The Next Phase of Work
Furthering human connection has always been the goal at Zoom, starting with virtual meetings and extending to an enhanced collaboration platform.
No longer just a virtual meeting company, Zoom is building a full AI-powered collaboration platform for the future of work
From where it’s done, to who’s doing it, work is changing. One thing that hasn’t changed is that it needs to get done. Employees crave connection, but they’re overloaded with notifications from many different channels, and engagement is difficult with so much dispersal. It all translates to a decline in productivity. Zoom is here to help.
Janine Moreno
“Zoom Workplace is designed for this next phase of work by taking traditional means of communicating and collaborating and elevating them with generative AI,” Zoom CIO Advisor Janine Moreno told BOSS. “It combines communication, productivity, employee engagement, and spaces, into one AI-powered collaboration platform.”
The platform unlocks the human potential that a distributed workforce presents rather than allowing distance to be a hindrance. It streamlines communications, makes the most of time spent in the office, and boosts engagement. This all adds up to increased productivity.
As Moreno’s colleague Ted Brodheim put it, “Hire the best people you can find. Distance is no longer a limiting factor.”
Centering Humans with AI
Furthering human connection has always been the goal at Zoom, starting with virtual meetings and extending to an enhanced collaboration platform. Generative AI that puts humans first by valuing their time and creativity is woven into the platform. This includes Zoom AI Companion, the company’s generative AI assistant that can draft emails and chat messages, summarize meeting and chat threads, facilitate brainstorming sessions, and so much more.
“The goal of leveraging AI is not to replace humans, but an opportunity to empower them,” was the consensus of tech executives on one of the virtual CIO Table Talks that Moreno moderated. “The capacity of AI and human creativity will enhance the employee experience.”
Always listening to its customers and responding to their needs, Zoom continues to add features that enable talented people to be at their best.
Moreno cited the example of Gainsight, which has used Zoom AI Companion to open new levels of collaboration and transparency. Gainsight’s CIO reported productivity gains of 17% of his in-meeting time and 1.5 hrs/week saved, and estimates savings of tens of thousands of dollars a year as a result of not paying for another AI assistant provider.
As AI brings productivity gains, roles and responsibilities will shift, but it’s a move companies can’t afford not to make.
“CIOs and executives need to champion adoption, assist in implementation, and quickly establish governance so their organizations are not left behind,” Moreno said, detailing themes that have come up in Zoom Customer Advisory Councils.
With several generations working together in-person and remotely, all with their own preferred communication styles, the situation demands a different tech stack, one that allows for individuation and provides all the information someone could need in a single platform.
Along with the opportunity AI presents comes the increased need for strong cybersecurity. Boards of directors need to be educated on AI so they can ask the right questions, Zoom has heard from CIOs.
“Governance and guardrails are key,” she said. “They allow people to experiment safely.”
Thought Leadership
The Office of the CIO consists of a team of CIO advisors providing thought leadership across industries with articles, industry events, and roundtable discussions.
“By staying ahead of the curve, we help companies anticipate future challenges and opportunities in this rapidly evolving landscape of remote and hybrid work,” Moreno said.
Not just a provider of technology solutions, Zoom is a trusted partner on the journey to digital transformation and success. That includes hosting CIO Virtual Table Talks that facilitate peer-to-peer discussions among leaders in the technology sector.
“I appreciate the investment Zoom has put into thought leadership opportunities,” Adam Fox, CIO/VP for Enterprise Technology Solutions at Vera Bradley. “Having a thought leadership demo where there is no sales angle nor sales pitch allows leaders to really open up, be transparent, and have an opportunity to exercise their brain without the constraints of a budget or timeline. Leaders are unfortunately often pressured to adopt technology before they themselves, their teams, the organization as a whole, or even the market is mature enough to drive value. I appreciate the occasional thought leadership opportunities that enable inputs and outputs of nothing more than thought and think that it makes us more responsible and more intentional about future action.”
Themes have included the integration of AI in the workforce, navigating a multigenerational workplace, retail trends in technology, empowering women in tech, and delivering limitless human connection. Future topics include transforming the employee experience and the five C’s of hybrid work: communication, collaboration, culture, connectivity, and continuity. The Table Talks provide a venue for C-suite executives to exchange ideas and best practices.
“I found this forum incredibly insightful and inspirational as a female executive in the high-tech sector,” said Marianne Johnson, EVP and Chief Product Officer for Cox Automotive. “This platform enables you to share successes and challenges in the workplace and at home, with the opportunity for continuous learning and celebrating wins! This community has and will drive value to those who participate and provides a meaningful way to give back.”
Allison Sutley, Chief Technology Officer for Express, said the quality and variety of discussion topics has been illuminating. “Zoom has become a key partner by providing a valuable forum of quality thought leaders discussing a wide range of relevant topics. The journey as a CTO continuously raises new challenges and opportunities. To have a forum that works with my schedule where we can learn from our peer group’s successes and even pose questions or ideas to seek feedback is instrumental in growth. In the last session, Women in Technology, we had a rich discussion about the current challenges facing CTOs and approaches to overcome. I have found the content to be relevant and discussions impactful.”
Moreno recently moderated a session on the intersection of culture, engagement, AI, and technology in a multigenerational workforce at Zoom’s Work Transformation Summit. This is a twice-yearly global virtual thought leadership event that features experts from leading companies discussing trending industry topics.
“It’s through initiatives like these that Zoom continues to demonstrate its commitment to empowering industry leaders and driving innovation forward.”
This month will see the launch of a customer-focused series of talks, and IT leaders are encouraged to join.
“One of our newest upcoming roundtable series will extend to the world of customer experience,” Moreno said. “It’s an opportunity for customer experience leaders to discuss trending topics, including balancing self-service and the human touch and the future of customer experience.”
Value of Mentorship
One of the most thought-provoking discussions from the Table Talks highlighted the importance of continuous learning and development across generations and the benefits of formalized mentoring programs. The topic is near and dear to Moreno’s heart, as she and a Zoom field event manager designed a pilot mentorship program that the Zoom Americas Sales team will test out.
The idea sprang from an informal mentor-mentee relationship that developed organically.
“Our relationship has been about actively putting skills learned into practice, not just about knowledge sharing, but we do a lot of that as well,” Moreno said. “She’s a Millennial. I’m a Baby Boomer. There’s a lot we can share, and it’s two-way learning.”
As part of the process, her mentee put together a presentation pitching a formal mentorship program to senior management. Thanks to lessons learned in the mentorship process, the pitch was well-received.
“Growing and celebrating talent is a key pillar for our Americas Sales team,” head of the team Colby Nish said. “We believe that creating connections in a multigenerational and hybrid workplace is critical. Formal and informal mentorship can help us build those relationships. I am excited to have my team participate in this pilot program.”
Zoom is using its employee experience platform, Workvivo, to amplify the mentorship program, building community and driving engagement for hybrid and remote employees. This will “capture the heartbeat of the organization and bring its culture to life,” Moreno said.
Practicing what it preaches, Zoom is bridging the gaps in an ever-changing world of work, boosting engagement within so that it can help its customers do the same in their organizations.
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Zoom’s mission is to provide one platform that delivers limitless human connection. Zoom Workplace — our AI-powered, open collaboration platform built for modern work — streamlines communications, improves productivity, increases employee engagement, optimizes in-person time, and offers customer choice with third-party apps and integrations. Zoom Workplace, powered by Zoom AI Companion, includes collaboration solutions like meetings, team chat, phone, scheduler, whiteboard, spaces, Workvivo, and more. Together with Zoom Workplace, Zoom’s Business Services for sales, marketing, and customer care teams, including Zoom Contact Center, strengthen customer relationships throughout the customer lifecycle. Founded in 2011, Zoom is publicly traded (NASDAQ:ZM) and headquartered in San Jose, California. Get more info at zoom.com.
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