How to assign managers to users in Microsoft 365?
To establish a structured reporting system in Microsoft 365, setting up user managers, and direct reports is crucial.
- Managers: Managers are the users who guide and manage a set of users (direct reports) in Microsoft 365.
- Direct reports: Direct reports are individuals who directly report to a specific manager.
You can set up this reporting hierarchy through Microsoft 365 admin center, Entra admin center, or PowerShell. While Microsoft 365 admin center allows you to assign managers, Entra admin center is unique in offering the option to add managers for guest users.
Follow the steps below to add a reporting manager via the MS Entra portal or PowerShell.
Set up managers using the Entra admin center
- Navigate to Microsoft Entra admin center. and select the user in the
- Go to the Properties tab and select the edit icon in the Job Information section.
- Then, select the edit icon option associated with the Manager field.
- Select the user from the list to set the Azure AD user manager.
- Finally, click Select and Save.
Assign managers to Microsoft 365 users using PowerShell
Alternatively, you can use the following MS Graph PowerShell snippet to add a manager to a user in Entra ID. You can also use this cmdlet to replace the existing manager with another.
$Manager = @{
"@odata.id"="https://Graph.microsoft.com/v1.0/users/<Manager’s Object ID Or UPN>"
}
Set-MgUserManagerByRef -UserId <User ID or UPN> -BodyParameter $Manager
Note: Replace <Manager’s Object ID Or UPN> with the manager's User Principal Name (UPN) or User ID, and <User ID or UPN> with the user's UPN or User ID to complete the script before executing it.
For a bulk update of user managers in Entra ID, utilize our PowerShell script:
SetAzureADUserManager.ps1.
For a seamless auditing process on assigned or removed Microsoft 365 managers, use the User Manager Changes report offered by AdminDroid.
- This report provides details, such as when the manager changes occurred, who initiated them, targeted user, outcome status, etc.
- Frequently access this report to stay updated on modifications and address any improper user manager assignments promptly.
Handy Tip: Make use of the Alert option to get instant notifications about manager changes based on a new event, a defined threshold, or a comparison with the past day's events.