Company profile
Microsoft
Microsoft sells Azure, Microsoft 365, Windows, GitHub, LinkedIn, and Xbox, and is the largest commercial backer of OpenAI's models. Loops typically run four to five rounds split between coding, design, and a Growth Mindset behavioral, with an As Appropriate (AA) interviewer acting as the team's final sign-off.
The Microsoft interview process
Microsoft typically runs four to five onsite rounds split between coding, design, and behavioral, with formats varying by org. A senior interviewer known as the As Appropriate, or AA, joins near the end and acts as the team's final sign-off. The behavioral thread leans heavily on the Growth Mindset framing the company promotes.
- 1
Recruiter screen
Background, level, and which org you fit.
- 2
Coding rounds (x2-3)
Data structures and algorithms at a moderate bar.
- 3
Design
System or component design scaled to your level.
- 4
As Appropriate (AA)
Senior cross-check on bar, plus team and culture fit.
What Microsoft is looking for
What they value
- Clear thinking and steady communication over flash
- Willingness to learn from mistakes openly
- Solid fundamentals plus customer awareness
Culture signals in the loop
- Growth Mindset: learn-it-all over know-it-all
- Collaboration across teams and boundaries
- Empathy for customers and teammates
Questions and process by role
Microsoft hires across several engineering and product functions, and the loop shifts with each one. Open a role for the reported questions, the round-by-round focus, and a salary band for that function.
- Backend engineer
Backend engineer interview questions and process at Microsoft.
engineering - ML engineer
ML engineer interview questions and process at Microsoft.
engineering - AI engineer
AI engineer interview questions and process at Microsoft.
ai - AI infrastructure engineer
AI infrastructure engineer interview questions and process at Microsoft.
ai - AI red team engineer
AI red team engineer interview questions and process at Microsoft.
ai - AI research engineer
AI research engineer interview questions and process at Microsoft.
research - MLOps engineer
MLOps engineer interview questions and process at Microsoft.
ai - DevOps engineer
DevOps engineer interview questions and process at Microsoft.
infrastructure
Practice Microsoft coding problems
Solve the 9 problems that commonly appear in Microsoft coding interviews in a real in-browser editor, and run your solution against the test cases. JavaScript, TypeScript, Python, Java, C, and C++. Free, no sign-up.
Salary signal
Approximate senior median pay for Microsoft's core roles, anchored to San Francisco and modeled from BLS, ONS, and Levels.fyi reference medians. These are market bands for the role and city, not Microsoft offers. Open a role for the full city-by-city table.
Employee reviews
Microsoft holds a 4.2 Glassdoor rating. External review scores are directional signals. Treat them as context alongside the specific team, location, level, and hiring manager you are interviewing with.
Glassdoor 4.2