Redazione RHC : 18 August 2025 08:41
According to inside sources and internal documents seen by Business Insider, the software giant has compiled a list of its most sought-after engineers and researchers and is launching a new process aimed at making offers more competitive, including requiring compensation to match that of Meta engineers.
Microsoft recently reported skyrocketing earnings, pushing its market valuation to $4 trillion, thanks in large part to enthusiasm for generative AI. Microsoft needs to attract top AI engineers and researchers to maintain this success. The company has cut thousands of employees this year, but has insisted its workforce will remain unchanged, suggesting significant hiring plans.
Finding a partner that fits Meta’s offerings is no small feat. The social media company has made nine-figure offers for top AI talent. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said Meta is offering $100 million bonuses to its engineers, and Meta has recently hired AI researchers with compensation packages as high as $250 million.
Microsoft documents reviewed by BI show the software company is making multimillion-dollar offers, and two people familiar with the process say multimillion-dollar hiring bonuses for AI talent are becoming increasingly common. Commons.
Microsoft AI, a team led by former Google DeepMind cofounder Mustafa Suleyman, and CoreAI, another Microsoft group overseen by former Meta engineering chief Jay Parikh, have special recruiting teams to help manage competitive bids, these people said. They asked not to be identified because they discussed sensitive and private matters.
Parikh’s organizational chart, recently reviewed by BI, shows that a large portion of his staff includes executives he worked with at Meta.
A spreadsheet of Microsoft’s most searched-for Meta employees lists people by name, title, and role, and includes tabs for teams and positions Microsoft is targeting, such as Reality Labs, GenAI Infrastructure, and Meta AI Research. The spreadsheet is being shared among hiring managers for some AI teams, according to a source familiar with the matter.
Microsoft has launched a new competitive bidding process, requiring recruiters to mark candidates as “critical AI talent” to attract the attention of superiors who respond with Microsoft’s best offer within 24 hours.
Documents reviewed by BI show how this process works, such as providing an “offer rationale” about the candidate’s AI skills and experience, using a private “compensation modeler” to develop a customized range for the candidate, and engaging a compensation consultant.
The new process could help Microsoft compete for AI talent outside its traditional pay brackets.
BI recently published Microsoft’s internal compensation guidelines for engineers and researchers. The highest compensation package includes a salary of $408,000, $1.9 million in stock upon hiring, nearly $1.5 million in annual stock, and annual cash bonuses of up to 90%.
Redazione