💡 Our Technical Review in summary
Summary
- Microsoft is introducing a new Survey designer role within Viva Glint to facilitate expanded employee listening programs, such as AI transformation surveys and change management initiatives.
- This role is designed to follow the principle of least privilege, allowing designated users to manage the survey lifecycle without granting access to sensitive platform configurations or organizational data.
- The rollout is scheduled to begin and complete on March 9, 2026 (updated from mid-February).
Impact
- Administrative Efficiency: Global or Viva Glint Admins can now delegate survey creation tasks to project leads or HR partners without compromising platform security.
- Role Scope: Users assigned the Survey designer role can create, launch, and manage surveys. However, they are restricted from accessing broader Viva Glint configuration settings or sensitive administrative data.
- Availability: The role will be available by default in the Viva Glint platform but will remain inactive for users until explicitly assigned by an administrator.
- User Experience: Stakeholders who previously required full admin rights to run surveys will now have a streamlined interface limited to survey design and management.
Action Required
- Identify Candidates: Determine which stakeholders (e.g., Change Management leads, HR Business Partners, or Departmental Heads) require the ability to run independent survey programs.
- Role Assignment: Once the feature is live on March 9, 2026, navigate to Viva Glint role management to assign the “Survey designer” role to the identified users.
- Update Documentation: Revise internal IT governance and security documentation to reflect this new delegated permission level.
- Stakeholder Communication: Notify relevant departments that they can now manage their own survey lifecycles and provide them with internal guidelines for survey creation.
Microsoft Official Update
Service: N/A
Category: stayInformed
Severity: normal
Updated January 22, 2026: We have updated the timeline. Thank you for your patience.
[Introduction]
To support organizations that will run additional employee listening programs, such as surveys for AI transformation or change management, we will introduce a dedicated Survey designer role. This role will grant selected users the ability to create and run Viva Glint surveys with only the permissions required for that work. It will not provide access to platform settings or sensitive data. This will allow organizations to expand survey creation in a secure and flexible way.
[When this will happen]
General Availability (Worldwide): We will begin rolling out on March 9, 2026 (previously mid‑February) and expect to complete by March 9, 2026 (previously mid‑February).
[How this affects your organization]
Who is affected:
- Viva Glint customers in Microsoft Viva
- Admins assigning roles and users who create surveys
What will happen:
- A new Survey designer role will be available in Viva Glint.
- Users assigned this role will be able to create and run Viva Glint surveys, collect employee feedback, and manage survey lifecycle tasks.
- Survey designers won’t have access to broader Viva Glint configuration settings or sensitive admin data.
- The role will be available by default but must be explicitly assigned by an admin.
[What you can do to prepare]
- Review which users may benefit from expanded survey creation capabilities.
- Assign the Survey designer role as needed in Viva Glint role management.
- Update internal documentation as relevant.
- Communicate this role availability to stakeholders who run employee listening programs.
[Compliance considerations]
No compliance considerations identified. Review as appropriate for your organization.
