May 30, 2021 Article blog
From application to offer - you need to know everything about the Google hiring process.
Original: Levels.fyi
Author: Anonymous (formerly Google HR)
Translation: W3Cschool Programming Lion
The days of delivering jobs by shaking hands are gone. F or candidates interviewed at technology companies, the multi-step interview process is expected to span weeks (4 to 6 weeks), or even months. N arrowing down technology companies, here's an in-depth look at the google software engineer interview process. T he following represents the process for general software engineering candidates or candidates currently recommended by Google personnel who apply directly for a public position. The process may be slightly different if the recruiter proactively contacts the candidate, or if they have applied for a specific team or area.
Contrary to popular belief, all Google resumes are reviewed by someone. M agic ATS doesn't eliminate resumes at will, and there's a dedicated team to review them. T hey evaluate resumes based on the minimum and preferred qualifications for job descriptions. A ll resumes that meet the minimum job description requirements will be taken into account. I f a particular position has a large number of people applying and most people meet the requirements (Google received 3.3 million applications in 2019, an increase of 18% compared to 2018. O ne or two bright spots can also be a candidate, usually the only time to consider your resume (although all information will be verified if an offer is received). M any interviewers do not review resumes before meeting with candidates. T hey focus more on real technical capabilities than on censorship. If your resume is full of fluff, it becomes apparent later.
First, the hiring coordinator will organize a telephone interview with the Software Engineer (SWE). T he interview is scheduled to last 45 minutes, with about 40 minutes of coding practice and about 5 minutes of question time for candidates. On the day of the phone interview, SWE calls the candidate (TC) over the phone, asks them to open the Google Share document, and instructs the candidate to respond and complete the algorithm coding exercise.
After a telephone interview, ask the interviewer to submit written feedback within 48 hours. The interviewer's rating is:
Ideally, getting an SH or H rating would take you to the next round of interviews. L H and LNH may also receive the next round of interviews, depending on the interviewer's written feedback. Getting NH and SNH ratings is over, and you're barely going to the next round of interviews.
Google uses a "structured interview" approach, which means that all candidates will receive clear, standardized reviews, so there is no confusion between interview feedback and scores. W hile technical skills are critical to success in the interview process, lack of sincerity or poor communication skills can also hinder the candidate's development. Google focuses on recruiting people who can run their own teams.
If the candidate's score is worth taking to the next step, the recruiter will invite them to an on-site interview (starting in April 2020, all on-site interviews will now be digitized and conducted via Google Hangouts). R ecruiters should provide interview preparation calls to help candidates prepare. I f they don't, they need to be provided. Recruiters will gain insight into the area of assessment and help candidates understand the framework that interviewers use to score answers.
During this phase, five 45-minute interviews will be conducted and an informal luncheon will be held. Levels determine which assessment areas are covered.
Usually, there are two or three interviews, lunch breaks, and then the last two or three interviews.
On-site interviews are often more in-depth versions of telephone interviews. I nterviewers usually ask two questions instead of a coding question. L unch sessions are not evaluated or rated by Google. It's designed to give candidates the opportunity to ask questions in a more relaxed environment and see what campus life and Google culture look like.
Similar to a telephone interview, the interviewer is asked to submit written feedback within 48 hours of the on-site interview. H owever, it often takes longer and usually takes about 7 days. T he interviewer uses the same standard scoring system described above to evaluate the candidate's eligibility. A fter the interview is complete, the recruiter reviews the feedback and determines whether it makes sense to move on to the next step. Candidates with inconsistent feedback or inconclusive results may be asked to conduct a follow-up interview.
Candidates with satisfactory interview results will be submitted to the Recruitment Committee. T he Recruitment Committee (HC) is a group of senior SWE officers who review interview packages (which can include: resumes, interview scores, internal Google employee recommendations, hiring manager support statements, etc.). H C is instructed to screen packets for inconsistencies, biases, or any other red flags that the interviewer may have missed. E ach SWE (usually three) in the committee reviews the information and gives the packet an employment, retention, or rejection rating. M embers of the Committee had the opportunity to discuss the reasons behind their decisions and to debate with each other on a regular level. H C is mediated by a recruiter who is instructed to adhere to specific recruitment guidelines while also pointing out bias in HC member comments and positions. Members of the Committee may change their ratings at an HC meeting, but not after the closing of the meeting.
All committee members must support the candidates who have been hired. I f one member is in doubt, the candidate may be asked to conduct a follow-up interview to address the area of concern. A fter the follow-up interview, their packages will be sent back to the committee for a second review. However, if the packet is approved, the candidate will go through the final steps of the process!
Once approved by the Recruitment Committee, your recruiter will determine the open position based on your rank and location preferences. ( If you are interviewing a specific role/team, you may skip this step). F it Call is a 30- to 45-minute call with a hiring manager. E ssentially, this is an informal conference call that provides contact between the candidate and the hiring manager to discuss the team/project and determine whether there are opportunities for mutual interest. B efore you find a match, you typically need to make several fit calls. S ometimes, recruiters can't immediately find a team or a suitable role for an approved candidate. Interview results are valid for one year, so in the event of a hiring suspension or delay, candidates do not need to complete additional interviews to obtain a matching similar position.
Quotes are generated by a specific compensation team that reviews the candidate's rank and location to determine the compensation plan. O nce a quote is generated, the recruiter will call to provide an oral quote and confirm the information in writing via email. A fter the parties have reached an agreement on the compensation scheme, a formal acceptance letter will be sent for signature. Finally, it's time to celebrate!