Microsoft has announced that it will more than double its number of R&D employees in Israel from 2,000 to 4,500 over the next four years. The company added that hundreds of open positions are currently being filled, from senior engineers to interns.
Microsoft said that the latest expansion in the number of R&D employees comes after its R&D work force in Israel has grown by 30% to 2,000 in the past 18 months, at its four sites in Herzliya, Haifa, Tel Aviv, and Nazareth.
To house this rapid expansion in R&D teams, Microsoft is opening five new offices. A new Tel Aviv site will host more than 1,000 employees on 25,000 square-meters ground. The company is also seeking an additional 17,000 square meters in Herzliya, adjacent to its news campus there that was opened 18 months ago, to accommodate 1,000 additional employees.
In addition, two new development sites will be opened next year in Beersheva and Jerusalem to expand to Israel's geographic and social periphery and include under-represented sectors, such as ultra-orthodox Jews and Israeli Arabs. The location of the fifth site is still being considered, influenced by key factors like workforce diversity, work-life balance and minimizing commute time for those intending to travel to the office.
With Microsoft’s hybrid work model, a study into its impact has revealed that most of Microsoft’s employees want to divide their work time between the office and offsite locations. It also showed that the ability to choose leads to higher employee satisfaction and organizational flexibility.
Microsoft Corporate VP and general manager Microsoft Israel R&D Center Michal Braverman-Blumenstyk said, "The establishment of the new development sites, along with the recruitment of thousands of new employees in Israel, is proof of Microsoft’s commitment and confidence in our technological impact and talented workforce. This expansion will help us grow, retain, and recruit the most talented people to build the most cutting-edge solutions. We want Microsoft to be accessible to any candidate no matter where they live, so establishing campuses in Jerusalem and Beer Sheva is especially significant."
Microsoft’s Israel R&D Center has over 30 different product groups, playing a role in the development of many of Microsoft’s core products and advanced technologies, including data security, cloud services, big data, digital health, autonomous driving platforms, AI, and Surface devices.
Published by Globes, Israel business news - en.globes.co.il - on October 6, 2021
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