The average person will spend more than 90,000 hours at work in their lifetime — if we’re going to spend that much time at our jobs, it’s probably best to make sure that we work somewhere we enjoy being. 

To make sure that’s the case for its own team members, Zoom Video Communications focuses on three key concepts — happiness, teamwork and care — all of which have conveniently been brought together through the introduction of the happiness crew, a team of employees that regularly hosts in- and out-of-office events to keep everyone’s spirits up. 

While the happiness crew has proven to be an invaluable asset, it’s not all that Zoom does. We talked to some of the Zoom team to find out what else the company does to keep everyone motivated and inspired.

Zoom Video Communications

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FOUNDED: 2011

EMPLOYEES: 2,200+, 250+ local

WHAT THEY DO: Zoom Video Communications brings teams together. Through video meetings, voice, webinars, and chat across desktops, phones, mobile devices and conference room systems, as well as business app integrations and developer tools, Zoom is creating customized workflows no matter where your team is located. 

WHERE THEY DO IT: Denver

CULTURE OF HAPPINESS: Zoom truly cares about employees’ happiness, so much so that a group of 100+ team members volunteers for a committee that focuses exclusively on happiness.

BUILD A LIBRARY: Learning never ends, so Zoom has an unlimited book reimbursement plan in place to make sure team members can soak up all the knowledge they can. 

Cooper Frederick, Account Executive, Healthcare SMB VAST (Value Added Sales Team)

Cooper helps companies in the healthcare industry implement Zoom. Going forward, Cooper wants to help Zoom continue to grow while maintaining the great atmosphere it’s built over time. More specifically, he hopes his team can double in size over the next two quarters. 

With every new role, there are moments when it becomes clear that we made the right decision. Can you talk to us about a moment when you realized moving to Zoom was the right decision for you?

Moving to Zoom was quite easily the biggest and best decision I’ve made in my life to date. Within one week of starting at Zoom, I knew it was the right place for me. There were three Denver office events within the first month that pretty much everyone went to — all 35 of us! — which just showed how much people cared and loved being there!

One of Zoom’s fundamental values is to care. How do you see your peers exhibit this on a daily basis? How do you try and do so?

A lot of it is through answering questions and stepping up to help others. There’s so much going on here that when someone takes the time out of their day to look up an answer for you, jump into a meeting to test a new feature, go out of their way to assist on a deal or anything else, it really is amazing. That happens on every team within every vertical here.

I try to contribute that way as well, but I like to really just bring joy to the office. I think laughing and having a good time in the office is so important to overall happiness, so my goal is to try to make people laugh a little bit. Sometimes a simple laugh can turn around someone’s day.
 

Moving to Zoom was quite easily the biggest and best decision I’ve made in my life to date.”

Compared to your past work experiences, what stands out the most about Zoom’s culture? How does it stand apart from other company cultures?

The fact that we actually have a culture! My past work experience was very corporate in the oil industry. It was very old school — everyone had their own office, so people rarely even saw each other. All conversations were very surface level, so it was pretty rare to have real friendships develop in the office. Here, at Zoom, it is the opposite of that! I truly have met many of my best friends here at Zoom and know I have people I will stay in contact with no matter where we all end up.

Chelsea DeLoach, Account Executive SMB VAST

Chelsea helps connect SMBs with Zoom’s products and offerings. To help Zoom move forward, Chelsea’s goals are to help her team reach 100 percent (or more) of its quota and to learn everything there is to know about Zoom.

How would you describe Zoom’s general culture? What might one see if they visited the office for themselves?

Zoom is full of collaborative, motivated and very outgoing people who understand the importance of achieving a goal as a team! On any day in the office, you will find teams huddled in the kitchen working through solutions, the happiness crew putting together candy grams for employees, and teams ringing the gong to celebrate their achievements.
 

Zoom is always creating new and unique ways for us to step away from our work and enjoy life!”

Giving employees more to do than to come in and do their jobs every day is a great way to get them invested in a company’s culture. What events have Zoom hosted since you joined to do that?

Zoom encourages fun at work through the multitude of events hosted annually, from our weekly breakfasts and celebrating national food holidays to bring your kids or parents to work day and our winter holiday party. Zoom is always creating new and unique ways for us to step away from our work and enjoy life! 

You’ve been a part of the Zoom team for just over a year now. What first attracted you to the company? 

I spoke with many employees at Zoom before applying to be a part of the company and they all said Zoom cares about its employees and their success. Now that I have been a part of this company for over a year, I can truly say they are right. I love walking into the office on a Monday morning and being a part of a company that lives its values each day by providing each employee a safe, comfortable and motivating work environment.

Douglas Karbowiak, Sales Operations Data Associate

Doug is the data integrity specialist for Zoom’s Salesforce database, and he spends his days at work updating data and making sure reps have access to all of the information they need. His objectives going forward are to offer the sales operations team analytical insights, to help promote growth within the team, and to help sales reps crush their own goals.

You joined the Zoom team earlier this year. What attracted you to the company? How would you describe the environment?

I was attracted to the company's initiative to create happiness with their employees and customers. My first six months have been amazing, and it has been one of the best places I’ve ever worked.

There are no walls within the organization, making it extremely easy to talk with executives and get their help. A typical day consists of work, free lunch, connecting with great people and fun events from time to time.

What impact does the existence of the happiness crew, and any other initiatives like it, have on the team’s morale? What are some ways the happiness crew improves the experience at Zoom? 

The happiness crew really boosts team morale. They send thank you gifts to team members that deserve it or just need a pick me up, and they set up fun events within the office and off-site to help keep everyone happy.

The company — especially the Denver office — has so many activities to be part of inside and out of the office to help connect people from different teams, like soccer, softball and kickball teams, charity events, social hangouts and more. 
 

My first six months have been amazing, and it has been one of the best places I’ve ever worked.

Is there any particular experience you’ve had that sums up the culture at Zoom?

Zoom Olympics sums up the culture of Zoom. Once a year, we have a day where we are randomly assigned to different teams, create a team theme, then get in costumes that represent our theme. There are games, food, and skits for all teams. It creates a fun atmosphere where we get to connect with other members of the company and enjoy some friendly competition.