Here comes the most daunting task of the year. Its Performance Review process. Here at MS, we have stages like top 20%, then middle 70% and bottom 10%. According to your place in one of the above category, you get hike and bonus and stocks everything.
So, here is the deal, candidate have to show off what he has been doing from last year. How he has been effective in the team as well as to the business. What are the points which he has done extra-ordinary which others have not done yet! (to get into top 20% portion!!). At MS, we have unique mechanism of setting commitments in the beginning of the year which gets reviewed at the end of the year, if you have achieved every commitment you gave in the beginning, you are right there otherwise world is not for you 
So, here it starts. I am starting my self-assessment process from today. I am going to prepare some comparative statistics (comparing my performance with other team members), final goal is to convince the manager that I have done good!! 
, Finally its good hike that I want (I also believe, hard work is the only requirement for that, and I believe I have done that to my best.)
Just yesterday, we had a brown-bag for our upcoming review process, now one-on-ones will start and will be busy for few weeks till this completes. Believe me, at Microsoft, we have cut-throat competition because each and everyone is best-and-brightest. It will really be a hard time for manager to decide whom to put in top 20% box! At least, I can not think of that right now! (may be I am not mature enough to decide those things now! but life goes on.. will see what happens!!)
Stay tuned.. 