I applied via the MSFT careers site, and then was referred by an FTE. Since I had an internal referral, they bypassed the phone interview and I went straight in for a full round of in-person interviews; I interviewed with five people in five separate one-on-one sessions over the course of about seven hours. Interviewers consisted of the hiring manager, the skip-level manager (director), an individual in another group that partners closely with their group, and a couple teammates the successful candidate would work with. Every single individual was very nice, seemingly genuine, obviously smart, and very excited about the company and direction their group was headed. They were clearly focused on ensuring they picked the right person to accomplish their specific goals.