Process
Phone interview.
I was asked about a programming problem, a LeetCode problem. I used an online editor to program it out and was asked about complexity analysis. The interview lasted about 30 minutes.
After that, the recruiter did not mention any openings.
Questions
Permute all valid parentheses of n pairs ().
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Interview Statistics
The following metrics were computed from 999 interview experiences for the Microsoft Software Engineer role in United States.
Success Rate
25%
Pass Rate
Microsoft's interview process for their Software Engineer roles in the United States is very selective, failing most engineers who go through it.
Experience Rating
Positive64%
Neutral26%
Negative11%
Candidates reported having very good feelings for Microsoft's Software Engineer interview process in United States.
Microsoft Work Experiences
4.0
Soulless but safe
Software Engineer • Current Employee
January 22, 2024
Pros: They don't break your back and it's safe...ish.
Cons: They don't pay you much, and you don't really matter.
3.0
It was a pretty bad experience
Software Engineer • Former Employee
Hyderābād, Telangana, India
December 9, 2020
Pros: money
benefits
stocks
huge projects
get to work on new tech sometimes
Cons: Underappreciation.
Lack of support from management.
Extremely long working hours, and work outside of regular timings.
On-call duties (calls in the middle of the night).
Unsupportive team/team leads.
Un-encouraging atmosphere in general.
2.0
Great experience until the unexpected layoff
Software Engineer • Former Employee
Redmond, Washington, United States
July 22, 2025
Pros: Collaborative team with smart, helpful engineers.
Management often provided positive feedback and seemed engaged.
Interesting technical challenges and meaningful projects.
Good culture for growth and mentorship.
Cons: Sudden layoffs with no warning or transparency.
Mixed signals from leadership (e.g., praised one day, let go the next).
Feels like upper management may not fully understand or value engineering contributions.
- 4.0Soulless but safeSoftware Engineer • Current EmployeeJanuary 22, 2024Pros: They don't break your back and it's safe...ish.Cons: They don't pay you much, and you don't really matter.
- 3.0It was a pretty bad experienceSoftware Engineer • Former EmployeeHyderābād, Telangana, IndiaDecember 9, 2020Pros: money benefits stocks huge projects get to work on new tech sometimesCons: Underappreciation. Lack of support from management. Extremely long working hours, and work outside of regular timings. On-call duties (calls in the middle of the night). Unsupportive team/team leads. Un-encouraging atmosphere in general.
- 2.0Great experience until the unexpected layoffSoftware Engineer • Former EmployeeRedmond, Washington, United StatesJuly 22, 2025Pros: Collaborative team with smart, helpful engineers. Management often provided positive feedback and seemed engaged. Interesting technical challenges and meaningful projects. Good culture for growth and mentorship.Cons: Sudden layoffs with no warning or transparency. Mixed signals from leadership (e.g., praised one day, let go the next). Feels like upper management may not fully understand or value engineering contributions.
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