Vision and Strategy

This is an exciting time in Microsoft history. We're serving hundreds of millions of customers around the globe. We're building new businesses that have tremendous opportunities for growth. And we're investing for the long term to help people and businesses realize their full potential. We're able to do great things in part because our incredible team is a diverse one. At Microsoft, we define diversity broadly, beyond race, national origin, gender, age, disability, sexual orientation, or gender identity or expression. Ensuring diversity in our business provides Microsoft the opportunity to take advantage of the many strengths we all bring to the table.

History of Diversity at Microsoft

From the beginning, Microsoft has worked to ensure that all employees and applicants are provided equal employment opportunities. In 1989 Microsoft was one of the first companies to expand its nondiscrimination policy to include sexual orientation. In 1992 the Diversity Team officially formed to concentrate on Microsoft affirmative action efforts and community outreach. Over the years, our diversity programs have become more strategic in nature, with added concentration on training and awareness, supplier diversity, targeted recruiting efforts, and integration of diversity and inclusion into every level of the company and into everything we do.

Global Diversity and Inclusion Report

Learn what Microsoft, its employees, and its partners are doing to support global diversity, why Microsoft believes diversity and inclusion are part of its business success, and how they affect the communities in which Microsoft employees live and work.

Download the report: Achieving Milestones: 2007 Global Diversity and Inclusion Momentum

Why Diversity Matters at Microsoft

At Microsoft we think of the business case for diversity as having three components: talent, customers, and innovation.

•	Talent. Microsoft seeks to attract and retain the best and brightest employees. This enables us to gain a competitive advantage in the new emerging markets.
•	Customers. If we truly want to have a compelling value proposition for our customers, we must understand the rich diversity of our customer base.
•	Innovation. We work to build innovative products for an increasingly diverse customer base by using the diverse talents, ideas, and perspectives of our employees.

Diversity Mission Statement

Microsoft strives to understand, value, and incorporate the differences each employee brings to the company so that we can build the greatest multicultural workplace in the technology industry and reflect the growing diversity and inclusion of our communities and the global marketplace.

Diversity Vision Statement

To establish Microsoft as a global leader in diversity and inclusion by driving global executive leadership, engagement, and accountability and by increasing workforce diversity at all levels, building value and commitment for work-life balance, and building capabilities for people and organizations.

Diversity Values

The diversity values at Microsoft are:

•	Thinking and acting globally. Microsoft employs a multicultural workforce that generates innovative decision-making for diverse customers and partners.
•	Innovating. Innovation helps lower the costs of technology.
•	Showing leadership. Microsoft shows leadership by supporting the communities in which we work and live.

Strategy Overview

Microsoft's diversity and inclusion strategy is an important part of our business priorities. We are working with executives across the company to support and drive our efforts. The pillars of our diversity and inclusion strategy are:

•	Driving leadership accountability and ownership.
•	Attracting, developing, and retaining a diverse workforce.
•	Creating a culture and climate of respect and inclusion.