Senior Hardware Engineer Interview Experience - Seattle, Washington
Process
They didn't ask anything regarding my last six years of experience. They didn't ask questions related to the position. I am not sure if the interviewer was at my level of knowledge.
They asked me how I get information regarding a component. A simple look at the datasheet would suffice. I don't find the interviewer was up-to-date with current developments on mobile technologies and electronics.
The position was for Microsoft's new tab product design. What a contrast...
Questions
No difficult questions. Actually, basic questions came, like low-pass and high-pass filters, impulse response of some different signals to different simple circuits, flip-flops, and op-amps.
Circuit theory, as well as EMC/EMI-related questions, were also covered.
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Interview Statistics
The following metrics were computed from 2 interview experiences for the Microsoft Senior Hardware Engineer role in Seattle, Washington.
Success Rate
Microsoft's interview process for their Senior Hardware Engineer roles in Seattle, Washington is extremely selective, failing the vast majority of engineers.
Experience Rating
Candidates reported having very negative feelings for Microsoft's Senior Hardware Engineer interview process in Seattle, Washington.
Microsoft Work Experiences
- 4.0Nice to work as a HW engineerSenior Hardware Engineer • Current EmployeeSeattle, Washington, United StatesAugust 22, 2022Pros: Good enough salary. State-of-the-art technology. Flexibility to work borderlessly in the technology field.Cons: As a big company, it's no surprise there are lots of gating managers. Boring compensation offers (other than monetary compensation). Recently, there's been more geo-split, leading to more work time.
- 5.0Growth, But Demanding WorkSenior Hardware Engineer • Current EmployeeRedmond, Washington, United StatesJune 11, 2025Pros: Great growth options, interesting work.Cons: Demanding, stressful, less work-life balance.
- 4.0Microsoft is declining. I’m planning to leaveSenior Hardware Engineer • Current EmployeeRedmond, Washington, United StatesApril 10, 2025Pros: - Great teammates - Get to work on some cool projects - BenefitsCons: - Terrible work-life balance, especially now that most hardware teams have counterparts in Taiwan. Have fun with meetings after 5 PM multiple days a week. - Incompetent management who bring in more incompetent management. - Management has no clue how to properly deliver a hardware program. - Too much micromanagement that eats away at time engineers should be spending on technical work. - Low pay for a big tech company.
Microsoft Interview Questions
