Inside Microsoft's hiring process

Qualifications may be necessary in securing an IT job, but head hunters at Microsoft often look under the hood for passion and self-awareness.

In an interview with ZDNet Asia, Fernando Esquivel, Microsoft human resource lead for Asia-Pacific, said the software giant looks for "people with high levels of energy and a passion for technology".

He added: "We also want people with self-awareness, in terms of the things they know and are good at, and things we probably won't know and would like to know about".

Ultimately, Esquivel said, Microsoft considers each individual job application based on what he or she can contribute to the organization and "take the business to a higher level".

If candidates have shown themselves to be passionate about what they do, then next comes specific job requirements that vary according to positions.

For example, Esquivel noted that sometimes it may not be just about attaining a Microsoft certification to land a job at the company.

"If you're going to be supporting the financial services industry, we'll ask if you've worked in a bank," he said. "Sometimes, it's not about having knowledge of our technology--it's about knowledge of how the financial sector operates."

Because Microsoft is evolving to better understand its customers' businesses, rather than just selling software, the company is looking for different talent, according to Esquivel. "We engage the candidates to let them know what Microsoft is all about and the problems we have."

Microsoft's senior managers are also responsible for finding successors for their own roles, and both internal and external candidates are considered.

Esquivel said in instances when Microsoft eyes candidates in other companies, engagement will begin at an early stage to understand them better, as well as for them to understand Microsoft at an early stage.

This way, he added, candidates do not go for an interview starting at the baseline. "They may have seen the trajectory of our people for more than a year, so when the time arrives, they're invited to consider the opportunity," Esquivel noted.

More importantly, Esquivel said, Microsoft is more interested in a candidate's inner traits, rather than an impressive resume.

"I can look at a resume, but when candidates speak to me, one of the things I look at is who you are, what's important to you, what your values are, what drives you, and what you want to achieve," he said.

And Microsoft may not conduct an interview in the traditional sense, where straightforward questions about a candidate's ability are posed.

Rajnish Pandey, product marketing manager for developer tools, said: "When I walked into the interview, I had a John Grisham book in my hand.

"For 45 minutes, my interview was about John Grisham--we rated the novels that were turned into movies," Pandey added. "But slowly, I realized they were slowly extracting competencies out of me--how I made decisions and went about analyzing data, and if I can present and communicate my point of view."

"There is no structure, but at the same time, there are certain things we're looking for," Pandey explained.