Welcome to the first blog in the Microsoft People Science team’s People Success Summer Series where we explore how workplace experiences that drive employee engagement have changed. For this series, we analyzed survey responses from over 6.8M employees across more than 235 companies from 2022 – 2025 to examine how workers’ expectations have evolved over the past three years and identified the key drivers of engagement and the top predictors of retention today.
While what employees want from work remains stable, and our engagement benchmarks have been consistent since 2021, how people work—where, when, why, and with whom—is undergoing a profound transformation. AI tools like Microsoft Copilot are reshaping the employee experience, and organizations must adapt to amplify human potential through people-centric strategies.
What is “People Success”?
Since the beginning of the decade, People Science has studied this concept we call “People Success,” an employee-centric environment composed of psychological, emotional and experiential conditions where employees can bring their best selves to work to do their best work. Since we first blogged about this in early 2023, a lot has changed, and it’s time to revisit People Success in light of significant advancements in workplace practices.
The Six People Success Elements
Based on over 350M employee survey responses from 2020 – 2022, our six-factor People Success Elements model (below) provides a lens through which organizations can assess, understand, and act upon employee feedback to improve the experience of their people in a more humanistic, modern-day work world.
How People Success drives critical engagement outcomes
In order to be motivated to do their best and be fully engaged, people expect a workplace culture and management practices that provide Purpose, Growth, Clarity, Empowerment, Connection and Wellbeing. By addressing the workplace conditions and employee needs in the six People Success Elements, our research1 shows a clear impact on a retention. This chart shows some of the top reasons that people choose to stay with their employer:
Enabling People Success in an AI-driven Workplace
From a business standpoint, being customer-centric and building solutions people need, all while creating business impact, will remain important for decades to come2. With this constancy of business purpose, we forecast that fundamental human workplace needs will stay fairly consistent as well. However, how people get their work done will continue to evolve over the next decade, bearing little resemblance to work as it stands today3.
As AI tools like Microsoft Copilot become embedded in the modern workplace, organizations will experience a transformation that will fundamentally reshape how employees experience their work and how organizations fundamentally operate. Given the momentous advancements for getting work done with higher quality and efficiency, a transformation of this magnitude elicits mixed emotions for workers. This underscores the need for organizations to be proactive and understand how to optimize the impact of AI on their business and the employee experience. Our research shows that a people-centric change management approach that brings employees along the journey is key to successful AI implementation.
Through the lens of the People Success Elements, let’s look at major trends drawing from a People Science longitudinal analysis examining millions of employee survey responses and voluntary attrition patterns over a three-year period1, and dig into how AI transformation is shaping a brave new work world.
Finding Purpose: The Impact of Meaningful Work
People strive to live a life of meaning and self-actualization.
Since 2022, Confidence in Leadership (I have confidence in the leadership team) is a consistent top-ten driver of employee engagement as measured by eSat: (How happy are you working at <COMPANY_NAME>?) and Recommend (I would recommend <COMPANY_NAME> as a great place to work)1. People want to believe their employer is managed well.
Our research also shows that Meaningful Work (The work that I do at <COMPANY_NAME> is meaningful to me.) is the #1 predictor of voluntary attrition since 20221. When people feel they are doing meaningful work, they are 3.8x less likely to leave than those who don’t1.
With time freed up by AI, people can be more focused on work that is high-impact, forward-looking, and aligned with long-term goals. This type of meaningful work can help them feel they’re contributing more directly to business outcomes, reinforcing their sense of value and purpose.
People Science Tip
“Encourage people to use the time freed up by AI to focus on higher value work that provides a greater sense of meaning and fulfillment, instead of additional menial tasks that can (and should) be outsourced to AI.”
Driving Growth: Skills Development in the AI Era
Today, skills matter more than tenure2, making continuous learning essential for the worker and company. Most employees don’t have the time or capacity for traditional, broad-based training programs and need more targeted, just-in-time learning5. People expect to learn new skills on the job that are pertinent to their current duties while also helping them prepare for the future.
Asked on surveys by 75% of Glint customers, Opportunities to Learn and Grow (I have good opportunities to learn and grow at <COMPANY_NAME>) is a very strong (with Pearson r values greater than 0.78) driver of Retention (I rarely think about looking for a job at a different company) and Recommend (I would recommend <COMPANY_NAME> as a great place to work)1. Those who say they have good opportunities to learn and grow are 2.8x less likely to voluntarily leave than those who don’t1.
People Science research shows that a people-centric approach to AI adoption is key to success - prioritizing resources (available and easy to use learning), time to experiment and empathy (the safety to try and fail), and support (access to SMEs who can coach them and managers they can seek guidance from). The cool thing is, using AI can function as a real-time mentor, offering support, feedback and suggestions that assist in continuous learning5.
Skills growth helps enhance career possibilities. Perceiving Good Career Opportunities (I have good career opportunities at <COMPANY_NAME>) is consistently a top driver (with Pearson r values greater than 0.78) of eSat and Recommend for the past three years1. With AI technology advancing faster than many organizations can manage, employees who are open to learning AI and have the proper support may develop these new skills, enhance their value to the organization, and help to build future employment prospects.
People Science Tip
“AI will transform work, so it’ll require fundamentally new ways of thinking, and continuous learning of unfamiliar skills. Create adequate time and space for people to experiment, try, fail, and learn without fear of negative consequences.”
Clarity and Feedback: Essential for Employee Retention
People naturally want to perform well. They seek to understand the vision of success for the organization, what is expected of them individually, and how they should spend their time, talent, and energy to reach their goals. Clarifying priorities, such as focusing on the 20% of work that delivers 80% of the outcomes, assists with task completion in an environment with frequent interruptions6.
Clarity is created by helping employees understand role expectations, knowing their priorities, and getting meaningful performance feedback from their manager - all three factors are historically solid predictors of voluntary attrition (with multipliers greater than 2.5)1. When any one of these factors is missing, it may become so frustrating for employees that it could cause them to leave. Clarity is also a critical factor to help people navigate organizational changes. This Support (I feel supported in my efforts to adapt to organizational changes.) is a strong (with Pearson r values greater than 0.70) driver of eSat and Recommend.
Performance Feedback (<MY_MANAGER> provides me with feedback that helps me improve my performance) was included on surveys by 70% of Glint's customers in 20241, and for the past three years, it’s been the #1 driver of satisfaction with one’s manager1, underscoring the importance of direct manager coaching to ensure clarity of role and priorities. While AI can streamline work and even provide a certain level of coaching, it cannot (yet) replace the very human manager-direct report experience required for high quality performance feedback.
With workers interrupted every 2–3 minutes and 80% reporting a lack of time or energy to do their jobs effectively4, clarity is more critical than ever. This all suggests that while the volume of information has increased, the ability to manage it efficiently hasn't kept pace.
More than ever, to be successful and not burn out, workers need clarity about what is most important and what to pay attention to. And those who say they know what they should be focused on are 2.7x less likely to leave than those who don’t know1.
People Science Tip
“While AI can help assist with identifying priorities (for example, scanning communications to identify goals, important decisions, and task assignments), the human interaction of performance feedback remains a critical responsibility for managers and a necessarily skill to develop.”
Empowerment in Decision-Making: Key to Employee Engagement
People want to be trusted to get their job done with as much freedom, efficiency, and autonomy as possible. They want the flexibility, resources, and decision-making authority to perform their work independently.
Key empowerment factors that have historically been strong drivers of eSat and Recommend (with Pearson r values greater than .70) are Continuous Process Improvements (<COMPANY_NAME> continually improves the way work gets done) and Resource Availability (I have the resources I need to do my job well)1. Since last year, Encouraged to Try New Ways (I am encouraged to find new and better ways to get things done.) has become a very strong (with Pearson r values greater than 0.78) driver of eSat, Recommend and Belonging outcomes.
With an AI ability to learn and improve, employees will see process improvements and big productivity gains as this “personal assistant” takes on administrative tasks and frees them to focus more on work that involves creativity, problem-solving and decision-making7.
Using AI agents democratizes expertise that was once siloed within specific individuals8. With direct access to specialized knowledge whenever it’s needed, regardless of hierarchy or the boundaries of job functions, employees are empowered to independently solve problems, handle more complex cognitive work, and increase their expertise.
When employees can more independently solve problems and deliver better work outcomes they are 2.8x less likely to leave than those who don’t1.
People Science Tip
“One key to reaching full AI empowerment is to enable users with job-specific use cases, scenarios and prompts that can be applied to tasks that are known to most benefit from AI assistance.”
Strengthening Connection: AI's Impact on Collaboration
People want a sense of worth and identity within their groups. They want the comfort and freedom to express themselves as individuals, entirely and fully, and to be accepted for who they truly are. They want to be part of a collaborative team of people who genuinely like and support each other.
Connection at work is fostered by a sense of inclusion, strong collaboration, feeling valued and having a sense of belonging. As hybrid and remote work have become normalized, those working remotely or on geographically dispersed teams can feel less connected to their peers9.
For three years, Belonging (I feel a sense of belonging at <COMPANY_NAME>) has consistently ranked as one of the top five drivers of Retention (I rarely think about looking for a job at a different company) and voluntary attrition making this single factor a cornerstone to people’s desire to stay1. No wonder it is asked in surveys by over 70% of Glint customers1.
AI can enhance inclusion by ensuring that all team members can participate effectively, regardless of their working style or communication preferences by streamlining communications and surfacing diverse voices in meetings (e.g., via transcription and summarization tools)10 and by supporting neurodiverse employees with adaptive technologies11.
People Science Tip
“Copilot can be a powerful ally in fostering workplace inclusion by supporting employees with communication challenges. From summarizing meetings for those with hearing loss to easing email drafting for individuals who are non-native speakers, Copilot helps reduce stress and boost confidence—making work more accessible and empowering.”
AI Enhances Wellbeing: Predicting burnout early
People need to feel safe, and treated with respect, fairness, and equity in all manners of their work life. They desire the flexibility to be where they are needed most to successfully take care of work obligations and home life, and to provide security and peace of mind for themselves and their loved ones.
Critical to Wellbeing is to Feel Cared About at Work (At work, I feel cared about as a person), Feel Supported (I feel well supported by <COMPANY_NAME> at this time.) and the ability to Balance Work and Life (I am able to successfully balance my work and personal life). These key factors have increased in power as drivers of engagement and predictors of voluntary attrition since 20231. With ever more chaotic changes impacting work life, job security and mental health, people are looking for an environment of economic security, psychological safety, and a human-centric work experience.
Since 2024, Work Life Balance has seen the largest uptick (14%) across all factors as a predictor of voluntary attrition1. This is likely the effect of increased burnout signals over the past few years driven by the shift from employee-centric policies instated during the pandemic to the recent focus on staff-cutting and increased productivity.
AI’s analytics capabilities can process vast amounts of sentiment and behavioral data to predict when an employee might be approaching burnout. Early detection enables organizations to intervene proactively, offering essential support and accommodations12. AI-powered chatbots, and employee assistant agents can provide immediate support and resources through chatbots and assistants, helping employees manage stress and anxiety effectively12.
Even with these positive effects on work life, the rapid pace of AI integration may cause anxiety and uncertainty among workers, especially in industries where automation is more visible. However, recent research shows a shift in perception—AI is now more often viewed as a tool to augment rather than replace workers3. 77% of managers said the primary reason they’re adopting AI in the workplace is to either enhance worker productivity or improve efficiency, an 11% increase from last year3.
75% of employees said they’d feel more excited about AI if their organization openly communicated its plans13. When employees understand why it’s being implemented, how employee data will be protected, and the goals and benefits of AI adoption for both the company and its employees, they’re more likely to view it as a tool that empowers them rather than one that replaces them13. This is a significant mindset shift from one of fear to one of feeling cared for, which is a sentiment highly correlated with engagement1.
People Science Tip
“Focus on building psychological safety in your teams to ensure people are willing to speak up and share their concerns about AI. This level of transparency helps build trust, reduces fear of the unknown, and can build excitement around upskilling.”
Conclusion: Thriving through change means putting people first in the age of AI
Since the pandemic, organizations have been grappling with challenges like returning to office, raising productivity, and adopting AI. In a rapidly transforming workplace, understanding and addressing the fundamental needs of employees is essential for survival. After three years, the People Success Elements continue to provide guidance for leaders on what matters most for people to be happiest and most productive at work.
In this era of unprecedented change, people strive to stay engaged in their work. AI—especially tools like Copilot—is emerging as a powerful ally in the workplace. It can help employees feel more purposeful, capable, empowered, and balanced. As organizations continue to adopt AI, the approach should be people-centric focused on using it to amplify human potential—not just automate tasks. The Viva measurement apps (Glint, Pulse, and Insights) are ideal for assessing Copilot adoption and its impact on the employee experience.
Deeper Insights in the People Success Summer Series
Stay tuned for the rest of The People Success Summer Series, which will dive deeper into the evolving role of each of the People Success Elements in the current world of work.
References
1 The 2025 engagement and attrition key driver refresh and longitudinal analysis determined the top predictors of engagement (across 230 customers) and voluntary attrition based on LinkedIn Glint survey scores in 2022, 2023, and 2025 representing 6.8 million employee survey responses.
Engagement: As these data variables are continuous, Pearson's r was used to measure the correlation strength of the linear relationship between People Success “critical needs” (25 survey items that measure employee experiences aligned with the six People Success Elements) and the six engagement outcome items (eSat, Recommend, Manager, Belonging, Retention and Intent to Stay). The r values for each item were aggregated and averaged across all customers for each year reported.
To calculate meaningful change from year to year, we examined the delta in r value for each item-outcome pair over the 3-year period. Then, we calculated the correlation percentile splits to determine the top 33 percent (r value YoY deltas from .10 up to .25) and bottom 33% (r value YoY deltas below .05). We comment here only on those items and their outcomes with r value deltas in the top third, noted as “top predictors” or “strong drivers” of the outcome(s) and whether the change is trending up or down.
Attrition: Only survey item responses from at least 15 LinkedIn Glint customers who’ve had at least 80 voluntary terminations between survey administrations were included in this study. “Attrition Multipliers” were formed by comparing favorable vs. unfavorable survey responses scores from those voluntary termed employees for each of the People Success “critical needs” items. Aggregate analysis involved averaging the attrition multipliers per item at a customer level, filtered by n size for each of the three years in this longitudinal study.
2 Forbes. (May 12, 2025). AI And Knowledge Workers: What Could Change In The Next 10 Years?
3 Gartner. (July 6, 2022). 6 Ways the Workplace Will Change in the Next 10 Years.
4 Microsoft. (2025). The 2025 Work Trend Index Annual Report: 2025: The Frontier Firm is born.
5 Gartner. (September 24, 2020). Stop Training Employees in Skills They’ll Never Use
6 Microsoft. (June 17, 2025). Breaking down the infinite workday.
7 Microsoft Education Team. (2025, April). Empowering everyone with agents in Copilot Chat.
8 Microsoft. (2025). AI at Work: “Intelligence on Tap” Will Reshape Knowledge Work
9 Forbes. (May 15, 2025). Return To Office Is Back. Why Is Remote Work Still Controversial?
11 Microsoft. (Dec 3, 2024). Empowering potential: AI’s role in disability inclusion.
12 Forbes. (September 27, 2023). Combating Employee Burnout With AI And Future Of Work Policies.
13 Insentra. (December 17, 2024). AI Anxiety in the Workplace: How to Overcome Employee Concerns.
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