The importance of managers
Microsoft’s data suggests that manager support matters even more in a digital world. One focal point for manager support, Microsoft noted, was to retake the highs in team morale: new employees.
The data showed that, compared to COVID pre-pandemic Microsoft, new employees said reliance on managers for support during the onboarding process increased almost 20%, while reliance on peers for initial support declined 15%.
This focus paid off quickly in new employee sentiment, with Microsoft new hires who said managers played an active role 3.5 times more likely to say they were satisfied with their onboarding experience, and 1.2 times more likely to feel like they were making important contributions to the team.