Empowering our employees

At Microsoft, we’re focused on bringing out the best in people, supporting their goals, and allowing them to find deep meaning in their work.

Our commitment and approach

At Microsoft, we strive to create a respectful, rewarding, diverse, and inclusive work environment that enables our employees to create products and services that help others achieve more.

Our culture

One of the most important drivers of our success is our culture. We fundamentally believe that we need a growth mindset culture. This starts with the belief that everyone can grow and develop; potential is nurtured, not predetermined; and anyone can change their mindset.

Learn more about our mission and culture

Respecting human rights

Our Global Human Rights Statement, and participation as a signatory to the UN Global Compact, demonstrate our commitment to respecting the following human rights covenants and declarations:

Universal Declaration of Human Rights

International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights

International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights

International Labor Organization (ILO) Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work*

Total rewards

We develop dynamic, sustainable, and strategic programs that generate trust in our employees and enable them to do their best work. These programs reinforce our culture and values. The result is a global performance and development approach that fosters our growth mindset culture, competitive compensation that proactively ensures equitable pay by role, and distinctive benefits that delight our employees.

Learn more about our benefits

Diversity and inclusion

At Microsoft, Global Diversity & Inclusion is more than a program, it is a core aspect of our evolving culture that helps us fulfill our mission. We seek out different perspectives that represent various aspects of the world around us and each employee is accountable to actively learn and engage each other’s strengths, experiences, and viewpoints to inform, challenge, and stretch our thinking. As a result, we create richer work experiences, stronger ideas, more impactful products, and better customer experiences.
 

Learn more about global diversity and inclusion at Microsoft

Training and development

To support our growth mindset culture and meet the learning needs of our employees around the world, we offer a diverse range of learning and development opportunities. We believe training can be more than formal instruction, and our training philosophy focuses on providing the right learning, at the right time, in the right way. Opportunities include:
  • Personalized, integrated, and relevant views of all learning opportunities on Microsoft Learning and LinkedIn Learning.
  • In-the-classroom learning and sharing with learner boards.
  • On-the-job “stretch” opportunities for advancement.
  • Frequent promotion opportunities.
  • Coaching on career development through ongoing manager connections.
  • Customized manager training to enhance coaching and mentoring skills.
  • New employee orientation covering a range of topics including company values, culture, and Standards of Business Conduct.

Wellness and safety

Microsoft is committed to supporting our employees’ well-being with comprehensive benefits to help employees maximize their physical, financial, and social wellness. In addition, our Occupational Health and Safety program integrates appropriate practices into our operations and works for continual improvement in employee health and safety. As part of this commitment:
  • Professionals assess the safety risks of work activities and engage with workers and management to implement safe work practices, hazard controls, and training to minimize safety risks.
  • New and existing workspaces are periodically assessed to ensure they are constructed with sound design-for-safety principles and that controls are implemented effectively.
  • Microsoft involves employees and managers in Health and Safety Committees specific to our datacenters, retail operations, and office locations where required.
Learn more about our commitment to safe and productive workplaces.
 

*Those ILO principles are freedom of association and the effective recognition of the right to collective bargaining; elimination of all forms of forced or compulsory labor; effective abolition of child labor; and elimination of discrimination in respect of employment and occupation.

 

Reporting resources

Workforce demographics

The demographics of our workforce will continue to serve as a measure of our progress toward a more diverse and inclusive Microsoft, and our contribution to the diversity of the tech industry at large.
 
 
 

Reports hub

Microsoft provides disclosures to help stakeholders evaluate how we’re meeting our commitments. We collect and share these reports in one place for easy reference and download.

  

Get the bigger picture

Explore additional resources to gain a more comprehensive understanding of our commitment to empowering our employees.