Authenticity will spur productivity and wellbeing 6 “Before the pandemic, we encouraged people to ‘bring their whole self to work,’ but it was tough to truly empower them to do that. The shared vulnerability of this time has given us a huge opportunity to bring real authenticity to company culture and transform work for the better.” – Jared Spataro, CVP at Microsoft 365 The workplace has become more human. • One in five have met their colleagues’ pets or families virtually. • One in six (17 percent) have cried with a coworker this past year. • Thirty - nine percent say they’re more likely to be their full, authentic selves at work, compared to a year ago. Authenticity positively impacts productivity and wellbeing. • People who interacted with their coworkers more closely than before not only experienced stronger work relationships, but also reported higher productivity and better overall wellbeing. But not everyone feels the same. • In the U.S., Black and U.S. Latino workers reported bigger challenges in building relationships, feeling included, and bringing their authentic selves to work than the broader population. • Encouraging inclusion and authenticity among all groups, especially in hybrid environments, will be crucial in the next phase of work. have cried with a coworker 1 in 6