This shouldn't be shocking to anyone. There's clearly a staggering surplus of people who will jump through any and every hoop for the opportunity to work at Google.
What's Google's incentive to change their process?
Google interviewing process for software developer role in 2020
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Re: Google interviewing process for software developer role in 2020
#12Even internally, changing job ladders is a not a trivial task. I've had friends pass the swe interview and have hiring committee come back and state the questions weren't sufficient.
prepping for interviews is it's own 20% project...
Re: Google interviewing process for software developer role in 2020
#13"I got an idea of how Google works internally"
No he didn't. He wasn't even hired. 99% of companies don't split interviews over 2 days. Most people are pressed for time and days off. If he would have gotten an offer, I would have loved to see if he would freelance then.
Re: Google interviewing process for software developer role in 2020
#14I'd be curious to know if this is typical. As someone that's never interviewed at Google but idly wondered at moments if I'd ever work there this sounds hellish. Not necessarily the exercises themselves (although they seem to have nothing to do with what any developer does day-to-day), but the sheer number of them and the amount of preparation required. I already have a full time job, I don't want to take on another…
Likewise, even if you were to ignore the upfront preparation costs just the timeline (months with not much indication) makes it pretty tough sell. EDIT: Just, in general, it would be pretty difficult to commit time to such a task when it's more fulfilling to work on personal side projects (and potentially leverage that for employment offers).
> it would be pretty difficult to commit time to such a task when it's more fulfilling to work on personal side projects
Or if you, I dunno... have a child. That's something that (as a relatively new parent) leaps out at me with interview requirements like this. It feels like you need to get a job at Google before becoming a parent, or you're going to need to wait until your kid is in high school.
Re: Google interviewing process for software developer role in 2020
#15Point blank: is it all worth it? Googlers and Xooglers alike, is going through all of this worth return? If it depends, what does it depend on?
Re: Google interviewing process for software developer role in 2020
#16Earlier quoted context omitted.
> I don't want to take on another part time job of "practicing for an interview at Google" Problem is someone else will. And there's no easy fix. If there was an easy way for a group of uncoordinated people (applicants) to coordinate against bullshit (stupid-long interviewing processes sometimes unrelated to the job and other stuff) we could solve many of this world's problems, don't you think?
I imagine there are industries where this is a lot more punishing. Personally I'm not prepared to go through that bullshit, so I just get a job somewhere else. But we're lucky that our industry is flush with jobs, I have to imagine other industries have similar requirements that are much less avoidable. And maybe there will be a downturn in tech one day, and I'll very much rue this day.
I'm not aware of another industry that has interviews as awful as FAANG and their copycats. There may be something out there but I've not seen it. Try describing what they do to non-tech folks and watch the reactions. Incredulity and/or astonishment are typical, in my experience.
But yes we do have tons of jobs and IME most places don't do this crap. So that's nice, compared with how other workers have it. Though you won't get anywhere remotely near FAANG comp without encountering those sorts of hazing, high-prep, high-variability interviews.
Re: Google interviewing process for software developer role in 2020
#17The current interview process is expensive for giant tech companies.
In one hour chunks, per candidate:
- Engineers for the phone screens or coding assessment reviews: 1-2
- Interviewers for the on-site: 6-7. 3-4 engineers, 2-3 managers
- Reviewers for the feedback sessions: Interviewers + 0-2
This doesn't take into account the cost of HR, flights, hotels, on and on.
Giant tech companies have data going back decades now on the performance of this method vs. alternatives. The position that they blindly incur this expense for no benefits is hard to believe.
If you have a cheaper, more accurate way of identifying candidates that also improves the candidate experience it sounds like you have a winning start-up idea. Please go execute.
Re: Google interviewing process for software developer role in 2020
#18The part about Google not respecting your time is I expect pretty ubiquitous among big tech cos. The hand off between outsourced sourcing (LinkedIn searchers) to inside co recruiters is often a fumble point, so is the time between passing a screening and next step in the interview process. Whenever it seems you move between one functional area and the next (sourcing,recruiter,interview, packet/candidate review) there is some unnecessary (from the candidate perspective) waiting. I think this is unlikely to ever get better.
Re: Google interviewing process for software developer role in 2020
#19[deleted]
Re: Google interviewing process for software developer role in 2020
#20Earlier quoted context omitted.
Likewise, even if you were to ignore the upfront preparation costs just the timeline (months with not much indication) makes it pretty tough sell. EDIT: Just, in general, it would be pretty difficult to commit time to such a task when it's more fulfilling to work on personal side projects (and potentially leverage that for employment offers).
> it would be pretty difficult to commit time to such a task when it's more fulfilling to work on personal side projects Or if you, I dunno... have a child. That's something that (as a relatively new parent) leaps out at me with interview requirements like this. It feels like you need to get a job at Google before becoming a parent, or you're going to need to wait until your kid is in high school.
Kids in high school age are especially vulnerable and need a lot of vigilance on parents' part. It is tempting to think we can take our foot off the gas a little bit but between finding the line between helicoptering and kids on autopilot, this stuff is almost a full-time job in itself.