Global Future Workforce Study

Microsoft wanted to understand the motivations, expectations, and mindsets of future generations of talent to foster a forward-thinking culture and workplace and remain a relevant employer of choice for top-tier talent.

Digital technology, along with the pandemic, is radically changing the nature of work. To better understand these shifts in how we work and maintain its relevance in attracting future generations of talent, Microsoft partnered with Gensler to conduct a global study of the future workforce that uncovered the motivations, desires, fears, and evolving mindsets of future generations of workers.

Working with a diverse team from Microsoft that included Product, IT, HR, RE, and DE&I, the research team conducted global research, creating innovative remote collaboration tools and research methods long before COVID made that a requirement. The generative research and moderated hybrid work collaborations uncovered actionable insights for business leaders. Gensler leveraged those insights to help Microsoft co-design solutions with workers that can help build teams and cultivate organizational culture; those solutions were then operationalized into a multi-year implementation roadmap.

Microsoft is actively using the results of its future workforce study to ensure that its organization, culture, and workplaces are designed to attract and retain top talent required for future success.