Software Engineer Interview Experience - Redmond, Washington
March 4, 2026
Neutral ExperienceGot Offer
Process
I applied through a staffing agency.
The interview consisted of four LeetCode-style questions. The interviewers were very generous with the time and gave you several hints. I recommend reading up and studying basic graph and string parsing questions.
Questions
Why are you leaving your current job?
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Interview Statistics
The following metrics were computed from 207 interview experiences for the Microsoft Software Engineer role in Redmond, Washington.
Success Rate
47%
Pass Rate
Microsoft's interview process for their Software Engineer roles in Redmond, Washington is fairly selective, failing a large portion of engineers who go through it.
Experience Rating
Positive77%
Neutral14%
Negative8%
Candidates reported having very good feelings for Microsoft's Software Engineer interview process in Redmond, Washington.
Microsoft Work Experiences
4.0
Accommodating Pace, Low Pay
Software Engineer • Current Employee
Redmond, Washington, United States
September 5, 2023
Pros: Very accommodating and lets you work at your own pace.
Cons: Compensation on the lower end.
4.0
Good place to work
Software Engineer • Current Employee
Redmond, Washington, United States
November 11, 2021
Pros: Work-life balance
Culture
Career growth and impact
Cons: Total compensation compared to competitors is low.
Teams with livesite can be very hectic and have worse WLB than others.
2.0
Benefits Good, But Politics Bad
Software Engineer • Current Employee
Redmond, Washington, United States
March 21, 2016
Pros: Benefits
Salary
Brand
Microsoft works on various technologies and areas, and you are bound to get interested in something.
Own office (Probably a con)
Cons: Politics
Microsoft is still in old-world, top-down thinking. The amount of influence you get to do things in other startup and competing companies is huge. Microsoft doesn't give you that kind of influence. It is improving under Satya, but it will take time to seep down. (Problem with top-down).
Good if you are a fresher (again, you are missing out on a lot of learning from the startup world or from competing companies with great collaboration).
- 4.0Accommodating Pace, Low PaySoftware Engineer • Current EmployeeRedmond, Washington, United StatesSeptember 5, 2023Pros: Very accommodating and lets you work at your own pace.Cons: Compensation on the lower end.
- 4.0Good place to workSoftware Engineer • Current EmployeeRedmond, Washington, United StatesNovember 11, 2021Pros: Work-life balance Culture Career growth and impactCons: Total compensation compared to competitors is low. Teams with livesite can be very hectic and have worse WLB than others.
- 2.0Benefits Good, But Politics BadSoftware Engineer • Current EmployeeRedmond, Washington, United StatesMarch 21, 2016Pros: Benefits Salary Brand Microsoft works on various technologies and areas, and you are bound to get interested in something. Own office (Probably a con)Cons: Politics Microsoft is still in old-world, top-down thinking. The amount of influence you get to do things in other startup and competing companies is huge. Microsoft doesn't give you that kind of influence. It is improving under Satya, but it will take time to seep down. (Problem with top-down). Good if you are a fresher (again, you are missing out on a lot of learning from the startup world or from competing companies with great collaboration).
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