What Is Microsoft Viva: The New Employee Experience Platform

Last Updated on September 19, 2024

Can’t wrap your head around Microsoft Viva?

In this guide, I will do my best to explain what Microsoft Viva is simply and what benefits it brings.

Let’s get started.

What is the Microsoft Viva Suite?

The first thing to know is that Microsoft Viva is actually a suite, a collection of apps within Microsoft 365.

It’s designed to improve employee experience by focusing on:

• Productivity
• Engagement
• Learning
• Well-being

It integrates directly into Microsoft Teams and other familiar tools so there’s still that seamless experience for employees.

These tools will then work together to create a comprehensive environment where employees can access everything they need. 🙂

Core Components of Microsoft Viva

As I said, it includes several core apps, with each one focusing on different aspects of the employee experience.

Let’s talk about each one:

1. Microsoft Viva Connections

Viva Connections is designed as a personalized, centralized hub for company resources and communication.

It looks pretty good too:

Employees can access it directly through Microsoft Teams which provides quick access to internal tools, news, etc.

Key features include:

• Customizable dashboard
• Company news and announcements
• Social feeds and collaboration

It also integrates well with Viva Engage through its “feed” so employees can interact with teams and communities.

👉 Related: What Is Microsoft Viva Connections: The New EXP Platform

2. Microsoft Viva Insights

This next one is a tool that provides data-driven insights aimed at improving productivity and employee well-being.

Here’s the home page within Microsoft 365:

Key features include:

• Personal productivity insights
• Manager insights
• Well-being recommendations
• Privacy protections

It uses information from everyday work patterns like meetings, emails, and the like to offer personalized recommendations.

With its “insights”, it can help employees work smarter as well as promote a healthier, more balanced work environment. 🙂

3. Microsoft Viva Learning

From its name, this app is about training and bringing educational content into employees’ daily workflows.

Here’s what its home page looks like:

You can see that it actually looks like a dashboard of an online learning platform. 😅

Anyway, it centralizes learning resources from various platforms so it’s easier for employees to develop skills.

Key features:

• Content integration
• Learning in the flow of work
• Personalized learning
• Collaboration

Here’s an example of courses that Learning shows:

There’s actually an admin backend where admins can choose and manage providers like LinkedIn Learning.

What’s nice is that this can foster a culture of continuous development with its accessible training materials. 👏

4. Microsoft Viva Engage

This would probably feel the most familiar since it’s built on the foundation of Yammer.

Viva Engage is a social networking tool that improves communication and collaboration across organizations.

Anyway, it looks even similar to Yammer. 😅

Key features include:

• Community building
• Storylines and stories
• Knowledge sharing
• Integration with Teams

Its main point is to connect employees with leaders, coworkers, and communities to share ideas, ask questions, and more.

Viva Engage helps organizations strengthen workplace culture by promoting open dialogue, collaboration, and engagement.

5. Microsoft Viva Goals

It’s a goal-setting and management tool that helps align employee’s work with the organization’s strategic objectives.

Key features include:

• OKR framework
• Progress tracking
• Collaboration
• Integration with Microsoft Teams

OKR means “objectives and key results”, a framework that helps individuals and team efforts focus on measurable outcomes.

Viva Goals helps employees stay aligned and motivated by helping them see their contributions to the organization’s success. 🙂

6. Microsoft Viva Pulse

This one is a feedback tool that helps managers gather real-time insights from their teams.

It uses short, research-backed surveys to enable leaders to check in with employees and receive actionable data.

Key features include:

• Quick feedback collection
• Actionable insights
• Research-backed templates
• Anonymous responses

Since employees can give anonymous feedback, the likelihood of getting honest and constructive feedback is high.

It’s a nice tool for managers to maintain a continuous feedback loop and promote open communication in the workplace.

7. Microsoft Viva Glint

Viva Glint is the feedback-driven app within the suite so leaders can understand and improve employee engagement.

Key features include:

• Employee engagement surveys
• Real-time insights
• Actional suggestions
• Integration with Viva Pulse

Think of Glint as the bullet for Pulse. 🙂

It offers real-time insights into employee sentiment through surveys and feedback tools.

The data here will then provide leaders with actionable recommendations to drive positive outcomes in the company.

8. Microsoft Viva Amplify

Amplify is another communication tool that helps organizations manage and deliver internal campaigns.

Key features include:

• Multi-channel publishing
• Campaign management
• Reporting tools
• Integration with Viva Engage

This will allow leaders to create, edit, and schedule content for different channels so employees can receive important updates.

What’s nice here is that there are prebuilt campaign templates available to create publications faster. 🙂

Viva Amplify can simplify corporate communication and help companies make sure that important messages are delivered.

Benefits of Microsoft Viva

Microsoft Viva offers a lot of benefits to both employees and organizations.

Here are the primary benefits:

• Help employees stay connected with the company’s goals, culture, and community
• Offer personalized recommendations based on work patterns
• Help employees focus on important tasks and avoid burnout 🔥
• Make learning opportunities more accessible and integrated into daily workflows
• Align individual and team objectives with organizational priorities
• Provide managers with quick feedback from teams
• Help make better communication and improve workplace dynamics

With powerful integrations, especially with Microsoft 365 and Teams, it can help create a cohesive employee experience.

When done right, it will help improve performance, reduce attrition, and build a healthier work environment.

Microsoft Viva Pricing Details

Microsoft Viva offers pricing options starting at $2/user/month for employee communications and communities.

There are four possible plans here:

• Microsoft Viva in Microsoft 365
• Microsoft Viva Employee Communications and Communities
• Microsoft Viva Workplace Analytics and Employee Feedback
• Microsoft Viva Suite

More advanced plans like the workplace analytics and employee feedback bundle start at $6/user/month.

The complete Viva suite though with all the apps begins at $12/user/month.

Each tier includes different features such as community building, surveys, and advanced insights.

Integrating Viva into Daily Workflows

It can become seamless simply because it’s designed to work within Teams and other Microsoft 365 apps.

Employees can have a smoother experience as they can access necessary resources without switching platforms.

Anyways do you have more questions about Microsoft Viva? Let me know in the comments below.

For any business-related queries or concerns, contact me through the contact form. I always reply. 🙂