Microsoft is retiring its peer-feedback tool Perspectives as the technology giant restructures its employee performance review process, according to an internal communication reviewed by Business Insider.
Introduced in 2018, Perspectives allowed employees to request performance inputs from colleagues, with the feedback accessible to both employees and their managers. The tool was designed to encourage continuous feedback and help employees understand their strengths and areas of improvement.
Microsoft informed employees that the tool will no longer support new feedback requests. However, employees will be able to respond to existing requests and export their feedback history until 15 September.
The company said it found that feedback was more effective when shared through regular workplace conversations rather than through formal requests. Going forward, employees are expected to rely more on ongoing discussions with peers and managers.
The move comes as Microsoft makes broader changes to its performance-management framework. The company is simplifying its review process by introducing five rating categories and increasing differentiation between employee performance outcomes.
The shift also comes amid wider organisational changes at Microsoft, including efforts to streamline teams and flatten parts of the company structure.
Perspectives had replaced Microsoft’s earlier Feedback Tool, which enabled managers to collect and summarise peer feedback for employees. When introduced, Perspectives was positioned as a less formal approach to workplace feedback, aimed at making the process more approachable for employees.
The retirement of the tool reflects a broader shift among large technology companies towards continuous, manager-led conversations around performance rather than relying heavily on structured feedback systems.
