I applied online. The process took 2 weeks. I interviewed at Google (New York, NY) in Nov 2015
Interview
The interview process was quick. I had the first phone interview, and within a few days they offered me an onsite interview. The onsite interview consisted of 4, 45 minute interviews with software engineers with a break for lunch with a 5th software engineer.
The questions were overall not too bad, except for one that really tripped me up that had to do with graphs. There was only one iOS-specific question as I believe they prefer you to just be generally good with computer science fundamentals.
The interviewers were very nice, and despite not receiving an offer, I had an positive experience overall.
I didn't pass through on the DSA round. That was an amazing interview experience, though. The question I got was a hard level. The interviewer was very friendly and helpful.
Despite repeatedly asking recruiter about the nature of technical screen round, it turned out to be iOS domain specific while recruiter said it is going to be leetcode style programing and algorithms based. Completely devastated and horrible experience. No follow up and profile frozen for 12 months. Missed my shot because of recruiter's vague response!
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
iOS Swift Color Palette. How to find color closest to palette for given raw form of color
The interview process for an iOS engineer position at Google typically includes multiple stages:
Initial screening: A recruiter or hiring manager conducts a phone interview to assess basic qualifications and fit.
Technical phone screen: A software engineer evaluates your coding skills through 1-2 technical interviews, focusing on data structures, algorithms, and iOS-specific knowledge.
Onsite interviews (or virtual equivalents): Usually 4-5 interviews including:
Coding interviews testing problem-solving abilities
System design interviews assessing architectural knowledge
iOS-specific questions about Swift, Objective-C, UIKit, etc.
Behavioral interviews evaluating teamwork and cultural fit
The "Googleyness" interview: Assesses how well you align with Google's values and culture.
Hiring committee review: A committee evaluates all feedback to make the final decision.