice some self-care or how do you make that you’re getting the balance you need to be the most effective you can be?
AS: I think — recently, the phrase use a lot to myself is “two things can true, both can be true.” I say this a lot. And for me, 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 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 job, and it’s an incredibly privileged job. It’s a gift, right? so, I think for me, it’s sort of acknowledging both of those has helped me a lot. The way I’ve tried to kind 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 believe so that what Vimeo is doing is important and matters for the world. 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, in hard times, I look back at my career and actually, some of my most fulfilling in work were when — in the hardest business situations. But it’s because it brought a group of together all on one team, and so I think that’s been, you know, a really big part it. And then, yeah, like, you have to be a little selfish sometimes, and care of yourself. And I am really fortunate. I think I a great support network around me and I do … My husband and have a deal, where on Sundays, I disappear for a couple of hours. I just and I walk around the city and I listen to music and do whatever I need to do, and that’s really important.
SM: So you talked about how work is going to look very different in the future than how we describe it today. It’s in office a couple of days, work from home a couple of other days. Tell us a little more about what you could potentially see that evolving into.
AS: I think the idea an office as a time and place completely goes away. And I think it’s really going to be are going to want 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 to work on this time zone” or “I’m going attend this meeting that’s scheduled on this date” — I think that’s going to away. And I think what you’re going to find is and more work, particularly from knowledge workers, is going to be done anywhere, anytime. and collaboration will happen asynchronously and we will be using and technology — whether it’s video, whether it’s AI — to basically enable at scale among many people, anywhere in the world. then I think leadership, leaders are going to look different. I think it’s going to require — if you think about the set to be a global CEO 30 years ago what that will require now — I think in the … the skill set is going to be like, “How do you communicate with diverse, global audiences and employees across time in a way that is effective, that provides context and alignment at scale? do you organize programs, whether it’s compensation, whether it’s, know, training?” All of that is going to look very different. But I think the thing you’ll see is just … there were these constraints that we’ve lived with, it was time or place or budget, in some cases. I think those constraints are going to go away. And promise is that if we are flexible and smart and we technology in the right way, that we’ll actually come away a more evolved and efficient workforce.
SM: Well, I think just showed us 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, thank so much for being here today.
AS: Thank you. was great.