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Google Has a Secret Interview Process and It Landed Me a Job

thehustle.co

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Re: Google Has a Secret Interview Process and It Landed Me a Job

#62
post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My experience was not so stellar. Interviewer tagged me and I thought I'd go along with it for the fun. I'm a systems engineer not a developer so YMMV. First stage interviewer put me through a basic aptitude test ("what is netstat?", "what's the expected output of dig?") which was fine and I answered them all with a fair degree of correctness but the questions quickly went on to different programming languages, and w…

But how could this have been a more stellar experience for you? Should they have given you a consolidation price? Job interviews are a business transaction (after all you are there because you want their money). Not hiring you is fair game and once they have decided/committed to pass on the opportunity it wouldn't be rational to waste money by continuing a pointless discussion.

>But how could this have been a more stellar experience for you? Should they have given you a consolidation price?

If we ignore that they asked him programming questions not relevant to his position, there's the whole "they didn't even know they interviewed me, so they called me again to ask me the same exact things" FAIL, plus the lie about "we'll call you in 6 months".

Re: Google Has a Secret Interview Process and It Landed Me a Job

#63

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Google phone screen isn't with a recruiter. It's 3 one hour long phone interviews with engineers where you program solutions to problems in a shared google document. Some of the questions you get asked are absolutely non-trivial and will take you an hour to solve.

What you are describing is one of the proper phone screens with engineers. Before that they will sometimes do another round of screening that is just a HR person reading standard questions and checking if you got the correct answers (most of these questions have numeric or very specific answers that are binary correct/wrong and can be checked by a layperson)

I'd hardly call it proper. You're asked to code some stupid problems in a Google Doc (which is extremely bad at handling code), while the other person's waiting around on the other line impatiently, asking stupid questions like 'how can you make this faster?' If that's a proper interview, I'd hate to see what's improper. At the very least, they should give you quiet time to work alone. I don't expect to be working while someone else is talking to me, asking me questions, or breathing down my neck, but apparently this is a required skill at Google and most other places that use such idiotic "interviewing" techniques. I'm certain they are losing out on a lot of great talent simply because of this.

Re: Google Has a Secret Interview Process and It Landed Me a Job

#64
post #57

It's too bad they don't allow regular candidates this path of bypassing their atrocious phone interviews that ask you to write code in Word (lately) while someone sits huffing and puffing on the other wait impatiently. That's of course, if they even manage to call at the right time. Sorry, but the only impressive thing here is Google's continuing stupidity in this area (not that they're alone). EDIT: Word == Google d…

[deleted]

Re: Google Has a Secret Interview Process and It Landed Me a Job

#65
post #46

I have a serious question : If google uses a person's search results internally to determine that they are a person of interest for hiring, whose to say they aren't using a similar process to strip Intellectual property from searches as it relates to projects they are working on? i.e : They are internally working on self driving cars and, in particular, are looking for ways to integrate algorithm 'X' in their solutio…

They can use your searches any way they want to. If you don't like it, don't use google - or if it's bad enough, you can try an antitrust lawsuit, but I wouldn't hold your breath.

Re: Google Has a Secret Interview Process and It Landed Me a Job

#66
post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Wow, it's like they're fully aware of how poor many of their interviewing procedures have been over the years, and instead of making them more employee-friendly to compete with the rest of the industry, they'd rather just punish the employees instead. I know, anecdote, but: I went through the Google interview process not too long ago. It was stellar. None of the other places I interviewed at could even come close t…

My experience was not so stellar. Interviewer tagged me and I thought I'd go along with it for the fun. I'm a systems engineer not a developer so YMMV. First stage interviewer put me through a basic aptitude test ("what is netstat?", "what's the expected output of dig?") which was fine and I answered them all with a fair degree of correctness but the questions quickly went on to different programming languages, and w…

I had the exact same experience happen to me in a phone interview. I told the interviewer he had already asked me those questions. He told me to just go ahead and answer them again. Needless to say, I aced the phone screen since we went over all of the answers together the first time round.

Re: Google Has a Secret Interview Process and It Landed Me a Job

#67
post #46

I have a serious question : If google uses a person's search results internally to determine that they are a person of interest for hiring, whose to say they aren't using a similar process to strip Intellectual property from searches as it relates to projects they are working on? i.e : They are internally working on self driving cars and, in particular, are looking for ways to integrate algorithm 'X' in their solutio…

I agree. These kind of posts make me a little nauseated to be honest. The only reason this person is bragging about being tracked and monitored online is because it resulted in a job at a prestigious marketing company. The vast majority are just being tracked and monitored, no job offered.

It is nauseating because it's a 1000 word humblebrag.

Look at this guy's bio:

> Max has a degree in mathematics from Yale University where he received multiple awards from the math department including the Barge Prize and the Runk Prize. He previously worked at The Boston Consulting Group where he worked on projects in computer hardware and biopharmaceuticals. His interests include data analysis, hiking, pad thai, and skiing.

This essay reads like he is just discovering the magic of the internet for the first time, and is swept away by the user experience that Google has provided just for him!

No, somehow I suspect that he would have gotten a job wherever he decided to apply.

But apropos of the first comment, I wonder how much Google already knew about him before the challenge was displayed. In other words, is it just triggered by keywords? Or does the algorithm also take into account what else is known about the user doing the searching?

Re: Google Has a Secret Interview Process and It Landed Me a Job

#68
post #46

I have a serious question : If google uses a person's search results internally to determine that they are a person of interest for hiring, whose to say they aren't using a similar process to strip Intellectual property from searches as it relates to projects they are working on? i.e : They are internally working on self driving cars and, in particular, are looking for ways to integrate algorithm 'X' in their solutio…

> I have a serious question : If google uses a person's search results internally to determine that they are a person of interest for hiring, whose to say they aren't using a similar process to strip Intellectual property from searches as it relates to projects they are working on?

Question for you to consider: if google uses a person's search results internally to determine if they should show an ad or a knowledge card, whose to say they aren't using a similar process to strip Intellectual property from searches as it relates to projects they are working on?

It looks like it's a keyword match. You should be just as worried as when you saw the "do a barrel roll" thing.

Re: Google Has a Secret Interview Process and It Landed Me a Job

#69
post #61

I've googled all of those things numerous times and never seen a prompt for a challenge.

They only accept people who aren't security- and privacy-conscious... Because it relies on you being logged-in and letting them build a profile of your search activities and trends.

Re: Google Has a Secret Interview Process and It Landed Me a Job

#70
post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Although this may not be a secret anymore and it is a recruiting funnel - this gives many lacking a STEM or mid/top/elite CS background an opportunity to prove themselves. This seems like a great way to get noticed and bypass many of the unconscious biases instilled into engineering recruitment through training and experience.

Wouldn't Google still filter people based on their education and experience? This programming test could get someone a call but doesn't Google still only hire college graduates with a STEM or CS background (for technical roles)?

Not necessarily. There are engineers without the prerequisite STEM or CS background, as well as folks without any degree. Even coding bootcamps. Talent is talent.
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