# Dawn Klinghoffer

> Dawn Klinghoffer is Vice President of HR Business Insights at Microsoft, where she leads people analytics for one of the world's largest technology companies. A mathematics major from Bucknell University who started as an actuary in Hartford, Connecticut, she joined Microsoft's fledgling people analytics team in 2003 and spent over 25 years turning HR data into strategic decisions. Her most recognized contribution: replacing the industry's standard 'employee engagement' metric with 'employee thriving' - a framework adopted by Microsoft in 2022 that has influenced HR practices globally and was published in Harvard Business Review.

- **Role:** Vice President, HR Business Insights at Microsoft
- **Organizations:** Microsoft
- **From:** Hartford, Connecticut, United States
- **Nationality:** American
- **Education:** Bachelor of Science, Mathematics, Bucknell University
- **Known for:** Named HR Executive magazine's HR's Rising Stars (2023), Co-authored 'Why Microsoft Measures Employee Thriving, Not Engagement' in Harvard Business Review (2022), Built Microsoft's centralized people analytics function from its founding in 2003

## Career timeline

- **1991** — Graduated from Bucknell University with a mathematics degree; began career as Actuarial Analyst at Connecticut Mutual Life Insurance Company in Hartford, Connecticut
- **1991-1993** — Actuarial Analyst at Connecticut Mutual Life Insurance, Hartford, CT
- **Early 1990s** — Relocated to Seattle and joined Microsoft in corporate accounting
- **2003** — Joined Microsoft's founding people analytics team, initially part-time, leveraging actuarial background and programming skills
- **2003-2018** — Built and expanded Microsoft's centralized people analytics function over 15+ years, eventually becoming Head of People Analytics
- **2019** — Restructured the HR Business Insights team into four specialized units: Advanced Analytics & Research, Reporting Solutions, COE Analytics, and Analytics at Scale
- **2022** — Led the shift from measuring employee engagement to employee thriving; co-authored landmark article in Harvard Business Review with colleague Elizabeth McCune
- **2023** — Named one of HR Executive magazine's HR's Rising Stars; elevated to Vice President, HR Business Insights at Microsoft
- **2024-2025** — Continued advancing people analytics at Microsoft with focus on AI-augmented HR insights, hybrid work optimization, and workforce intelligence

## Achievements

- Named HR Executive magazine's HR's Rising Stars (2023)
- Co-authored 'Why Microsoft Measures Employee Thriving, Not Engagement' in Harvard Business Review (2022)
- Built Microsoft's centralized people analytics function from its founding in 2003
- Pioneered the 'employee thriving' metric that replaced traditional engagement surveys at Microsoft
- Oversaw employee listening systems pulsing 2,500 employees daily
- Research published in Harvard Business Review, The New York Times, Forbes, and MIT Sloan Management Review
- Influenced post-pandemic hybrid and remote work policies at Microsoft through data-driven analysis
- Built analytics infrastructure that provided insights to Microsoft CEO and executive leadership including Steve Ballmer era
- Restructured HR Business Insights into four high-performing specialized teams

## Latest updates

- **2025-11** — Featured at Microsoft Ignite 2025, discussing Copilot and AI agents transforming workforce analytics
- **2025-04** — Announced Microsoft AI Skills Fest initiative on LinkedIn
- **2025-06** — Speaking at People Analytics World 2025 in London as featured speaker
- **2024-05** — Posted about Microsoft and LinkedIn's 2024 Work Trend Index research release
- **2023-05** — Named one of HR Executive's HR's Rising Stars for 2023
- **2022-06** — Co-authored Harvard Business Review article 'Why Microsoft Measures Employee Thriving, Not Engagement'

## Links

- Website: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/human-resources/people-analytics-insights
- LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/dawn-klinghoffer

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/dawn-klinghoffer
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-06-01