Internal Microsoft Email Details New Policies to Cull Low Performers

Microsoft has created new policies and tools for managers as part of an effort to dial up performance pressure on employees, according to an internal email viewed by Business Insider.

Amy Coleman, Microsoft’s new chief people officer, on Friday emailed managers about “new and enhanced tools to help you accelerate high performance and swiftly address low performance.”

There’s a new option for exiting underperformers, and a policy that bars these people from transferring within Microsoft or getting rehired by the company for two years, according to the email.

Many tech companies have been getting tougher on employees in the past year or so. Efficiency has replaced perks and pampering, as performance-based job cuts become more of a regular occurrence.

For instance, Mark Zuckerberg targeted low performers when Meta eliminated thousands of jobs earlier this year. And, similar to Microsoft’s new policy, Meta puts ousted employees on “block lists” that stop them getting rehired. 

Earlier this year, Microsoft fired 2,000 employees deemed underperformers without severance. Managers spent months evaluating employees all the way up to the executive level as part of changes to the company’s performance review and management process, insiders told BI.

Coleman’s email, in full below, details some of those changes and suggests others on the horizon. Microsoft declined to comment.

Read the full email to Microsoft managers:

Managers,

Thank you for your patience yesterday with the unexpected technical product issues. As customer zero, this was an opportunity to learn and quickly make improvements.

As Satya shared at the recent Employee Town Hall, our success as a company depends on our relevance in year 51 and beyond – in terms of our innovation, the products we deliver, and the impact we have for our customers and partners. With that, our focus remains on enabling high performance to achieve our priorities spanning security, quality, and leading Al. This focus and our growth mindset encourage excellence, motivates us to push ourselves through challenges, and enables us to deliver results.

Today, we’re rolling out new and enhanced tools to help you accelerate high performance and swiftly address low performance. Our goal is to create a globally consistent and transparent experience for employees and managers (subject to local laws and consultation). These tools will also help foster a culture of accountability and growth by enabling you to address performance challenges with clarity and empathy.

Manager Readiness: FY25 Performance, Connect and Rewards: Register for a 60-minute virtual, facilitated session to dive deeper into the performance landscape at Microsoft. Each session will explore what’s new for FY25 rewards, provide guidance on differentiating rewards outcomes, and define what it means to deliver “significant impact.” Next week, you’ll also see a mail from Performance and Development to all employees with more details on Connects.

Clarity and Transparency in Rewards: This year, we’ll ensure more transparency and clarity in the Rewards process for managers including additional guidance for each rewards outcome and showing payout percentages to help you make decisions that align with our high-performance expectations. More Rewards details will be shared by the end of the month.

Performance Improvement Process: If an employee is not meeting expectations, you can use the Performance Improvement Plan (PIP), a new globally consistent approach to set clear expectations and a timeline for improvement. The employee can accept the improvement plan or choose to transition out of the company with the offer of a Global Voluntary Separation Agreement (GVSA). This performance improvement process is available year-round so you can act quickly to transparently address performance issues, while offering employees choice.

Updated Internal Movement/External Rehire Policy: Employees with zero and 60% Rewards outcomes and/or on an active PIP will not be eligible for internal transfers. Former employees who left with zero or 60% Rewards or during/after a PIP will not be eligible for rehire until two years after their termination date.

Manager Excellence Initiatives: Additionally, in the coming months, we’ll launch several initiatives to strengthen how we measures manage, and motivate teams to deliver for our customers. You’ll have access to scenario-based, Al-supported tools designed to help you prepare for constructive or challenging conversations by practicing in an interactive environment.

Thank you for your leadership and commitment to driving high performance and accountability across your team. This isn’t just about Microsoft’s success. This is about your success, your team’s success, our customers’ success, and together, fostering a culture where high-performing, winning teams can thrive.

Have a tip? Contact this reporter via email at astewart@businessinsider.com or Signal at +1-425-344-8242. Use a personal email address and a nonwork device; here’s our guide to sharing information securely.