Vidyard

**LIVE from the Transform Conference in Las Vegas**

In this episode of Culture Uncovered, Jena Dunay sits down with Sarika Lamont, Chief People Officer at Vidyard, to explore what it looks like to build a transparent, adaptable, and people-first culture inside a fast-moving AI company.

Recorded live from the Transform conference, Sarika shares Vidyard’s evolution from a startup founded by two engineers from the University of Waterloo into a globally distributed AI and video-enabled go-to-market platform. She also opens up about her unconventional career path from management consulting into HR leadership, how relationships shaped every major career move she’s made, and why authenticity matters deeply in both recruiting and leadership.

They also discuss how Vidyard approaches remote culture-building, why honesty and “talent repellence” are critical in hiring, and how AI is forcing organizations to completely rethink performance management, compensation, and the future of work.

What you’ll learn:

• What Vidyard does and how it uses AI and video to support sales, marketing, and customer engagement
• How Sarika Lamont transitioned from federal consulting into HR and tech leadership
• Why every major career opportunity Sarika has landed came through relationships and referrals
• How Vidyard has maintained startup energy after 15 years in business
• What remote culture-building looks like at a globally distributed company
• Why transparency and authenticity matter during the hiring process
• The importance of “talent repellence” alongside talent attraction
• How Vidyard supports employee wellbeing and encourages real time off
• Why Gen Z is reshaping leadership, performance management, and compensation
• How AI is changing the future of work — and the types of employees who thrive in that environment
• What types of roles Vidyard is actively hiring for

Vidyard Highlights:

• Headquarters: Kitchener-Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
• Team Size: ~120 employees
• Industry: AI / Video Technology / Go-To-Market Software
• Founded: Approximately 15 years ago
• Workforce Style: Remote-first and globally distributed
• Employee Nickname: “Vidyardians”
• Culture: Collaborative, transparent, adaptable, community-oriented, startup-minded
• Major Hiring Areas: Go-to-market teams, engineering, AI-focused roles, digital customer success, AI automation

Unique Perks & Programs:

• Flexible PTO policy with strong encouragement to actually take time off
• Company-wide holiday shutdown between Christmas and New Year’s
• Charitable donation matching program
• Ability to donate unused professional development funds to charities
• Tree planting initiatives tied to employee work anniversaries
• Strong emphasis on employee authenticity and transparency
• Remote-first culture intentionally designed around collaboration and connection
• Leadership philosophy centered on adaptability, resilience, and continuous learning
• Heavy investment in AI-forward tools, systems, and workforce development
• Deep commitment to supporting the Canadian tech ecosystem and emerging founders

To learn more about Vidyard:

Careers Page (They're hiring!)
LinkedIn Page
Sarika's LinkedIn

Transcript

Jena Dunay: Hello friends, and welcome back to another episode of Culture Uncovered, where we go behind the scenes of cool companies to work for.

This week, we are going behind the scenes of Vidyard, and I’m joined by their Chief People Officer, Sarika Lamont. Thank you so much for joining us today.

Sarika Lamont: Thank you so much for having me. I always love talking about Vidyard, so I’m excited.

Jena Dunay: Well, I’m super excited too. We’re recording this live from a conference right now, so if you hear some background noise, that’s what you’re hearing. It’s been so fun getting to meet you in person.

Sarika Lamont: Oh, thank you. I loved our chat on Zoom, but the little box just isn’t enough for me.

Jena Dunay: It really doesn’t do enough.

For those who may not know, tell us a little bit about what your organization does.

Sarika Lamont: Absolutely. Vidyard is a Canadian-based AI and video-enabled go-to-market platform. We help teams leverage video and AI at scale — whether that’s sales, marketing, inbound, outbound, customer engagement, or driving customer value.

A lot of times, Vidyard integrates directly into CRMs that sales and marketing teams already live in every day. It’s been really interesting to see how AI has transformed the business over the last few years. We’ve pivoted a lot within the product and internally as an organization too, and we’re doing some really exciting things.

Jena Dunay: It’s funny because I was telling people today that I was interviewing you, and my old boss said, “Jena, we used Vidyard way back in the day.” Apparently, I’ve used your product before without even realizing it.

Sarika Lamont: I hear that all the time. It’s kind of funny.

And honestly, you should look into it again because there are so many use cases now. It can be something as simple as sending a personalized video message. It allows you to scale the human part of yourself.

People don’t always realize how powerful that is. And yes, we also have AI avatars and more advanced capabilities, but there are different tools for different reasons. It’s a really incredible platform.

I use it for training videos, recruitment messaging, and internal communication too — not just sales and marketing.

Jena Dunay: How old is the company?

Sarika Lamont: Vidyard has been around for about 15 years.

Jena Dunay: That tracks with what my old boss told me.

Sarika Lamont: It always surprises people because we still have very strong startup energy and startup vibes. Honestly, that’s one of my favorite things about the company.

Jena Dunay: How big is the organization today?

Sarika Lamont: We’re around 120 employees right now. We’ve gone through periods of growth and restructuring, especially as AI has changed the landscape and forced us to rethink both the product and the business itself.

Jena Dunay: Where are you all located?

Sarika Lamont: Our headquarters are in Kitchener-Waterloo, Canada, which is actually a huge tech hub in Canada because of the University of Waterloo and its engineering program.

Our co-founders are both engineers who came out of Waterloo and went through Y Combinator in the Bay Area. But they intentionally chose to bring Vidyard back to Canada because they really wanted to invest in the Canadian tech ecosystem.

Pre-COVID, Vidyard was very office-centric in downtown Kitchener. But once COVID happened, we went fully remote and started rethinking where and how we hired talent.

Now we have employees all across Canada and about a dozen people in the U.S., including me. I’m based outside of Washington, D.C.

Jena Dunay: Why did you personally join the company?

Sarika Lamont: Before Vidyard, I spent about 12 years in management consulting supporting the U.S. federal government. I actually wasn’t originally in HR — I sort of fell into it through talent development at a fast-growing consulting firm.

Then I joined my first tech company right as COVID started. It was based in Denver, and I served as the global head of talent across seven countries.

Eventually, I decided to leave because I wanted to build differently and align more closely with my values.

A consultant I had worked with introduced me to a Canadian VC firm that happened to support Vidyard. During one conversation, the woman I was speaking with said, “I think I have the perfect role for you.”

At that exact moment, I had the Vidyard VP of People job description open on my screen.

I literally screamed.

Within a few weeks, I had an offer.

Jena Dunay: I love that story because I think it’s such an encouragement for people listening who are trying to figure out their next opportunity.

You really never know where things are going to come from.

Sarika Lamont: Exactly. Every role I’ve had since graduating college has come through relationships and referrals. That’s why I always encourage people to build community.

I actually hate the word “networking.” I think people need to reframe it. You’re just building relationships and community.

COVID changed the way people think about that, especially in remote work environments.

Jena Dunay: Tell me a little bit about the culture at Vidyard.

Sarika Lamont: The culture is incredibly collaborative and supportive. We call our employees “Vidyardians,” and they genuinely care about one another.

Nothing is beneath anybody. Nothing is above anybody. Everyone is willing to jump in and help.

That’s honestly hard to maintain in a remote environment, so we work really intentionally at it. We focus heavily on connection, cross-functional collaboration, and transparency.

And to be clear — we are not perfect. We’ve had hard moments. But I think one thing we do really well is staying honest with people through those moments.

Jena Dunay: How do you attract and screen for people who fit that culture?

Sarika Lamont: We’re incredibly honest during the hiring process.

I’m very much someone who wears my heart on my sleeve. I’m not your stereotypical people leader, and I think that authenticity matters.

We don’t want to sell people a fake story. We want candidates to understand the good, the bad, and the ugly so they can decide if it’s the right fit for them.

That’s important because talent attraction also means talent repellence. Some people should self-select out, and that’s okay.

Jena Dunay: I love that perspective because companies don’t talk enough about talent repellence.

Sarika Lamont: Exactly. If we’re truly going to value honesty and transparency, we have to be willing to tell the whole story — not just the polished parts.

We’ve scaled up. We’ve scaled back. We’ve had to adapt. That’s the reality of business.

But the way we support our people through those moments matters deeply.

Jena Dunay: What are some practical ways you care for employees?

Sarika Lamont: We offer flexible PTO and are extremely intentional about making sure people actually take time off. We expect employees to take at least 15 days off annually — ideally more.

We also do a full company shutdown between Christmas and New Year’s so people can truly disconnect without worrying about work piling up.

Beyond that, community impact is huge for us.

We match charitable donations, employees can donate unused professional development funds to charities, and we celebrate work anniversaries by planting trees in employees’ names.

That spirit of giving back really starts with our co-founders. They’ve invested heavily in the Canadian tech ecosystem and continue supporting emerging founders and startups.

Jena Dunay: I’ve noticed that many Canadian companies seem to have this strong community-centered ethos.

Sarika Lamont: I actually think it’s cultural.

Jena Dunay: No company is perfect. What are some areas you’re actively working on?

Sarika Lamont: Performance management is a huge one.

We’re basically rebuilding it from the ground up because the world of work has changed dramatically — especially with AI.

Employees want more clarity around growth, development, expectations, and compensation. We’re trying to rethink how all of that works together.

Compensation itself is incredibly nuanced. It’s both an art and a science, and the traditional models don’t necessarily fit today’s workforce anymore.

We now have five generations in the workforce, and younger employees — especially Gen Z — expect something very different.

Jena Dunay: Tell me more about Gen Z specifically.

Sarika Lamont: Gen Z is incredibly purpose-driven and far more willing to question systems.

Older generations were often taught to follow a more linear career path and work within established systems. Gen Z challenges everything — and honestly, I think that’s good.

They ask questions like:
“Why do we do performance reviews this way?”
“Why do leaders operate this way?”
“Why can’t work look different?”

They’re pushing organizations to rethink leadership, growth, compensation, and culture in really healthy ways.

And they’re the future of the workforce, so we need to listen.

Jena Dunay: That’s such a good perspective.

If someone is listening and thinking, “This sounds like a really cool company,” what types of people succeed at Vidyard?

Sarika Lamont: People who embrace change.

The world is moving incredibly fast, especially with AI, and we need employees who are willing to lean into that change instead of resisting it.

You have to be curious, adaptable, resilient, and willing to learn continuously.

AI can absolutely feel scary — and there are real unknowns — but there are also incredible opportunities being created. The people who thrive are the ones willing to engage with it thoughtfully and ethically instead of avoiding it.

We want people who are part of the solution.

Jena Dunay: What kinds of roles are you typically hiring for?

Sarika Lamont: We’re almost always hiring in go-to-market functions like sales and customer-facing roles.

We’re also heavily investing in engineering talent — especially AI-focused engineers — and increasingly exploring roles around AI automation, digital customer success, and AI-forward operations.

Jena Dunay: I have absolutely loved this conversation. You are such a ball of energy, and I feel like we got such a great snapshot of the culture at Vidyard.

Sarika Lamont: I hope so. And honestly, people should absolutely reach out to me on LinkedIn. I’m always happy to talk about Vidyard or anything related to the future of work.

Jena Dunay: Amazing.

Thank you all so much for listening to another episode of Culture Uncovered. We’ll have links to everything in the show notes, and we’ll see you next week.

Hey there. Thanks for listening to this episode of Culture Uncovered. If you enjoyed this episode, we want to shamelessly ask you to number one, subscribe and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Number two, share this podcast on LinkedIn or with a job seeker friend. Or number three, shoot us an email if you think your company should be featured at hello@recruittheemployer.com. We will see you next week on another episode of Culture Uncovered.

We’ll see you next week on another episode of Culture Uncovered.