Microsoft 365 Roadmap announces 9 major updates for Microsoft Viva

Microsoft has recently announced a series of updates to its Microsoft Viva platform via the Microsoft 365 roadmap. These enhancements aim to streamline communication and feedback processes within organizations.

What is Microsoft Viva Pulse?

Microsoft Viva Pulse is a feedback solution for team leaders and managers to obtain immediate insights into their team’s performance. This is part of Microsoft Viva, a bundle of employee experience applications that enables organizations to connect their people, knowledge, and insights to drive business outcomes.

The new features include:

1. Organization-Wide Customization: Managers and project leads can now create organization-wide templates and customize questions to gather valuable insights.
2. Wider Reach: Viva Pulse users can now send pulse requests to a larger audience, reaching up to 10,000 recipients simultaneously.
3. Scheduled Resending: The ability to schedule and resend pulse requests allows teams to receive periodic feedback, ensuring a continuous feedback loop.
4. Create from Scratch: Users can build Viva Pulses from scratch by formulating questions or selecting from a predefined question library.
5. Teams Integration: Responding to Viva Pulse requests is made more convenient with Microsoft Teams chat notifications and inline response features.
6. Flexible End Dates: Customization extends to setting specific end dates for Viva Pulses, tailoring the feedback collection period.
7. Question Library: Users can access a library of research-backed questions for crafting effective Viva Pulses that yield meaningful insights.
8. Email Interaction: Responding to Viva Pulse requests is also possible through email, providing multiple avenues for engagement.
9. Policy Integration: Organizations can enhance their pulse customization by including links to internal policies within the reminder messaging.

These updates were added to the Microsoft 365 roadmap between August 18, 2023, and August 22, 2023. The rollout is set to begin in December 2023. The updates will be accessible on various platforms, including the web, Microsoft Teams, and Surface Devices. They will be available to users worldwide under the General Availability release phase.