CPO Doniel Sutton says the company’s approach has boosted productivity and wellbeing
While return-to-office mandates remain a contentious issue between management and employees in some companies, it's not an issue on the agenda at Pinterest.
Rather than enforcing office attendance, the social media company made the call in 2022 to embrace a flexible model (PinFlex) - a decision the company believes has created a competive advantage, according to Chief People Officer Doniel Sutton.
“At Pinterest, we believe that flexibility is key to both productivity and wellbeing. That’s why in 2022 we introduced a flexible work model that allows our employees to work at a location of their choice – whether that’s at home, remotely or at one of our 24 offices around the world,” Sutton said.
“Our approach is sustainable because it's rooted in trust and designed to adapt to our growing global workforce. We regularly hear from our team that having this flexibility has made a meaningful difference, both personally and professionally."
Sutton, who oversees Pinterest’s global talent teams, said both employee feedback and business outcomes show the model is working.
“Among the most telling indicators are our employee surveys. PinFlex consistently earns some of our highest marks, and employees report that flexibility improves both their productivity and overall well-being,” she said.
“For many, especially caregivers, having more control over their work environment has made a significant difference."
How flexible work and business performance can align
The model isn’t just about retaining current staff. It has also widened the company’s hiring horizons - proof that flexible work and business performance can align, Sutton said.
“PinFlex enables us to tap into a broader talent pool, including those who may not have a traditional Bay Area tech background,” she says, a reference to the San Francisco Bay Area in California, known as a hub for technology innovation.
“Since operating in our PinFlex work model for the last three years, we continue to grow our business and users, and revenue. In fact, Gen Z has grown to over 50% of Pinterest's 578 million users.”
A common argument against remote work is the loss of team culture due to fewer in-person encounters and shared experiences that build trust and understanding.
Sutton said it's a balance the business thinks about everyday and Pinterest has leaned heavily into its employee-led Pinclusion Groups to maintain connection.
“These employee-led communities – such as Caregivers, Women at Pinterest and PinAble – help people build relationships across teams and geographies, which strengthens our culture beyond day-to-day work,” she said.
Earlier this year, the company also rolled out “Leading the Pinterest Way,” a program designed to better equip managers to support, engage and inspire their teams, Sutton said.
“We also know that people managers play a huge role in shaping experiences, building culture and delivering business results through their teams – especially in a hybrid or remote setting."
Evolving with employees
For HR leaders dealing with the tension between flexibility and office mandates, Sutton says is about listening to employees.
“My advice is to be open, intentional and adaptable. Rather than defaulting to one approach, take the time to really understand the needs of your business and your people,” she says.
“Talk to employees – listen to what’s working for them and where they’re finding challenges. Weigh the benefits and drawbacks of remote work and in-office presence, not just from a productivity standpoint, but also when it comes to talent attraction, employee engagement and wellbeing.’
She also says employers should not to lock in too early.
“Be willing to experiment and evolve as you go. There’s rarely a one-size-fits-all solution,” she says.
While other companies adjust their positions on remote work, Sutton says Pinterest is firm in its direction, but that doesn’t mean the approach is static.
“We’re committed to continuing our flexible work model because we know people do their best work when they feel empowered and supported,” she says.
“Our approach is always evolving based on the needs of our employees, and we’re constantly exploring ways to enhance our work model, office space and benefits,” she said.
AI in action
Looking ahead, the company is turning to technology to make distributed work smoother – rolling out PinAI, a program aimed at embedding AI literacy across the workforce.
“At Pinterest, we believe AI is a tool for empowering people and making work smarter, more efficient and more collaborative,” Sutton says. “We’re equipping our entire workforce with a solid understanding of AI, so teams can confidently unlock new possibilities as they utilize these tools to drive personal and professional productivity.”
Already, AI is streamlining everyday tasks, and the company’s engineers are also benefiting.
“Today, our teams are using AI through tools like an internal chat tool for Q&As and content generation, Glean for faster information discovery and reducing employee support burden and Google Workspace for tasks like document creation, meeting summaries and action items,” Sutton says.
“Additionally, AI coding assistants help engineers accelerate velocity and quality of produced code.”
For Sutton, the goal is less about technology for its own sake and more about alignment with Pinterest’s ethos.
“Integrating these tools into our workflows ensures that technology supports our values, helping our teams stay focused on what matters most, from anywhere,” she said.
