The interview process is a pure nightmare. I have invested over 70 hours so far, over a period of 12+ months, had 12 conversations, and the process has now started to run in a circle. I highly recommend not to apply. I have serious doubts whether they even want people to join, or whether the true intention is not to simply fill a big pipeline to have a large enough candidate pool to pick from whenever a role opens up. It seems like the latter, i.e., expect that you’re joining a lottery – even when you’re successfully passing all bars, this does by no means guarantee that you’ll actually receive an offer.
But why so harsh…? Let me explain what is happening step by step:
- Applied for a first role. Completed recruiter screen successfully. Moved on to technical screen, passed that one successfully. That took about 3-4 weeks. The role then got filled internally. My process was stopped. (Google does not hire based on skills into a sort of pool and then proceeds to matching with a team during “fit calls” after passing the yes/no decision during a hiring committee anymore. It now enforces that a role is open to even follow through with the process).
- So, I applied for a new role (same career ladder and level). Fell between the cracks, as the local hiring team had been laid off. I don’t know whether the role ever got filled, or just canceled, but for me personally, the process stopped as my contact at Google disappeared.
- So, I applied for a third role (same ladder, same level). Underwent a third recruiter screen. Passed that one, too – and finally moved on and completed the 5 interviews (as my technical screen was still valid, yeah!). Moved on to fit call stage.
- Let me take a break here: This would be a reason for celebration, right? You pass the interview marathon, yeah! For generations of Googler’s, this was the magic step – only hiring committee to come, and you’re done. Nowadays, that’s where the trouble really starts to begin, actually.
- I moved on to fit calls. Had 3 – they all felt very good. Managers literally told me “You would probably be an excellent candidate.” Home run, no? You pass the interviews, you got a supporting team… Wow – Hiring Committee to pass, I though. But wait…
- Radio silence for weeks. My recruiter repeatedly refused to share any interview feedback with me. He said “It’s not in yet”, or “Only the hiring committee can take a decision and share that feedback.” So while I was made to believe that I could progress, I somehow sensed some standstill. Meanwhile, weeks passed, and the roles with which I was having fit calls got filled.
- I was then summoned to do another interview, re-testing some dimensions that I had likely not performed too well in. Completed that, too. Felt like a really good interview.
So here I stand: I have now passed 12 conversations/interviews, and somehow proceeded from quest to quest like in a roleplaying game, but still have not gotten any formal or content feedback on my interviews, despite asking for it 3-4 times. The 3 (!) roles that I had originally applied for are long filled, and even the 3 (!) roles that I had fit calls for have now been filled. I have no idea with which role I might proceed to hiring committee, if ever. And funnily, all I am told is “Great interviews, let’s proceed.” and “You would be an excellent addition to our team.” Really, I kind of nailed 12 rounds, but I still have no clue where I stand.
What’s the bigger picture summary? The interview process is completely broken. It used to make sense (one pre-screen, the big assessment with 5 interviews, then hiring committee (yes/no decision), then fit with team). Today, it is an iterative process that jumps back and forth between assessment (any number of technical interviews, in my case 7 completed), and fitting with a team (in my case I applied for 3 roles, then did fit calls with 3 different roles, and I’m still nowhere in having any role to move on to hiring committee). Meanwhile, roles get filled with internal candidates or canceled altogether, and I was sent back to interview stage – by a team that will never hire me in the first place, because I will have to go through more fit calls.
My summary: Do not apply at Google. Even though I am not a socialist, I really believe that this wasteful, disrespectful and unorganized way that this company treats potential employees screams for more thorough legislation banning such terrible practices.
