Microsoft Viva is Microsoft's employee experience platform, built into Microsoft 365 and accessed largely through Microsoft Teams. It brings together several modules covering employee wellbeing insights, learning and development, goal tracking and internal communications, aiming to surface useful information about how people work without requiring a separate set of tools outside Microsoft 365.
How Microsoft Viva works
Viva is organised into modules that can be adopted individually depending on what a business needs. Viva Insights analyses patterns in calendar and email activity, such as meeting load or after-hours work, to highlight wellbeing trends. Viva Learning surfaces training content, including from SharePoint and external providers, directly within Teams. Viva Goals tracks objectives and key results across teams, and Viva Engage (formerly Yammer) supports company-wide communities and communication.
How UK businesses use Microsoft Viva
- A people team uses Viva Insights to identify teams with consistently high after-hours meeting activity, prompting a conversation about workload before it becomes a wellbeing issue.
- A business surfaces compliance training and onboarding content through Viva Learning directly within Microsoft Teams, increasing completion rates compared to a separate learning portal.
- A leadership team uses Viva Goals to track company objectives and key results, with visibility into how individual and team goals connect to wider business priorities.
- An organisation uses Viva Engage to run company-wide town hall discussions and gather employee questions ahead of all-hands meetings.
How Advantage helps businesses adopt Microsoft Viva
Advantage advises on which Viva modules genuinely add value for a given business, and configures them as part of a wider Microsoft 365 and modern workplace deployment, rather than enabling every module by default.
Frequently asked questions
Is Microsoft Viva a separate product from Microsoft 365?
Viva is built into Microsoft 365 and works within Microsoft Teams, but specific Viva modules are licensed separately or as part of certain bundles. Some basic Viva capabilities are available by default, while more advanced modules require additional licensing.
What does Viva Insights actually measure?
Viva Insights analyses patterns in calendar, email and Teams activity, such as meeting load and after-hours work, to surface trends about wellbeing and working patterns. It is designed to highlight aggregate or individual trends for reflection rather than providing detailed surveillance of specific message content.
Does Microsoft Viva require employees to fill in additional information?
Most core Viva insights are generated automatically from existing Microsoft 365 activity data, such as calendar and email metadata, without requiring employees to manually log anything. Some Viva modules, such as Viva Goals, do involve employees entering specific information like objectives and progress updates.
