New employee Copilot usage: Insights into productivity and socialization

This report summarizes a mixed-methods study examining how a new generation of employees interacts with the generative AI assistant Microsoft Copilot for productivity when acclimating to a professional environment. Through a series of surveys, interviews, and a diary study, 125 Microsoft interns in a variety of roles provided insights into their usage and effects of Copilot in their new-employee roles. 

Top findings: 

• We observed an association between frequency of Copilot use and workplace integration. Interns who used Copilot more frequently felt better socialized and identified with their teams more strongly.  

• Greater usage of Copilot correlated with an increasingly favorable perception of the AI assistant. 

• The most frequent and valued Copilot use cases were Information retrieval, writing assistance, and coding assistance. 

• Participants highlighted multiple ways in which Copilot helped their productivity: (1) the benefit of seamless access to an AI assistant integrated across their work apps in the M365 suite; and Copilot capabilities that (2) helped new employees save time to focus on their primary responsibilities, (3) aided their getting “unstuck” on tasks, (4) stimulated creativity, and (5) served as a nonjudgmental assistant as they adapted to their new professional environment.  

• Interns learned how to use Copilot by trial and error, picking up tips from peers, or accessing training documentation and resources.  

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