In a recent ‘Think like a People Scientist’ webinar, I was joined by Dean Napier, a People Analytics Manager at Derivco, a software development house with about 2000 employees. Derivco has been a leader in the gaming industry for over 30 years, with the majority of the employee population made up of software developers and engineers.
As a People Analytics function, Dean and his team have extensively been using Viva Insights for over two years now. The team has built sustained analytics that span the entire employee lifecycle. During this session, Dean explained how Derivco integrated behavioral data from Viva with survey data and other internal data sources to provide timely and actionable insights to their managers. He also spoke about Derivco’s innovative approach to creating custom manager alerts through an Automated Data Analytics Messenger (ADAM) using Copilot extensibility features (available in Copilot Studio) and Viva data.
This session provided a deep dive into how Derivco successfully integrated various data signals to empower managers and drive actionable insights - a challenge we often see in organizations. Read more about our Viva People Science research into manager action taking challenges here.
Here are the key takeaways from this session:
- The importance of a Holistic Listening approach:
We presented research into the importance of moving beyond traditional employee engagement surveys to include productivity and resilience signals. This approach helps organizations understand not only how employees feel but how they work and adapt to changes. - ADAM - The Automated Data Analytics Messenger:
Dean introduced ADAM, a bot developed by Derivco which sends alerts to managers based on data from Viva Insights and other sources. ADAM provides timely, relevant insights and suggested actions, making it easier for managers to support their teams effectively. - Examples of Effective Alerts:
Dean shared specific examples of alerts, such as a decrease in one-on-one meeting time and an increase in uninterrupted focus time. These alerts not only highlight potential issues but provide managers with practical suggestions and resources to address them. - Measuring Impact:
Derivco tracks the effectiveness of these alerts by monitoring behavioral changes. For instance, if a manager increases one-on-one meeting time after receiving an alert, it’s considered effective. This approach helps ensure that alerts drive meaningful actions. - Future Plans for Adam and Derivco:
Dean discussed plans to expand ADAM's capabilities, including scaling alerts for higher-level managers and incorporating more data points from operational and financial data. This will further enhance the ability to provide comprehensive insights across the organization.
By integrating various data sources and providing actionable insights through ADAM, Derivco empowered its managers to improve the employee experience at the company. Derivco serves as an inspiring use case for other organizations looking to enhance their employee listening strategies.
If you missed our live session, watch the recording below!
Microsoft
