An interview with a current Microsoft employee

Hey guys check this out!

http://professionaldevelopment.sqlpass.org/Blog/entryid/177/An-Interview-with-Microsoft-Employee-Cindy-Gross.aspx

This is an article written about an interview held with Cindy Gross, a current Microsoft Employee.  She is a DSE (Dedicated Support Engineer). The main point of the article is to promote Information Systems and computer programs, but I got a lot out the article than just that.  Cindy is so happy in her career and she has a great company like Microsoft to encourage her and help her along the way.

Microsoft facilitated Cindy's passion for working on computers, and allowed her to grow and prosper through the company.  She also talks about how she enjoys a conference that Microsoft sends her on once a year to meet with fellow "geeks."  She says she has made many friends and colleagues that also attend the event each year. 

This is just yet another example of how Microsoft encourages success and happiness within the company, and shows that is has such a positive Organizational Behavior!

Thanks for looking!

Katelyn Fisher

Team 4

Microsoft listed a top employer

"With its developers earning on average $106,000 a year, Microsoft pays well, according to Fortune, but also dangles some healthy perks. The company provides 100 percent health care coverage, an on-site gym, and subsidized gym membership. Telecommuting and the option to compress your work week also are available. Job growth for this year is pegged at 2 percent."

This is a quote from CNET, a Business Tech website, that was talking about how Microsoft earned its spot as 51st best company to work for. 51 doesn't seem like a high number, but compared to every company out there, 51st is amazing. Microsoft uses their treatment of employees to motivate them and inspire them to enhance the company day after day.


Our textbook often talks about how autonomy is a way to motivate employees and telecommuting is a way to avoid this problem. Microsoft gives their employees this flexibility in order to get them to be as productive as possible during their work day. Organizational climate is another way to produce autonomy for employees, so by having such a great healthcare, gym, and work day options, they are creative a great organizational climate.


The book showed us Zappos, and how their culture is influenced by treating employees well. Zappos has treated their employees well, by providing health care and flexibility similar to Microsoft's and have increased their customer satisfaction greatly. The CEO, Tony Hsieh, believes caring is what motivates employees to do well, and I think Microsoft is putting this same idea into action.


-Team 4
Kelsey Van Gieson

When doing the job and going home won't cut it.

           Microsoft's website has resources for businesses. In the section for management questions, someone asked how to motivate their employees to expand their ideas? His personal company has employees that work hard while at work, but go home and don't do anything related. He wants his employees to benefit and contribute to the expansion, but they don't seem to care. Microsoft has advice for this problem.
           Microsoft's response was that he should offer training, "go fish" create recognition, create policies, and listen and act. Offering training to a business is a mutually beneficial way to motivate employees. It shows them that you care and that you are willing to develop resources for them, and it also gets you ahead by expanding your employees horizons. When they mentioned "go fish", they meant letting employees explore their talents and express their happiness/emotions. This can benefit the company's culture a lot and definitely seems like it would help employees desire their work more. "Positive recognition is one of the mightiest of motivating factors at work", states the article (link below). Just by a manager giving you recognition for the good you do at work, you can increase motivation among employees substantially. Flex time and commuting are ways to create policies that enhance motivation and listening and acting means to just appreciate the knowledge people share and act upon it. I know this motivates me in my own job when my manager hears my feedback and does something about it.
          The most important part of the article, in my opinion, is that creativity goes a long way. Money is not going to do everything when motivating employees, you have to dig deep and find out what your employees really want.
          I believe goal commitment, the degree to which a person is dedicated to or committed to a goal, as defined in the text book, is the individual asking the question's problem. He needs to work on people being committed to their work, instead of only wanting to work the bare minimum. Microsoft had some great advice for him, and I believe if they use it, they will have better luck motivating their employees.


http://www.microsoft.com/business/en-us/resources/management/employee-relations/How-can-I-better-motivate-employees.aspx?fbid=BO0KPoaegcb#HowcanIbettermotivateemployees
        


-Team 4
Kelsey Van Gieson