Microsoft: Employees' focus on security has an impact on salaries
Microsoft is taking its employees to task: their focus on security will influence salaries, bonuses and promotions in the future.
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Following a loss of trust in business and politics, Microsoft has made IT security a top priority. Now the company is implementing what it announced: Employees must strive for IT security for promotions, bonuses and salary increases and prove it.
An internal memo from Microsoft's Chief People Officer, Kathleen Hogan, was obtained by TheVerge. In it, she explains what Microsoft now expects from all employees. "As Satya explained in his May 3 email and again at his FY25 kick-off on July 9, security is our number one priority, and everyone at Microsoft will have security as a core priority," she writes to employees. If employees have to weigh up the options, the answer is simple: safety comes before everything else.
Security integrated into controlling tool
Microsoft employees use a tool called Connect, which is apparently used for monitoring, communicating with other employees and superiors and for documentation. IT security is now being integrated into this tool. This is not just a checkbox exercise, but employees and managers are obliged and responsible for prioritizing security. It is "a way for us to codify your contributions and recognize you for your impact," adds Hogan. "We all need to be safety-first, speak up and proactively look for ways to ensure safety in everything we do."
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She continues: "As part of regular Connect conversations, you and your line manager will discuss the progress and impact of your core safety priority. This process follows the same approach as our other company-wide core priorities for diversity and inclusion."
In an internal FAQ, Microsoft explains the new policy, "Making an impact on the safety core priority will be an important factor for managers when evaluating and recommending rewards." TheVerge writes that a lack of focus on security could therefore have an impact on promotions, performance-related pay rises and bonuses.
Following various IT security incidents in which malicious actors, presumably from China, were able to access and misuse Microsoft's Azure master key to spy on emails from government agencies, for example, trust in the company from business and politics fell. As a result, Microsoft had to face questioning in the US House of Representatives' Homeland Security Committee. This also involved allegations by a whistleblower that Microsoft had prioritized sales over IT security.
(dmk)
