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Google's interview system: it's not about solving the problem

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Re: Google's interview system: it's not about solving the problem

#5
> Your interviewers try to understand what it feels like to work with you on a daily basis.

If that were true then why not simulate those situations rather than riddles, google-able CS trivia, or whatever the interview flavor of the month is?

I'd actually argue that for many companies this post is true (i.e. that getting it "right" is less important than the journey) but I still won't forgive companies that design the most hostile interview questions possible, and are then surprised when interviewees complain.

You can read the types of questions Google asks here:

https://www.glassdoor.com/Interview/Google-Software-Engineer...

I'd never interview at Google or any other company that operates this way. If the very first interaction I'm going to have is off-topic trivia, we're done, the company failed MY interview. The questions Google asks are disrespectful and unprofessional.

But disrespectful and unprofessional interview questions ("why are manhole covers round?") has become the new normal in this field.

Re: Google's interview system: it's not about solving the problem

#7

> Your interviewers try to understand what it feels like to work with you on a daily basis. If that were true then why not simulate those situations rather than riddles, google-able CS trivia, or whatever the interview flavor of the month is? I'd actually argue that for many companies this post is true (i.e. that getting it "right" is less important than the journey) but I still won't forgive companies that design th…

To me OP seems to assume a competent, unbiased, and well meaning interviewer: always giving hints, knows exactly what they want, will field and answer questions comprehensively. At Google's scale with hundreds of thousands of interviews on the books, thousands of interviewers who like all human beings have good days, sick days, angry days, and depressed days, this will not always happen. What happens when its the interviewer trying to have a "smartness" contest? There are too many testimonials of this happening at Google to just ignore it.

Re: Google's interview system: it's not about solving the problem

#8

> Your interviewers try to understand what it feels like to work with you on a daily basis. If that were true then why not simulate those situations rather than riddles, google-able CS trivia, or whatever the interview flavor of the month is? I'd actually argue that for many companies this post is true (i.e. that getting it "right" is less important than the journey) but I still won't forgive companies that design th…

Why are manhole covers round, and similar brainteaser questions have been banned at Google for ~5 years at least. They're only the new normal if you're a decade behind the curve.

Re: Google's interview system: it's not about solving the problem

#9
I've had Google recruiters reach out to me multiple times over the years and I've never taken them up on an interview. This last time, I told the recruiter I just wasn't interested in going through the process, and his response was a shocked "but why??" Is it so shocking that I don't want to subject myself to grueling demoralizing interviews to likely be rejected? I can get good work, with people I know, making good money, without going through any of that. I'm not interested in the Google Hazing.

Re: Google's interview system: it's not about solving the problem

#10

> Your interviewers try to understand what it feels like to work with you on a daily basis. If that were true then why not simulate those situations rather than riddles, google-able CS trivia, or whatever the interview flavor of the month is? I'd actually argue that for many companies this post is true (i.e. that getting it "right" is less important than the journey) but I still won't forgive companies that design th…

Why are manhole covers round, and similar brainteaser questions have been banned at Google for ~5 years at least. They're only the new normal if you're a decade behind the curve.

My link from Glassdoor has feedback from interviewees from as recently as days ago. You can see the types of interview questions Google is asking right now.

The sentence you're referring to was in the context of the FIELD which is why it said as much, and the specific question is a very well known stereotypical example:

> But disrespectful and unprofessional interview questions ("why are manhole covers round?") has become the new normal in this field.

If you browse my link you'll see that Google continues to ask off-topic questions, even if they aren't riddles or brainteasers.

Why don't they ask questions relating to the job? Why don't they do practice tasks that you'd be expected to do on the job? Those are the core issues.

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