Microsoft Viva
What is Microsoft Viva?
Microsoft Viva is an employee experience platform integrated within Microsoft 365 and Microsoft Teams. It brings together communications, knowledge, learning, resources, and insights into the flow of everyday work. Viva is designed to enhance employee engagement, well-being, learning, and performance by unifying tools employees already use.
Announced in early 2021, Microsoft Viva consists of several modules—each tailored to different aspects of the employee experience. These modules include Viva Connections, Viva Insights, Viva Learning, Viva Topics, Viva Goals, and more. The platform leverages AI, Microsoft Graph, and Microsoft 365 data to deliver personalized and actionable experiences.
Why Use Microsoft Viva?
Organizations adopt Microsoft Viva to address the growing need for a better digital employee experience. Here are several reasons to use it:
- Boost Employee Engagement: Viva offers tools like personalized dashboards and news feeds to keep employees informed and connected.
- Enhance Productivity By surfacing important information and insights directly within Microsoft Teams, Viva reduces the need to switch apps.
- Support Learning & Growth Viva Learning integrates learning content from LinkedIn Learning, Microsoft Learn, and third-party providers.
- Improve Well-being Viva Insights helps users understand work habits, prevent burnout, and encourage healthier work-life balance.
- Centralize Knowledge: Viva Topics uses AI to organize company-wide knowledge into accessible topic cards and pages.
Is Microsoft Viva for Office 365 Free?
Some Microsoft Viva modules are available at no extra cost with Microsoft 365 or Office 365 plans, while others require additional licensing. Here’s a breakdown:
- Free with Microsoft 365 Plans::
- Viva Connections is generally included with Microsoft 365 plans.
- Basic features of Viva Insights (like personal insights) are also free.
-
Requires Additional Licensing::
- Viva Topics, Viva Learning (premium features), Viva Insights (manager and organization-level insights), Viva Goals, Viva Engage (with advanced features), and Viva Glint typically require separate licenses or are part of the Viva Suite.
Organizations should review Microsoft’s licensing guide to determine exact costs based on their needs.
Key Features of Microsoft Viva
Microsoft Viva is modular, and each module brings distinct features:
- Viva Connections
- Personalized employee home with company news, resources, and tasks
- Intranet integration within Microsoft Teams
- Viva Insights
- Personal productivity insights
- Manager & organizational insights (premium)
- Recommendations to improve focus, collaboration, and well-being
- Viva Learning
- Central hub for learning resources
- Integration with LinkedIn Learning, Microsoft Learn, and third-party providers
- Ability to assign and track training
- Viva Topics
- AI-powered knowledge discovery
- Automatically surfaces topic cards in conversations and documents
- Connects people to experts and related resources
- Viva Goals
- Aligns teams to strategic goals using the OKR (Objectives and Key Results) framework
- Integration with Teams for progress tracking
- Viva Engage
- Social networking tool for workplace communities
- Supports storylines, posts, and leadership engagement
- Viva Glint
- Employee feedback and engagement surveys
- Analytics to improve culture and employee satisfaction
How to Access Microsoft Viva in Office 365?
Accessing Microsoft Viva typically involves Microsoft Teams and Microsoft 365 admin configurations:
- Through Microsoft Teams:
- Viva modules appear as apps or tabs in Teams.
- Users can pin Viva apps like Viva Learning or Insights from the Teams App Store.
- Through Microsoft 365 Admin Center:
- Admins must configure and enable Viva modules.
- Licensing and user permissions need to be managed for premium features.
- Via Web and Mobile:
- Some Viva modules (e.g., Viva Engage) also offer standalone web or mobile experiences.