In many organisations, staff lose valuable time searching for information hidden in long documents, whether that’s a health and safety manual, HR policy or complex procedure guide.
The result is often snail-paced operations, a greater number of errors and waves of frustration across your team.
However, with Microsoft Copilot Agents in SharePoint, staff get instant access to the answers they need. Instead of scrolling through hundreds of pages, they can simply ask questions and receive a clear, summarised response.
Below we explain what Copilot Agents are, why they’re invaluable for business operations and walk you through step-by-step how to set them up in Microsoft 365.
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What is a Copilot Agent?
Think of a Copilot Agent like your own AI-powered virtual assistant that you can customise to support your staff with tasks and provide clear summaries of information.
Copilot Agents can also handle scheduling, reminders, follow-ups and routine research giving you time back to focus on more high-impact work.
However, in this guide, we’re focusing on how you can use them to support with staff training and onboarding.
Why use a Copilot Agent in SharePoint?
Copilot Agents can live inside your SharePoint libraries, scanning your organisation’s documents to provide clear answers to staff questions.
For example, instead of flipping through a 200-page safety manual, a machine operator can ask: “What checks should I do before starting the machine?”
Alternatively, your HR administrator could ask: “What’s the process for reporting sickness?”
In this video, Cloud Design Box Founder and CEO Tony Phillips shows a real-world example of how Copilot Agents can be set up to ask questions about machinery for shop floor workers.
What are the benefits of using Copilot Agents to support staff training and onboarding?
Copilot Agents can play a big role in staff training and onboarding, especially in businesses where new hires need to get up to speed quickly with processes, compliance rules, or equipment use.
Agents support staff training and onboarding by:
Providing instant answers
Instead of skimming hundreds of pages, users can just ask a question and get the relevant passage or a simplified explanation.
Supporting easier navigation
The agent can guide staff step by step through a process, pulling from different sections of the manual as needed.
Turning documents into interactive content
With Copilot, your static PDF becomes interactive. The agent can summarise, explain in plain language or convert complex instructions into checklists.
Reducing support tickets
Employees or customers can self-serve answers, which limits repetitive “Where do I find…?” or “How do I…?” questions to trainers, managers, or support teams.
Onboarding new staff
New hires or customers can learn at their own pace with guidance from the agent, instead of being overwhelmed by the full manual.
How to set up a Copilot Agent in SharePoint
It’s easy to get started and set up a Copilot Agent in SharePoint.
- Navigate to your SharePoint intranet and open the document library you wish to create an agent for.
- Select Create an Agent.
- Or alternatively, select New, then Create an Agent.
- From here, you can set a name, instructions and behaviour. See below our tips for improving the behaviour of your Copilot Agent.
How to get the most out of your Copilot Agent
Creating an agent without setting up parameters and instructions can result in inconsistencies, misinformation, and frustration.
As with all AI tools, they are only as good as the information and prompts humans provide.
Here are our top best practice tips for creating a Copilot Agent:
Configure behaviour carefully
Via Edit > Behaviour, you can define the agent’s role, tone and limitations, getting specific about what responses you’d like.
For example:
- Summarise answers in bullet points.
- Use plain language suitable for all staff.
- Highlight the most important steps first.
- Always cite the source section.
- If unsure, advise staff to check with a supervisor.
Test and refine
Don’t just set up your agent and forget about it. Ask it typical staff questions, review the responses, and adjust its settings as needed. Ongoing testing ensures the answers remain accurate, clear and useful.
Keep your source documents up to date
Copilot Agents can only provide accurate answers if the source content is correct. Make sure your policies, manuals, and guides in SharePoint are regularly updated and version controlled. This is especially important for compliance and safety-critical processes.
Ensure fallback instructions are included
Sometimes, the answer won’t exist in the source material. This can cause AI tools to hallucinate answers and result in misinformation. Configure your agent to provide fallback instructions, such as “Please check with your supervisor” or “Refer to the compliance team for confirmation”.
How to support your staff using Copilot Agents
Once you’ve created a Copilot Agent, what do your staff see?
They’ll notice a new agent available in their SharePoint library. By clicking on it, the agent panel will appear on the right-hand side of the screen. From here, staff can type in a question – just like they would in a chatbot – and receive a clear, summarised answer.
You can further support your staff using the new Copilot Agent by:
Adding a welcoming message
Provide a friendly introduction that explains what the agent can do. For example:
“Welcome! Ask me about our manuals, policies, or troubleshooting steps, and I’ll point you in the right direction.”
This helps new users understand how the agent supports them from the start.
Adding sample prompts
Not everyone knows what to ask straight away. Adding sample prompts like:
- “What checks do I complete before using the forklift?”
- “Where can I find the expenses policy?”
gives staff inspiration and makes the tool feel approachable.
Training staff to use the agent responsibly
Remind staff that Copilot Agents are designed to support their work, not replace expert judgment.
For safety-critical or compliance-sensitive topics, they should always double-check instructions with a supervisor if the agent isn’t fully clear.
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Copilot Agents in SharePoint give your staff faster access to the information they need, improve compliance, and reduce costly mistakes. For business leaders, they’re a simple way to improve efficiency and support staff across every department.
Our team at Cloud Design Box specialises in building intranet solutions that make staff training, onboarding and daily operations easier. Turn your SharePoint into a powerful support tool and speak to our experts today.
