Microsoft is retiring Perspectives, its internal employee feedback platform.
The move signals a clear change in workplace performance management. Employees can no longer create new feedback requests. They have until September 15 to answer active requests. They can also export their feedback history before shutdown.
Perspectives launched in 2018 as a replacement for Microsoft’s earlier Feedback Tool. It let workers request input from colleagues, managers, and project partners. The platform supported review cycles with structured peer comments.
However, Microsoft now wants feedback to happen differently. The company favors regular conversations over scheduled feedback requests. Managers, employees, and colleagues should discuss performance during daily work.
That shift matters for IT and collaboration leaders. Many enterprises use platforms to formalize employee development. Yet formal systems can become routine tasks. Workers may submit comments because a process demands them.
Perspectives also carried cultural weight inside Microsoft. It supported Satya Nadella’s focus on growth mindset and continuous learning. The tool aimed to make feedback feel less intimidating. Microsoft even avoided “feedback” in the product name.
At the same time, Microsoft is simplifying employee management. The company is moving to five rating categories. This model aims to create clearer performance differences between workers.
The decision reflects a wider enterprise trend. Technology companies now watch productivity and accountability more closely. Many expanded quickly during earlier growth cycles. Now they want clearer outcomes from teams and tools.
Former Microsoft employee Merrill Fernando, Founder of Jozra, described the workload involved.
“When I was making the decision to leave Microsoft, I made a list of pros and cons. Not having to write Perspectives was on my ‘pros’ list.”
Fernando said he sometimes received “about 20 to 30 requests every six months.” He added that some responses took around an hour. He said he spent “whole weekends and nights” writing them.
The rise of AI may have weakened the platform further. Fernando highlighted this concern directly.
“Anyway, the last few years everyone just started using AI and Copilot to generate the feedback, so I think it mostly lost its meaning.”
That point raises a serious question for workplace software vendors. Feedback should help people improve through honest and timely input. If Copilot or other tools generate generic comments, trust may decline.
Still, Microsoft is not removing feedback from its culture. It is changing the delivery method. Real-time comments may help employees act faster. A short conversation after a meeting can be more useful.
Yet this model also depends heavily on managers. They must create space for direct and fair discussions. Without discipline, informal feedback can become inconsistent.
For enterprises, the lesson is clear. A platform cannot replace honest workplace communication. Feedback technology must support better conversations, not create extra process. Microsoft’s move may push other firms to reassess their own systems.
