Microsoft Sr.EM Phone screen

The interviewer was friendly and helped calm my nerves. I was asked several behavioral questions related to the team's focus. The final 20-30 minutes involved a coding question: Merge k sorted lists. I explained my initial brute-force approach (iterating through all linked lists, adding them to an arraylist, sorting using a built-in function, and converting back to a single linked list). Before coding, the interviewer asked for the time and space complexity and prompted me to find a more optimal solution. I attempted to explain a two-pointer solution; the interviewer then asked about its time and space complexity, focusing on the time complexity. I then coded this approach; I experienced a brief lapse in concentration while coding, but the interviewer provided assistance. With a few minutes remaining, I asked a question about the team before concluding the interview. I am awaiting the results, but regardless, the experience was positive. The interviewer was respectful and friendly, making the conversation feel like one with a coworker.