I applied online. The process took 2 weeks. I interviewed at MSCI in Feb 2012
Interview
The recruiter who had posted the job on linkedin contacted me directly so I'd say that it might not be a bad idea to include a cover letter with the recruiter's name on an application. The recruiter went over the target salary almost right away and discussed both the responsibilities of the role and explained why the role was created. The recruiter had a good handle on my resume and asked very specific questions on relating my experience to the role.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
The upfront question on salary took me aback. I was not expecting this on a first contact.