{"id":15666,"date":"2019-08-07T11:30:00","date_gmt":"2019-08-07T11:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-gb\/industry\/blog\/?p=15666"},"modified":"2019-08-07T11:31:20","modified_gmt":"2019-08-07T11:31:20","slug":"employee-engagement-microsoft-ready","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-gb\/industry\/blog\/cross-industry\/2019\/08\/07\/employee-engagement-microsoft-ready\/","title":{"rendered":"5 things I learned about employee engagement at Microsoft Ready"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/p>\n
If you\u2019ve seen one big, corporate event, you\u2019ve seen them all, right? If you\u2019d have told me that a couple of weeks ago, I might\u2019ve agreed. But not after the recent Microsoft Ready \u2013 an event for internal employees, running parallel to Microsoft\u2019s partner-focused Inspire. I feel invigorated and inspired by what I witnessed. I feel\u2026 Ready. Sat in the departure lounge at McCarran International Airport, and resisting the temptation to splurge the last of my spare dollars on a \u2018Welcome to Las Vegas\u2019 fridge magnet, I find myself reaching for my laptop. I feel an unprecedented need to write about what I learnt about employee engagement. To remember, and reflect on how a company can successfully connect with its most valuable assets\u2026<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Microsoft events are always an incredible learning experience. This year\u2019s Microsoft Ready was no different. Together, Microsoft employees and partners joined to reaffirm our belief in the Microsoft ethos \u2013 that our technology is designed to empower everyone.<\/p>\n
That, alone, is humbling. To think that technology we all too often take for granted has the power to transform and grow a small business or improve healthcare for remote African villages. Technology changes lives. Hearing Corenote speakers share those stories on-stage only intensified that humbling experience.<\/p>\n
But you sense that, with its organisational awareness and corporate honesty, Microsoft\u2019s leadership team are as humbled by the power of tech as their audience was. It helps keep us all on the same level, and gives us all a goal to work towards.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
One of the top highlights, for me, were Ready\u2019s sessions. This is always one of my favourite parts of any event \u2013 it\u2019s a chance to connect with colleagues old and new. It\u2019s an opportunity to discuss new ideas and marvel at what we\u2019ve all achieved.<\/p>\n
Microsoft Ready\u2019s employee engagement activities, however, aren\u2019t like anything I\u2019ve ever experienced. This isn\u2019t two hours of impact-free blather. The technical sessions that I attended were hailed as some of the most useful, for one simple reason: they impart practical knowledge directly transferable to \u2018the real world\u2019.<\/p>\n
Should a session not quite live up to expectation, workshop organisers were quick to act. They were receptive to feedback, happy to re-shape the content. One or two even shared contact details for further engagement. In keeping with our theme, they took the practical approach to improvement. And it makes us feel like we\u2019re helping future employees get even more out of these sessions. Together, we\u2019re making a difference (and an even better place to work).<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n The winning formula. That\u2019s what we\u2019re all looking for, isn\u2019t it? No matter what we do, we\u2019re all seeking that oh-so-sweet spot that helps us be more productive and serve our customers better.<\/p>\n At Microsoft Ready, I think I found it.<\/p>\n Microsoft employees and partners are an intensely technical bunch. Now, fuse that mind-set with a healthy amount of commercial awareness. That\u2019s a powerful, almost unstoppable combination; a winning formula that can be fully employed to support our customers\u2019 goals. It creates a flurry of engagement that makes a customer\u2019s journey with us more pleasurable. Our \u2018winning formula\u2019, in effect, becomes their winning formula, too.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n There can\u2019t be many of us who have put on an international event, bringing together internal employees and external partners. But I\u2019ll let you into a little secret: it takes even more planning than you realise.<\/p>\n Preparation is intense and production value second to none \u2013 and I reckon the logistics alone are worthy of a Netflix docuseries about bringing it all to life. Netflix presents Microsoft Ready to Roll<\/em>, anyone? Because it\u2019s not just about pointing a camera at a well-lit stage. Think of the legions of people offering assistance on the ground. The deployment of transport between venues carried out with military precision. The technical support\u2026<\/p>\n It all made me appreciate just how much all that hard work pays off.<\/p>\n You can say the same about true employee engagement. It doesn\u2019t just happen. You can\u2019t snap your fingers and expect to engage staff, just as you can\u2019t cobble together an event like Microsoft Ready in the blink of an eye. You need to lay the groundwork, draw up plans, know what you want to achieve. But, you\u2019ve really got to put the work in to get the most out.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Microsoft has always put its people first. It\u2019s clear to me that the company has a genuine interest in the well-being of employees. It always has. Now, being at Microsoft Ready really brought that home. I saw, first-hand, how Microsoft gives its people the greatest possible autonomy and control. Who better to take decisions than an experienced individual?<\/p>\n That level of trust in people is inspirational. But I feel there\u2019s more to it than that.<\/p>\n It makes people feel valued. It engages them, and gives them the confidence to sound out new ideas. Microsoft\u2019s stance \u2013 not micro-managing, not treating employees like schoolchildren to be corralled and constricted \u2013 creates a productive workplace environment where disciplined, effective collaboration between teams is welcomed. The result is overall better engagement.<\/p>\n \u2018Microsoft is changing the world,\u2019 I like to say, \u2018one workload at a time.\u2019<\/p>\n And I mean every<\/em> workload \u2013 whether it\u2019s one of us Microsoft employee or the staff of one of our dedicated partners or customers. This is about a balance between technology and humanity. A balance I believe Microsoft brilliantly handles, as it introduces a fresh, modern workplace culture that connects with employees on a meaningful level.<\/p>\n <\/p>\nFind the winning formula<\/h2>\n
It\u2019s hard work \u2013 but worth it<\/h2>\n
Trust the people<\/h2>\n
Find out more<\/h2>\n