Microsoft

Attendees at a recent National Association of Black Journalists event. Photo courtesy of Jason M. Johnson/NABJ In our jobs as storytellers for Microsoft, we’re called to improve our storytelling every day, and the best way I’ve found to do this is to look at great stories – whatever the form – and learn from them. That’s why I’m especially excited to team up with the National Association of Black Journalists on the NABJ-Microsoft Storytelling Fellowship Program designed to develop emerging storytellers, offer a platform to amplify their voices and share learnings along the way. Starting today, the NABJ-Microsoft Storytelling Fellowship Program is accepting applications for two fellowship positions. Apply here. Fellows will receive...

Photo credit: Hiroshi Watanabe/Getty Images As countries have begun to ease travel restrictions, I’ve had increasing opportunities to meet customers face to face. During my visits, customers shared how they are bringing to life digital optimism to overcome business challenges, especially during the pandemic. Customers are increasingly capitalizing on the value of the Microsoft Cloud to enable continuous innovation. What’s more, they are recognizing the advantages of digital transformation go well beyond a simple cost-benefit analysis. With the Microsoft Cloud, customers are getting integrated solutions that meet their unique needs, including powerful collaboration tools for secure hybrid work and better employee engagement for...

Today, I am sharing Microsoft’s 2021 Diversity and Inclusion report, our third annual report and our eighth year of releasing our global workforce demographic data publicly. This past year was a challenging time for so many people, communities and organizations. Ongoing acts of hate and violence in the U.S. and around the world have continued to move racial injustice to the forefront of social consciousness, while the global pandemic has exacerbated inequities and upended our lives. In the face of these realities, the sense of urgency to solve some of the biggest systemic problems of equality and inclusion is palpable. This report is an opportunity for us to quantify the impact of our work. Measurement and data are important to us, not...

We are pleased to announce that Microsoft has acquired Ally.io to help revolutionize how organizations use technology to bring deeper connection to work, purpose and results in the hybrid world. Ally.io, a leading OKR (objectives and key results) company, will join the Microsoft Viva family as part of our employee experience platform (EXP) designed to help companies embrace the new digital work life. Aligning employee work to the company’s strategic mission and core priorities is top of mind for every organization. To do this, leaders need to invest in tools that communicate transparency around big company bets and create ways to cascade aspirational goals and report results at all levels of an organization. When teams see how they are...

More than 40 million people in the United States have a disability, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. COVID-19 has disproportionately impacted people with disabilities, exacerbating what the World Health Organization termed the Disability Divide. Disability is a growing demographic, it was pre-pandemic, but even more so post, with “Long Covid” recently designated a disability. This year’s National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) theme, “America’s Recovery: Powered by Inclusion,” hit at the center of what people with disabilities face given the pandemic and gives voice to what we too believe at Microsoft. We consider disability a strength. By ensuring the “inclusion” of people with disabilities in the workplace, we...