Nina Johal, Microsoft's worldwide HR staffing director in charge of its online services division, spoke to FINS about the IT divisions it will be hiring for this year and what its hiring managers look for in software engineers, amid competition for top Silicon Valley talent and a quest to claim stakes in the growing cloud computing and mobile services space.
Related: Microsoft to Hire 2,800 in 2011
Sindhu Sundar: What will Microsoft's fastest growth areas be this year?
Nina Johal: I don't think a particular area will grow over another. I can tell you we're investing in our cloud computing strategy, we're investing in our flagship products -- Windows and Office, in interactive entertainment including Kinect and Xbox. And we'll be continuing our focus on Bing.
SS: Are your hiring plans evenly distributed across all these areas or will you be bringing on more talent to your cloud software efforts, in light of competition this year?
NJ: I can only say we're bringing on talent in all these areas.
SS: What kind of roles are you hiring for?
NJ: We're planning to bring on software developers and testers, basically people who can code in C, C++, C Sharp. For our gaming, and interactive entertainment areas, we need people with experience in web technologies like xhtml, javascript, xml, asp.net -- people with that real technical depth.
SS: Has anything changed about the kind of skills you look for in people you're hiring this year, compared to in recent years?
NJ: We're looking more for service-oriented people – people who understand what it's like to operate and work in a 24-7 environment. Because your job isn't done when you push out a product, you have to incorporate feedback and make continuous improvements.
SS: There were reports earlier in the month that there would be a management shake-up at Microsoft, with Steve Ballmer wanting product managers who have deeper tech experience -- will this affect a lot of executives?
NJ: I can't comment on that.
SS: Would this affect junior management positions as well?
NJ: Again, I can't comment. But I can tell you that in technology, we always look for someone with technical expertise. At the end of the day -- in order to be effective at this industry, you need to have industry expertise.
SS: What can candidates hoping to get hired at Microsoft do to get noticed?
NJ: It starts with the resume. Having a very succinct resume is important. You should have a summary of key skills and attributes listed in a way that's easy for employers to see what that candidate brings to the table.
Many companies also use automated tools to parse resumes. So knowing enough about the company you've applied to and their products, helps you use the right words to increase the chances of your resume getting picked up.
SS: How about during the interview?
NJ: What impresses me in the interview process is when the candidate's passion comes through -- there's a certain glint in the eye that people have when they talk about the work they love. You've got to have that passion for the role.
SS: What can employees at Microsoft do to move up the hierarchy?
NJ: One of the great assets that Microsoft has is that breadth of opportunity – in my 18 years at Microsoft, I've had the opportunity to work in four different countries. But you have to be great at what you do, and have to love what you're doing.
You should leverage best practices, take feedback and act on it. Take on big challenges and get out of your comfort zone -- use opportunities to tell people around you what your goal is, and keep thinking ahead.
SS: How does Microsoft find its talent, particularly in this climate of Silicon Valley wars for top engineering candidates?
We use a variety of techniques -- blogging, social media. It's competitive but we're tenacious about recruiting top talent. We have a philosophy at Microsoft, that everyone should be a recruiter, because our employees have great careers, and they can speak about us in a genuine way.
What also makes us attractive is that we connect our top performers to our executives -- so there's a chance to connect with very intelligent luminaries.
Write to Sindhu Sundar
Related: Microsoft to Hire 2,400 in 2011
