I applied through an employee referral. The process took 3 weeks. I interviewed at Microsoft (Redmond, WA) in May 2018
Interview
one interview with staffing agency, one interview with Microsoft. In short, they said they liked me, but I had to wait until the next hiring wave. People on contract leave all the time, usually for other full time work opportunities, so you never know when you will get a call. In my case, movement happened sooner than later.