New Microsoft Viva App to Bridge Gap Between Employer and Employee Disconnect

Microsoft announced new capabilities in Microsoft Viva to address emerging workplace challenges and enable managers and team leaders to receive regular and confidential feedback on their team's experience.

FREMONT, CA:Microsoft’s Work Trends Index Pulse Report is questioning the nature of hybrid work. The data indicate that hybrid work has created a growing disconnect between employees and leaders. They are yet to discover what constitutes productivity, how to maintain autonomy while ensuring accountability, the benefits of flexibility, and the role of the office.

Thriving employees give companies competitive advantages in today’s ever-evolving economic environment. To close the gap, a new approach must recognise work as an experience that must keep employees engaged and connected in their workplaces. The report highlights the immediate pivots every leader should make to help leaders navigate the new work realities. It is based on an external study that drew on the analysis of many Microsoft 365 productivity signals and other insights.

End Productivity Paranoia

The majority of employees believe that they are productive at work, but most leaders say the shift to hybrid work has made it challenging to have confidence in employees being productive. This hyperfocus on productivity is affecting health and well-being. It is imperative that leaders create clarity and alignment around company goals, reduce busy work that does not support those objectives, and take heed of their people. However, the data reveals that only a few companies collect employee feedback, indicating that only some firms hear about their employees’ experiences at work.

Embrace that People Come in for Each Other

The data is clear, and people need a better reason to come into the office than policy alone. Most leaders opine that getting employees back to the office in person is a significant concern. Most employees seek a reason to come to offices besides company expectations, but they would be motivated to go for other reasons. On the other hand, most employees would be motivated by the promise of socialising with coworkers and by the prospect of rebuilding team bonds. The data underlines that there is a deep human need to connect with the people they associate with and that spending time together builds stronger relationships, which is a key to performing better.

To address these challenges, Microsoft launched new capabilities in Microsoft Viva, the first integrated employee experience platform for the hybrid work era. The company introduced Viva Plus, a new app empowering managers and team leaders to seek regular and confidential feedback about their team’s experience with the flow of work in teams. It also announced enhancements to Viva Learning’s integration with other platforms and new collaboration in Viva Goals, bringing objectives into the flow of work and helping companies align everyday work to business outcomes.