I applied in-person. The process took 5 days. I interviewed at Microsoft (Redmond, WA)
Interview
Microsoft receives about 50K applications/resumes a year and usually it takes some time for you to get things rolling but they tend to be quick in pulling the trigger when they find the right person. I didn't have group interview but be prepared to spend the whole day going from office to office.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
Microsoft hiring managers are known for being very detailed and technical oriented so be prepared for whiteboard questions including coding. Another thing you will need to prepare yourself is "brain teaser" questions. They seem to love these type of questions because they will see your bain working in real-time.
5 Phone interviews, two on site interviews, phone interviews were positive, the difficult questions were the fluffy ones on how you interact with others. The on-site interviews were good, but salary was an issue. In the end the gulf was too much. Initial recruiter was good, however I was passed to a junior recruiter to organise interviews, but he constantly got interview times and interviewers wrong, leading to some confusion.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
How do you influence people globally who have other priorities that are not your own?