Microsoft is retiring its peer-feedback tool known as Perspectives as part of a sweeping overhaul of its internal employee review system, according to an internal message viewed by Business Insider. The tool, which allowed staff to request performance input from colleagues visible to both the employee and managers, has been in use since 2018.
Microsoft Retires Perspectives Tool in Performance Review Overhaul
“The Perspectives tool is being retired,” the internal message states, according to Business Insider. The company indicated that feedback remains crucial to its growth mindset, but noted that feedback is most valuable when shared through ongoing, in-the-moment conversations rather than formal requests.
Employees can no longer submit new feedback requests through the platform. However, workers can still respond to active requests and export their feedback history until September 15, based on the internal communication. The message points to informal discussions with peers as the intended replacement for the structured tool.
Shifting Dynamics in Big Tech Performance Reviews
The retirement of Perspectives coincides with a broader restructuring of Microsoft’s performance review system. The company is simplifying employee ratings into five categories while sharpening performance distinctions, according to internal details reported by Business Insider.
Simultaneously, managers have received instructions to reduce headcounts in higher-level engineering roles. This flattening of the organizational structure reflects a broader hardcore work culture that has permeated major technology companies over the past few years.
The Evolution of Microsoft’s Feedback Systems
Perspectives was originally introduced to replace an older feedback tool that allowed managers to collect, review, and summarize peer evaluations. When Perspectives launched, it was designed to be less intimidating, according to a 2022 report by Quartz, signaling what was then described as a kinder, gentler corporate approach.
A Microsoft human resources executive told Quartz at the time that the company deliberately omitted the word “feedback” from the tool’s branding because the term tended to trigger negative impressions among staff. With the platform now shutting down, the tech giant is steering workers back toward direct, informal dialogue.
Did You Know?
When Microsoft launched Perspectives in 2018, HR leaders avoided using the term “feedback” in the product name because internal testing showed the word triggered negative psychological reactions among employees.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is the Perspectives tool shutting down completely?
According to an internal message viewed by Business Insider, employees can respond to active requests and export their feedback history until September 15.
What is replacing the Perspectives tool?
The internal message suggests that the platform will be replaced by informal discussions with an employee’s peers rather than formal requests.
How are performance reviews changing at Microsoft?
Microsoft is simplifying its performance ratings into five categories while introducing sharper performance distinctions and flattening parts of its organizational structure in engineering roles.
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