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Google interviewing process for software developer role in 2020

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Re: Google interviewing process for software developer role in 2020

#301

Post by eq_sd_ »

samatman wrote: post #225
falcolas wrote: post #44

The biggest WTF I got out of this was: Writing code and tests in a Google Doc. I can't think of a much less friendly environment to write code in, except perhaps Notepad. I did it once (for an intra-company interview), and it was nasty to deal with. The WTF in second place was a blind requirement to know the mechanics behind a somewhat niche game that was big two years ago.

To be fair, 2048 can be explained in a matter of minutes. The kind thing to do would be to demonstrate it. It's a different problem. I play a lot of 2048. It's on my watch, fun thing to do while stuck in line or whatever. I haven't the first clue how to write an algorithm to beat it. Here's how I'd do that: I'd get on the Googly-moogly and start reading up. Probably take me a couple days to get my bearings. In a 45 m…

I was asked to code 2048 in an interview at a major video game company. I don't necessarily think it's the most difficult thing ever, but I also don't think it's that easy if you've never even thought about it before. I knew I wasn't going to be able to completely solve it in 45 minutes and remarked solving it was more difficult than I thought it would be.

The interviewer replied, "yeah, I tried it at home and thought it was pretty hard too."

Seems like a pretty dumb question to ask in an interview unless you expect the interviewee to flounder.

Re: Google interviewing process for software developer role in 2020

#302

Post by aphextron »

jedberg wrote: post #244

Man what a stark contrast to how my Netflix interview went. I was contacted directly by the hiring manager, three days later I was onsite for the phase one interview, three days later I was onsite for the second phase, and I had a verbal offer on my way out the door (for more than I asked for). Came back a week later to sign the paperwork after I emailed with the recruiter a few times about offer details. Started a w…

I'm guessing this was 5+ years ago? Interviewing is a whole different world now.

Re: Google interviewing process for software developer role in 2020

#303

Post by koboll »

hkarthik wrote: post #250
jedberg wrote: post #244

Man what a stark contrast to how my Netflix interview went. I was contacted directly by the hiring manager, three days later I was onsite for the phase one interview, three days later I was onsite for the second phase, and I had a verbal offer on my way out the door (for more than I asked for). Came back a week later to sign the paperwork after I emailed with the recruiter a few times about offer details. Started a w…

Netflix is known for being speedy with hiring because they are also speedy with firing under performers. So they see hiring as a relatively low risk proposition and will make decisions faster since the long term effects are greatly lessened.

That seems like a tremendous waste of time and resources for everyone involved.

Re: Google interviewing process for software developer role in 2020

#304

Post by jedberg »

koboll wrote: post #303
hkarthik wrote: post #250

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Netflix is known for being speedy with hiring because they are also speedy with firing under performers. So they see hiring as a relatively low risk proposition and will make decisions faster since the long term effects are greatly lessened.

That seems like a tremendous waste of time and resources for everyone involved.

How so? It took far less time than other interview process I’ve been involved with.

Re: Google interviewing process for software developer role in 2020

#305

Post by unishark »

onlyrealcuzzo wrote: post #300
seanmcdirmid wrote: post #262

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Out of 100 people who interview onsite at google, 78 are happy about it even though only 2 get job offers???? Those are some crazy statistics. Maybe they are satisfied that the interview process convinced them they didn’t want to work at google anyways? Because I don’t see how that could work out otherwise.

First, I don't have the exact numbers. Second, yes, out of 100 people that apply, less than 1 get an offer, on average. If 100 people apply, only a small subset move on to the phone-screen. And you need to at least take the phone screen to be given a chance to fill out the satisfaction survey. Otherwise, there's not much for you to be satisfied or not with. I'm not sure what the percentage of people that make it to t…

> First, I don't have the exact numbers. Second, yes, out of 100 people that apply, less than 1 get an offer, on average.

Hiring 1/100 applicants is not unusual for any company. Put up an ad on any job site and you'll get hundreds of resumes from across the planet. Given the low effort of putting in the initial application, the odds are not a big issue there. The interesting question is the number you seem to be guessing at, namely the odds of getting an offer after investing so much time and effort in the grueling interview process. If that's very low, then they are quite evil.

Re: Google interviewing process for software developer role in 2020

#306

Post by sk5t »

rhizome wrote: post #268
steelframe wrote: post #206

Earlier quoted context omitted.

To be fair, Google in the early-mid 2000s was actually a really good career option. If you played your cards right you could easily be comfortably retired today if you started at Google in, say, 2004. In fact I know someone who started at Google fresh out of college in 2005 and was in "FIRE" (Financial Independence, Retire Early) zone by 2017. They quit Google, didn't work for a couple of years, and then took a senio…

If I was hiring at a relatively tiny startup, a person who had only ever worked at Google and didn't need the job on top of it wouldn't be my first choice. Probably sounds good at meetings though.

Yeah, if "doesn't need the job" is in the top five things you'd say about them as a team member... you really want people who will tolerate or even attack with some zeal the grind that it is to get a business going.

Re: Google interviewing process for software developer role in 2020

#307

Post by unishark »

antoinealb wrote: post #247
TurkishPoptart wrote: post #196

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What was the job? I only hear about people with comp sci backgrounds getting hired there.

I did not study CompSci but microengineering (mix of things, including robotics and manufacturing) and I am now working there as a SRE. Some colleagues are mathematicians. So definitely not only CS background :)

So in interviews do they also test mathematicians and engineers on undergraduate courses?

Re: Google interviewing process for software developer role in 2020

#308

Post by president »

Bhilai wrote: post #217
president wrote: post #181

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is quite obvious in Silicon Valley but nobody talks about it because they are then called “racist”.

Based on the diversity numbers reported by Google[[1] in 2018, 59.7% of leaders hired in 2018 were White. This number was 63% in 2017, 65% in 2016, 69% in 2015 and 68% in 2014 (I only found numbers only from last 5 years) Overall workforce representation numbers tell us that Google's leadership team in 2019 is 66% White so I am not sure if what you are claiming is right. [1]: https://diversity.google/annual-report/

That link you posted shows the percentage change of certain groups in tech hires, but conveniently leaves out the overall percentage breakdown for all tech hires, which is the real issue. I invite you to walk into the engineering department of any major tech firm in SV and tell me it’s not majority Indian engineers.

What would be really helpful is a study that shows the breakdown of Google engineers in different locales. So far, I haven’t seen any of these come out of these diversity reports that SV companies really love to show off these days.

Re: Google interviewing process for software developer role in 2020

#309

Post by ceras »

choppaface wrote: post #205
rifung wrote: post #187

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> This other Googler likely already has a competing offer— that’s how he got promoted last year. Source? I'm very skeptical this is true. I am not a huge fan of Google's promotion process but it isn't that bad.

I have two friends who told me they were trying to get competing offers so that they could use it in their promo packet. One was in the ads team, extremely sharp guy, trying to make Staff level in his 3rd year there. Joe Beda, one of the creators of Kubernetes, had a giant competing offering from Facebook. Turned it down to stay at Google, got some more freedom, and now we have Kubernetes (!). If you look on Blind, t…

I worked at Google for nearly a decade, and as a manager for most of it, and I strongly believe there's a misunderstanding here. Google does negotiate pay of high L5+ performers against outside offers, but promos are simply off the table. Google is really conservative about diluting it's leveling bar, and would much rather give well-above-band counter offers than a promotion.

Moreover, promo decisions are made by a committee of engineers who don't work with you -- they have no incentive to even care about your outside offer.

Re: Google interviewing process for software developer role in 2020

#310

Post by why_only_15 »

bradlys wrote: post #278
jedberg wrote: post #244

Man what a stark contrast to how my Netflix interview went. I was contacted directly by the hiring manager, three days later I was onsite for the phase one interview, three days later I was onsite for the second phase, and I had a verbal offer on my way out the door (for more than I asked for). Came back a week later to sign the paperwork after I emailed with the recruiter a few times about offer details. Started a w…

Isn't Netflix an outlier in how they hire/place anyway? They hire for specific positions versus the rest hiring generally then finding a place to put you. (Team matching coming at the end rather than first) I believe Apple works this way as well. It would explain why I've never been contacted by either. I have no expert level skills in things they're interested in. (I've mostly worked at startups - breadth over depth…

On my team at Apple it worked this way at well - most teams were in charge of their own interviewing and job offerings were for a particular team.
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