Microsoft announced on December 9th a blog post, upgrading its AI assistant Microsoft Copilot, with a focus on introducing year-end performance evaluation assistance features, aiming to help users reduce end-of-year work pressure and improve communication quality.
Copilot's new features mainly focus on two aspects: data-integrated self-assessment report generation and sensitive workplace conversations and peer review assistance.
One-click data integration: automatically generate complete self-assessment reports
In the personal self-assessment phase that many employees find troublesome, Copilot demonstrated strong data integration capabilities. The tool can extract key information from multiple sources such as emails, OneNote pages, status reports, and presentation documents, and automatically generate a complete self-evaluation report.
Microsoft's case demonstration shows that Copilot can effectively sort out quarterly sales performance, contributions to new process development, mentoring, and coaching work, ensuring that those easily overlooked "invisible contributions" are fully and comprehensively included in the year-end evaluation.
Assisting sensitive conversations and "lubricating" peer reviews
For sensitive conversations such as budget discussions, job announcements, or role adjustments, which many employees dread, Copilot can provide specific guidance and complete script communication.
In Microsoft's demonstration case, Copilot helps a marketing professional apply for a raise under tight company budgets, generating a communication script that expresses appreciation for the company while also proposing realistic expectations, freeing employees from the tedious task of wording.
Additionally, when handling peer reviews, Copilot acts as a "workplace lubricant". Since constructive criticism is often a "no-go zone" in the workplace, Copilot can effectively soften the tone of language and suggest using encouraging rather than tense expressions. For example, when evaluating a colleague who is capable but emotionally stressed, Copilot can rewrite the evaluation content, pointing out issues while maintaining a supportive tone, thus reducing communication risks.
