Hardware Engineer Interview Experience - Redmond, Washington
Process
I started the process by applying through my campus recruiting website. I was contacted by a campus recruiter for Microsoft and was invited for an on-campus screening.
The interviewer was an engineer for the Surface team and asked me a variety of relatively basic to intermediate circuit analysis questions, as well as design questions. Some questions that were asked involved a voltage clipper circuit, BJT amplifiers, and some digital logic.
A couple of weeks after this interview, they contacted me for a final round at the Microsoft headquarters in Redmond, WA. Since I lived within approximately 15 miles, I opted to drive there myself, though they did offer plane and hotel accommodations for out-of-state applicants.
Once I arrived, I was briefed by a different recruiter who explained that I would be in three to five interviews with engineers from the Xbox team.
The interview process was very straightforward, and all of the engineers I talked to were extremely friendly and put me at ease. I was mostly surprised at the lack of technical and puzzle questions throughout the interview; I received more technical questions during the screening.
- The first interviewer asked me to explain several transistor/op-amp type circuits and asked detailed questions about some of my previous projects in school.
- The second interviewer was very laid back and asked general questions about my background and why I wanted to work there.
After this, I had a lunch interview (where I had to answer all sorts of behavioral questions between bites) and then met with a fourth interviewer.
I guess I met expectations at this point, because my next interviewer was the hiring manager who oversaw the division. He asked me some tough questions about my background (probably to ensure I was qualified) and then answered a lot of questions I had about the role.
About five days later, I got a call from the recruiter saying that I got the position! The manager also sent me an email congratulating me.
Questions
What design tradeoffs have you made on a project?
How did you make the decision, and why?
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Interview Statistics
The following metrics were computed from 8 interview experiences for the Microsoft Hardware Engineer role in Redmond, Washington.
Success Rate
Microsoft's interview process for their Hardware Engineer roles in Redmond, Washington is on the easier side as most engineers get an offer after going through it.
Experience Rating
Candidates reported having very good feelings for Microsoft's Hardware Engineer interview process in Redmond, Washington.
Microsoft Work Experiences
- 4.0Not as great as it used to beHardware Engineer • Former EmployeeRedmond, Washington, United StatesAugust 24, 2015Pros: It is well known that the benefits are great. I enjoyed working there. The work environment is generally good. I never heard any yelling, and most of the people try to help their coworkers.Cons: Under the new leadership, jobs are not as secure as they were under Ballmer. The biggest problem for me was that management did not follow their long-term plans. High-priority projects would be created on the whim of a director. At other times, projects would be eliminated without explanation.
- 5.0Good, good, goodHardware Engineer • Current EmployeeRedmond, Washington, United StatesJune 22, 2017Pros: Good work environment. Opportunity to develop. Work-life balance is respected.Cons: There are no cons that I can think of in 10 seconds, not for me at least.
- 4.0Good company in the Pacific NorthwestHardware Engineer • Former EmployeeRedmond, Washington, United StatesDecember 8, 2014Pros: Free pops and drinks, good professional environment. Bill Gates is the greatest man on Earth.Cons: This company has been very generous to its employees, to the spoiling point. God bless you, Microsoft.
Microsoft Interview Questions
