Technical Interview Excellence Blake Cai

• Staffing Consultant supporting Server & Tools Business China.

• Work in China R&D staffing team under Patrick Sullivan’s org.

• 15 months old in Microsoft.• Studied Broadcasting & Drama in college.• Once dreamed of being another Oprah Winfrey.• Currently learning Japanese as personal project. • Have great passion in watching and collecting

Cartoon movies.

Introduction of Blake Cai

Background

Server & Tools Business China grows from 20 to 300 FTEs in 3.5 years.

On average, each fiscal year we have… 100 Requisitions 400 Loops 2000 Interviews

• Hiring Need VS Interviewer Quantity? Quality? Availability?• Interviewer VS Candidate Experience Capability? Skill? Experience?• Hiring Manager VS Hiring Practice Understanding? Compliance? Advocacy?

CHALLENGE

MethodologyContinuous, two-way communication with

clients

Initiating Observation

(SC)+Feedback (Candidates)

Probing 1:1 Interview

(Senior Interviewer/Hiring Manager)

Survey all interviewers in STBC

Identify the potential existing

problems

Identify requirements

, top problems & solutions

Planning Prioritize

requirements Design project

features Work out

general project plan & deliverables per phase

Design project

framework

Finalizing 1:1 with BG

leaders Modify proposal Present the

project proposal on STBC SLT meeting

Get support from SLT

Project Framework

FEATURES

Criteria/GuidanceCriteria to rank interviewersGuidance to drive an interview loopResponsibilities of hiring manager, interviewer, staffing, AA

Interviewer Inventory

ProcessOptimization on process design

Interviewer Ramp-up Program

Training/Brown BagScalable, different layers & target audience

Campus Interview

Excellence

STBC Interviewer Ranking

AA

• As Appropriate Interviewer

• AA for Campus/Industry candidates

A

• AA Trainee• AA trust and

is close to AA in skills and maturity level

• Can be AA for intern candidates

• Expert at interviewing his/her discipline up to L65

• Mastery at interviewing lead/mgr level candidates

• Mastery at providing solid assessment cross-discipline

B• Solid & very experienced MSFT interviewer

• Mastery at interviewing his/her discipline up to L63

• Proficient at interviewing lead/mgr level candidates

• Proficient at providing valuable feedback cross-discipline

C

• Trustful phone screener

• Proficient at interviewing his/her discipline up to L61

• Able to provide accurate feedback on a relevant discipline

D

• Every external hired employee is by default “D” before finishing the smart hiring & ramp-up program

• Is not eligible for doing an onsite interview independently

*All interviewers in STBC will be graded by AA together with BG Leads & reviewed half a year.

Interviewer Ramp Up Program

• Manager identify interviewer candidates .

• Employee needs to pass the probation and performance is at least “achieved” in last review or from his/her manager’s assessment.

Candidate Identificati

on

• Take the course before doing any types of interviews

Smart Hiring

Training

• Certain amount of technical phone screens assigned by staffing before doing the onsite interview

Phone Screen

Welcome to E-mail me at i-blcai@microsoft.com

Thanks!

Q & A