๐The Next Web (TNW)โขStalecollected in 54m
Microsoft removes key employee sentiment survey question
๐กUnderstand how big tech companies are shifting their internal feedback loops and employee sentiment tracking.
โก 30-Second TL;DR
What Changed
The 'good deal' question was a primary gauge for employee sentiment.
Why It Matters
The removal of this metric may lead to decreased transparency in how Microsoft gauges workforce satisfaction, potentially impacting retention strategies.
What To Do Next
If you are building internal HR analytics tools, ensure you provide multiple qualitative feedback channels rather than relying on a single metric.
Who should care:Founders & Product Leaders
Key Points
- โขThe 'good deal' question was a primary gauge for employee sentiment.
- โขScores on this question historically triggered management responses.
- โขRemoval of the question signals a shift in internal feedback mechanisms.
๐ง Deep Insight
Web-grounded analysis with 13 cited sources.
๐ Enhanced Key Takeaways
- โขThe 'good deal' question was not entirely removed but rather moved to different surveys distributed to subsets of employees, a change perceived by some employees as an attempt to obscure the metric.
- โขThis shift in survey methodology occurs amidst a broader overhaul of Microsoft's HR strategy, which includes increased performance pressure, a restructuring of the HR organization, and the implementation of a voluntary retirement buyout scheme.
- โขThe decision to remove the 'good deal' question from the main report follows a period in 2023 when Microsoft froze salaries and cut 10,000 jobs, while simultaneously making substantial investments in artificial intelligence.
- โขDespite concerns over the compensation question, recent internal surveys indicate a rise in Microsoft's 'Thriving' score, reflecting employees feeling more energized and empowered, yet also show a decline in satisfaction with manager support, coaching, and feedback.
- โขMicrosoft has also recently eliminated diversity and inclusion as mandatory company-wide priorities from employee performance reviews and will not be publishing its annual diversity and inclusion report for the current year.
๐ ๏ธ Technical Deep Dive
- Microsoft utilizes an internal tool called 'Perspectives' for collecting constructive peer feedback and 'Connects' for self-feedback.
- The company employs a 'multi-layered listening system' that integrates traditional HR-led surveys with real-time sentiment data and feedback gathered from internal platforms such as Viva Engage and Viva Insights.
๐ฎ Future ImplicationsAI analysis grounded in cited sources
Employee trust in Microsoft's internal feedback mechanisms may erode.
Employees have expressed skepticism regarding the official explanation for moving the 'good deal' question, interpreting it as an attempt to avoid accountability for compensation issues.
Microsoft's strategic focus on AI and heightened performance pressure will intensify, potentially at the expense of broader employee well-being metrics.
The company has already implemented salary freezes, job cuts, and a redirection of resources towards AI, alongside increasing performance expectations and shifting priorities in performance reviews.
Microsoft will continue to evolve its 'listening system' towards more real-time, multi-channel feedback, potentially reducing reliance on traditional annual surveys.
Microsoft has already established a 'multi-layered listening system' incorporating various internal platforms and aims to cover more topics without increasing survey length by utilizing different surveys for subsets of employees.
โณ Timeline
2013
Satya Nadella becomes CEO, initiating a cultural shift away from 'stack ranking' performance reviews.
2018
Microsoft overhauls its feedback approach, moving to qualitative feedback and empowering employees to seek feedback; establishes the 'GEEK' community.
2021
Microsoft emphasizes a 'circular employee feedback lifecycle' and a people-centric model for change management.
2022
Microsoft announces company-wide pay raises and increased stock awards in response to low 'good deal' survey scores.
2023
Microsoft freezes salaries, cuts 10,000 jobs, and redirects resources toward AI.
2024-07
Microsoft lays off an internal Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) team.
2024
Microsoft restarts salary raises based on performance.
2025-12
Microsoft removes diversity and inclusion as core priorities from employee performance reviews and ceases publication of its annual diversity report.
2026-06
Microsoft removes the 'good deal' question from the main results of its latest employee sentiment survey, shifting it to subset surveys.
๐ Sources (13)
Factual claims are grounded in the sources below. Forward-looking analysis is AI-generated interpretation.
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Original source: The Next Web (TNW) โ