Posted by Jonathan Kidder on May 6, 2022January 27, 2023

Landing a recruiter job interview at a FANG company is always worth celebrating, yet it’s only the first step towards getting an offer for a recruiting job.

Fortunately, you aren’t alone. Thousands of candidates have undergone a similar (if not identical) interview process, meaning you have an extensive pool of knowledge to help you prepare.

So, in this article, we’ll review the process each company follows when interviewing candidates to ensure you nail yours. In this article, I will cover how to prepare for a recruiter interview at Amazon, Google, Meta, Apple, and Microsoft.

Note: Average Salaries included Base, Bonus, and RSU stock options.

Amazon

Though it’s not recognized for being easy, Amazon’s interviewing process does have one trait in your favor: It rarely ever changes. As such, you can expect to follow the same steps previous candidates have undergone.

Step 1: This will be your screening call with Amazon’s recruitment lead, in which you discuss your current experience and career. Review the STAR interview method to formulate the best responses possible.

Step 2: Next, you’ll talk with the hiring manager. This is when you will highlight why you are the best candidate for the position, as well as discuss specifics regarding the role itself.

Step 3: Moving away from conversations, you’ll now be tasked with a writing test: usually, a two-page essay covering a topic given by your hiring manager.

Step 4: The final portion of the process involves anywhere from two to nine back-to-back interviews — the number of which depends on how high the role is rated.

If all goes well, a client lead will ask for your expected salary prior to creating a written offer.

Amazon’s L4 recruiter salary starts at $89,095

Google

As one of the largest providers of information in the world, it makes sense that Google isn’t shy about sharing its hiring process. If you wish to become a “Googler,” you’ll be filtered through the following steps.

Step 1: First, you may be asked to complete a short online assessment after providing your resume, though this depends on the type of role you’re applying for.

Step 2: Now, you’ll have one or two brief conversations with a recruiter, followed by a hiring manager or team member. Be prepared to discuss how your skills would help you be successful in the role.

Step 3: Again, depending on the role, you might be asked to follow up by completing a small project. In the case of a recruitment position, this might be something like a case study that highlights your problem-solving capabilities.

Step 4: Finally, you’ll undergo three to four interview rounds (virtual or in-person, and all completed in one day) to review your skills, your compatibility with the role, your ability to work with a team, and more.

If you’ve managed to impress, you’ll receive an offer from the recruiter.

Google’s average recruiter salary is $113,933

Apple

The companies on this list might all have thorough interview processes, yet only one holds the title as the “hardest” to complete: Apple.

Don’t worry: As secretive as the Silicon Valley giant might be, we still get a glance behind the curtain thanks to stories from previous employees. Unfortunately, Apple is known to switch things up without warning, so don’t be surprised if your experience veers away from the following steps.

Step 1: First, you may have up to two brief phone screenings with a recruiter, followed by a team lead. Be ready to talk about your previous experience and successes.

Step 2: Your next few one-on-one conversations might take place over FaceTime and will likely feature in-depth questions (remember to use the STAR method). This round could contain up to five different interviews, so don’t skimp on preparation!

Step 3: Potentially, you’ll then move on to Apple’s online Assessment Center, where you could be tasked with completing group exercises, written exercises, and/or roleplay exercises.

Step 4: Finally, you’ll likely wrap things up with an onsite round of intense interviews. This step can last up to six hours and will introduce you to multiple team members.

If you’ve made it through this slightly unpredictable process, expect HR to reach out with an offer.

Apple’s average recruiter salary is $129,841

Microsoft

Microsoft is another company that doesn’t follow a strict process for its interviews, so be prepared for curveballs. Still, there are some common steps you can expect to come across.

Step 1: A recruiter will first schedule a 45-minute screening call to review your resume and gauge your leadership abilities and other essential skills.

Step 2: No more than two weeks after, you’ll be invited to complete a phone interview. Fortunately, the recruiter will likely share discussion topics beforehand, so you’ll have time to prepare.

Step 3: The onsite interview is next. This rigorous day can consist of up to five back-to-back rounds with Microsoft managers and team members.

Step 4: Finally, you’ll be asked to interview with HR. There’s less pressure to impress during this step, though you’ll still need to prove why you’re a good fit for the role and company culture. Furthermore, it’s your opportunity to discuss desired benefits and salary.

If the team thinks you’re worth bringing on, your recruiter will reach out with an offer in no more than one week.

Microsoft’s average recruiter salary is $112,816

Finally, the next step will be to prepare yourself for the first-round interviews.

Sample Behavioral Interview Questions

Practice using the STAR Method on these common behavioral interviewing questions:

Tell me about a time when you didn’t have enough data to make the right decision. What did you do? What path did you take? Did the decision turn out to be the correct one?

Give me an example of a calculated risk that you have taken where speed was critical. What was the situation and how did you handle it? What steps did you take to mitigate the risk? What was the outcome? Knowing what you know now, would you have done anything differently?

Describe a difficult interaction you had with a customer. How did you deal with it? What was the outcome? How would you handle it differently?

Tell me about a time when you had significant, unanticipated obstacles to overcome in achieving a key goal. What was the obstacle? Were you eventually successful? Knowing what you know now, is there anything you would have done differently?

Tell me about a time when you were trying to understand a complex problem on your team and you had to dig in to the details to figure it out. Who did you talk with or where did you have to look to find the most valuable information? How did you use that information to help solve the problem?

Tell me about a time when you had to communicate a change in direction that you anticipated people would have concerns with. What did you do to understand the concerns and mitigate them? Were there any changes you made along the way after hearing these concerns? How did you handle questions and/or resistance? Were you able to get people comfortable with the change?

Give me an example of how you have helped save costs or eliminate waste within your role or organization. What was the situation? What was the impact?

Tell me about a time when you strongly disagreed with your manager or peer on something you considered very important to the business. What was it and how did you handle it? Knowing what you know now, would you do anything differently?

Tell me about a time when you helped one of your team members develop their career. How did you help that team member? What was the result?

Describe a time when you refused to compromise your standards around quality/customer service, etc. Who was your customer? What was the result?

Give me an example of a complex problem you solved with a simple solution. What made the problem complex? How do you know your solution addressed the problem?

Tell me about a time when you realized you needed a deeper level of subject matter expertise to do your job well. What did you do about it? What was the outcome? Is there anything you would have done differently?

Tell me about a time when you were working on an initiative or goal and saw an opportunity to do something much bigger or better than the initial focus. Did you take that opportunity? Why or why not? What was the outcome?

Final Thoughts

Interviewing at a FANG company might be intimidating, but that doesn’t mean you have to walk into it blind. By reading up on the company’s hiring practices and common interview tactics, you can confidently prove why you’re the best choice for the job and finally land that dream recruiter role.

Average (FANG) Recruiter Salary Ranges (2022):

Principal Recruiter – Bay Area – L7 Amazon – L6 Google/E6 FB – Base: $132,600 – $185,000 (Mid $182,300) – TC: $301,600 – $425,200 (Mid $363,400)

Recruiter III – Bay Area – L6 Amazon – L5 Google/E5 FB – Base: $112,300 – $160,000 (Mid $154,400) – TC: $195,800 – $256,500 (Mid $226,150)

Recruiter II – Bay Area – L5 Amazon – L4 Google/E4 FB – Base: $76,500 – $133,800 (Mid $105,100) – TC: $125,600 – $153,200 (Mid $139,400)

Recruiter I – Bay Area – L4 Amazon – L3 Google/E3 FB – Base: $58,300 – $101,700 (Mid $72,600) – TC: $89,200 – $105,500 (Mid $97,350)

Are you NEW to recruiting?

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Jonathan Kidder

With more than 12 years of recruitment experience, Jonathan has helped startups and small businesses find the talent they need. He runs the blog WizardSourcer, which explores the latest trends in talent sourcing, provides reviews of recruitment tools, and features interviews with prominent figures in the industry.