People relationships in Microsoft 365

When Microsoft 365 has people relationship data, it can show up in people experiences such as Profile card, Org explorer, and Microsoft Copilot to help users understand organizational context. The experiences and visualizations that are available depend on the relationship type and the data available for the person.

Microsoft 365 experiences and Copilot can surface the following types of key formal people relationships when the relevant data is available:

  • Manager
  • Assistant
  • Dotted-Line manager
  • Other custom relationships

Manager

A direct manager or simply manager represents a person's primary reporting relationship within an organization. This relationship helps users understand organizational hierarchy and reporting structure. When manager data is available, Microsoft 365 People experiences and Microsoft Copilot can surface this relationship.

Assistant

An Assistant relationship helps users identify people who provide administrative or operational support to another employee. Learn more.

Dotted-Line manager

A Dotted-Line manager represents a reporting relationship in addition to a person’s direct manager. Organizations commonly use dotted-Line manager relationships when work spans teams, projects, regions, or functions. Some organizations might use a different label for this relationship in their HR systems, such as People Lead or Capability Manager. If Dotted-Line manager and the related relationship label data is available for a person, Microsoft Copilot uses this data to surface rich responses to organization hierarchy related queries.

Other custom relationships

Organizations often maintain relationship types that are specific to their operating model, business processes, or organizational structure. Examples include relationships such as Mentor or Business Partner when those relationship types are defined in the organization's source systems. Microsoft Copilot can surface these custom people relationships when the relationship data is available through supported people data connectors.

How organizations bring people relationship data into Microsoft 365

Organizations can bring supported people relationship data into Microsoft 365 through Microsoft 365 Copilot connectors for people data.

For more information, see:

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