Office 2010 Pro blog are-microsoft-interviews-actu

By Janelle Godfrey Do we really find the best of the best through our interview process? Or is it simply a case of “This is what I had to go thru to get my job so others must interview like this, too." This is the question I am posing this week. I have been thinking a lot lately about interviews (as you can probably tell I am passionate about finding new ways of recruiting), and I am asking the question, “Are Microsoft’s interview loops an effective and up-to-date way of finding the best and brightest in the world of software development?” It’s no secret as to how Microsoft interviews (especially if you have read any blogs over the past several years) ... first you submit your resume, then you get the phone screen, and then another phone screen if necessary, and then we bring you in for what to candidates seems like the world’s longest day of interviews. In actuality, it is just a day of interviews that can last between 5 and 7 hours. You meet with a variety of interviewers ranging from individual contributors within the org all the way up to hiring managers, directors and group managers. The day is long,Office 2010 Pro, and it can get tiring. Sometimes you feel like you are answering the same questions over and over again. Sometimes you get so tired by the end of the day that you lose momentum and may not be bringing your “A” game. The questions depend on the position you are interviewing for, but Microsoft likes to dig deep. As with most interviews, the more people you see, the better it will be in the long run … which can often lead to long days. I have friends at other companies who copy this model and sometimes have 2 full days of this model. On the flip side, I know companies that only require you to meet with your direct manager and the recruiter. So what is best? I am planning various college hiring offsites this fall where candidates would only meet with 3 senior level employees of the Microsoft staff, and the hiring decision will be made from those and those interviews only. What do you think? Are the Microsoft interviews too long? Do we really ask the right questions? Or do we interview this way because that is the way the rest of us got hired? I am looking forward to your response. -Janelle