I applied online. The process took 3 weeks. I interviewed at Google (Mountain View, CA) in Aug 2015
Interview
Had one video interview with the hiring manager – mostly behavioral questions followed by a second interview with a team member that was more technical. Focus on the 2nd interview was again on challenging behavioral type scenarios
Note, they no longer ask their famous Google questions like number of manhole covers and piano tuners so dont waste time on those.
Was then invited to Mountain View for a face to face. Their face to face interviews are typically with 4 people (their analysis has shown four to be the right number) and last half a day.
I interviewed with the hiring manager, a business partner and they also always interview with an individual outside the function you are applying for. I was told a week later by the recruiter that my candidacy would not be considered further. Was unfortunately, never routed to the hiring Committee for decioning which is the last step of the process.
From the get-go the recruiter explains that their hiring process is very fact-based and scientific. However at the end, the reasons for passing on me were very vague and ambiguous. I pressed for details but none came. For a scientific process, it sure felt like the final decision was very subjective (basically told my experience was in old economy type companies not new age Internet companies which is what they were looking for)
Final point – you must nail every interview, don’t assume one interview is more important or significant then another; the hiring manager can love you but if one other individual doesn’t agree you are the right person, that person can stop the process dead in its tracks.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
- Difficult colleague – how did you deal with it?
- What’s your strategy in meeting objectives within a project with extremely tight deadlines?
- Favorite Google product – how would you improve it?
- Many questions from the CV (know your CV inside out)
You would have to do a hiring assessment first, then a recruiter screening follows. First round interview with the hiring manager. Majorly product sense and product improvement. The questions were not direct though.
Overall a lot of steps to the interview process. Talked to different people and had opportunities to ask questions. Many different stages which made it a lengthy process overall. Wasn't too bad.
resume screening, a recruiter call, and technical or role-specific interviews. Candidates complete coding, system design, or behavioral rounds. Onsite or virtual panels assess problem-solving, communication, and leadership. Feedback goes to a hiring committee, followed by team matching and final offer discussions.