Employee Signals – Internal Microsoft survey results shared by Chief People Officer Amy Coleman show employees feel more energized and empowered for meaningful work—while reporting lower scores for day-to-day coaching, feedback, and motivation from managers.
Microsoft employees are writing—more than 265,000 comments worth—that they feel more “energized” and “empowered” to do meaningful work. But in the same internal memo. the picture turns sharper around the managers who guide that work: employees reported worse experiences with coaching. feedback. and motivation.
The contrast comes through in Microsoft’s twice-yearly “Employee Signals” survey results for the second half of the year. which Microsoft Chief People Officer Amy Coleman shared in an internal memo. Coleman framed the results as part of an ongoing push for “an ongoing. open conversation” about what it’s like to work at Microsoft. while acknowledging “intense and exciting change” inside the company.
Coleman pointed to uncertainty and pressure that employees said they feel “as the work evolves,” writing that the leadership team and she are committed to “being more transparent, communicating more frequently, and giving context wherever we can.”
The memo arrives at a sensitive time for Microsoft. The company has increased performance pressure on staff in recent quarters. overhaualed the HR organization responsible for pay and promotion policies. and offered a buyout for some employees who want to retire. Those changes sit behind an employee experience that—at least in survey language—has turned both brighter and more strained.
The clearest lift is in how employees describe their day-to-day purpose. Microsoft’s “Thriving score”—capturing whether employees feel energized and empowered while doing meaningful work—rose 3 points to 79. with “consistent progress across every element.” Coleman’s memo describes top strengths as a sharp focus on addressing security challenges. feeling included on teams. and teams acting in ways that reflect Microsoft’s culture.
When employees were asked what helps them do their best work, the comments pointed to empowerment, teamwork, culture, communication, and customer focus.
The survey also shows where employees want more. In the “Employee Signals” questionnaire, employees answered most favorably to:
– “I prioritize addressing security challenges in my role”: 88 (+1 compared to the last survey)
– “I feel included in my team”: 86 (+1)
– “My team acts in ways that reflect Microsoft’s culture”: 86 (new question)
They answered least favorably to:
– “I have opportunities to broaden my experience in my current role”: 79 (new question)
– “I have what I need to be productive in today’s work environment”: 80 (+4 compared to the previous survey)
– “I see a clear link between my work and my org’s objective”: 81 (new question)
In the same internal memo, the manager-focused survey results underline the tension. In Microsoft’s separate annual survey focused on managers and leaders. 85% of employees answered favorably to a question about whether they’re confident in their manager’s overall effectiveness—matching the previous survey.
Employees rated managers highest on innovation and inclusion:
– “(Manager’s name) embraces new challenges to drive innovative solutions”: 86 (+1 compared to previous survey)
– “(Manager’s name) creates an inclusive environment where everyone can do their best work”: 86 (-1)
– “(Manager’s name) invites different perspectives and works to align our team”: 85 (0)
But scores fell on the day-to-day support employees say they need:
– “(Manager’s name) coaches me through challenges in my day-to-day work”: 76 (-5 compared to the last survey)
– “(Manager’s name) gives clear feedback to help me improve”: 79 (-4)
– “(Manager’s name) motivates me to do my best work”: 82 (-2)
Coleman also used the memo to describe broader themes that surfaced in employee comments. For “top opportunities. ” the memo says employees want expanding experiences in their role. ensuring they have what they need to be productive in today’s work environment. and a clearer connection between their work and broader organization objectives. Those comments pointed to challenges around strategy, communication, processes, customer focus, and speed of execution.
The internal memo ties that feedback to participation and scale. Coleman thanked the 71% of employees who took part in Employee Signals and shared nearly 265,000 comments. She said the responses help Microsoft understand where the company is “right now.”
She also pointed to a related channel employees used in April: many leveraged Microsoft’s annual “Manager and Leader Signals” survey to share feedback with their manager and skip-level leader to help them grow.
In the Manager and Leader Signals results described in the memo, confidence in a manager remained strong at 85. The memo says the top strength for managers is embracing new challenges to drive innovative solutions. while a major opportunity is strengthening how managers coach and support others through their day-to-day challenges.
Coleman added that nearly 368,000 comments recognized strengths in clarity, empowerment, and driving results—while also pointing to opportunities around transparency, communication, and career development.
Microsoft declined to comment.
Read the full memo, and the takeaway for employees is unlikely to be one number or one score. It is the pull between feeling more empowered to do meaningful work—and feeling. in key interactions with managers. that the support system is not keeping pace with the pressure and change coming from the top.
Microsoft Amy Coleman internal memo Employee Signals Thriving score employee survey managers and leaders coaching feedback performance pressure HR overhaul buyout