Microsoft Staff Systems Engineer Interview Preparation Guide
Systems Engineer
Microsoft
Staff
8 rounds
Updated 2/22/2026
Microsoft's interview process for Staff-level Systems Engineer typically consists of a recruiter screening followed by one technical phone screen and 5-6 onsite interview rounds spanning 4-6 weeks. The process evaluates deep technical expertise in infrastructure and systems design, ability to architect large-scale solutions, operational excellence, cross-team influence, and strategic thinking about system reliability and scalability. Expect detailed discussions about architecture decisions, trade-offs, real-world incident management, and how you drive engineering practices across teams.
Interview Rounds
1
Recruiter Screening
30 min3 focus topicsculture fit
2
Technical Phone Screen - Infrastructure Fundamentals & Design Principles
60 min5 focus topicstechnical
3
Technical Phone Screen - System Integration and Complex Problem Solving
60 min4 focus topicstechnical
4
Onsite Round 1 - Large-Scale System Design
75 min6 focus topicssystem design
5
Onsite Round 2 - Infrastructure Components and Technical Depth
60 min5 focus topicstechnical
6
Onsite Round 3 - Operational Excellence and Incident Management
60 min5 focus topicsbehavioral
7
Onsite Round 4 - Leadership, Influence, and Strategic Thinking
60 min5 focus topicsbehavioral
8
Onsite Round 5 - Hiring Manager Round / Strategic Architecture
75 min5 focus topicssystem design