i went through the Microsoft product designer loop earlier this year, targeting a role on the Microsoft 365 design team. i'll share what i know because the design-side write-ups for big tech are always sparse.
process: portfolio screen with recruiter, portfolio review + craft round with designers, then a final round with cross-functional stakeholders.
the portfolio screen: this is essentially a vetting call. they're checking: are your case studies coherent, can you articulate the problem and your role in solving it, does your portfolio have relevant product surface area. for Microsoft, they lean toward people who've worked on complex, multi-user, or enterprise-ish products. consumer apps are fine but pure vanity projects (a concept redesign of Instagram) carry less weight than real shipped work.
the portfolio review round: this is 60-90 minutes and it's where the real signal comes from. you walk through 2-3 case studies. expect to be interrupted. they're not just watching your slides, they're watching how you think under questions: 'why did you make that navigation decision and what did you consider and reject?' 'how did you balance user needs against business constraints here?' 'what would you do differently if you had more time?'
that last question is a trap if you say 'nothing, it went great.' show intellectual humility. have a real answer about what you learned.
the cross-functional round: this one surprised me. it was more conversational, less portfolio. they asked about how i've worked with PMs and engineers who pushed back on design decisions. they wanted collaborative friction stories, not 'i convinced everyone and it was perfect.'
what matters for Microsoft design specifically: accessibility is not an afterthought at Microsoft (they have a real accessibility team and ethos). if you have any work touching accessible design, inclusive design, keyboard navigation, screen reader compatibility, bring it. it lands.
comp for Senior Designer (IC4) in Redmond: base roughly $175-195k, RSUs. design comp at Microsoft is competitive but trails the Google/Meta design track slightly.