November 23, 2021

If you're interested in a career at Google, you may be wondering how long it takes to get hired. It's no secret that Google is one of the most competitive companies to work for, but this doesn't mean that they don't hire people- on the contrary!

Many prospective employees are often surprised by how quick and effective their recruitment process can be. Let's look at the Google hiring process and see how long it takes for you to land that job.

How Long Does the Google Hiring Process Take?

The Google interview process has four to nine interviews for around two months. This is much shorter than many other companies, which may have ten or more interviews over the course of six months to a year.

The Google hiring process starts with an online application form and video submission. If your skills are suitable for the job you're applying for, you'll be invited in for an initial 'screening' phone call, onsite interview, and then you will receive an offer if you make it to this stage.

Here are the stages of the Google interview process:

1-2 Rounds: Initial Phone Screen

The first phone screen is with a team member or potential manager; it usually lasts 30-60 minutes, depending on the role.

●     For Software Engineers: The phone screen might take longer than 60 minutes. There's also a coding section, which you'll complete while describing your answers in a Google Doc. The recruiter may also request your SAT or GPA records.

●     For UX Roles: UX designers will be assigned a project that includes developing information architecture, and user flows, creating an app, and producing high-fidelity mockups in Sketch.

4-9 Rounds: Onsite Interviews

A typical onsite interview consists of four to five 45-minute interviews. Some are one-on-one, while others are panel interviews. At this stage, you might not be asked about your job experiences or resume.

Google utilizes a "scientifically proven" approach known as "structured interviewing," which entails preparing a questionnaire list and a grading rubric for every question. In order to make the interview process more uniform, each candidate is asked the same set of questions for each position.

●     For Technical Positions: You should expect to solve real-time technical problems, such as whiteboarding a design or coding a solution. Candidates are allowed to select their preferred programming language while utilizing an interview app. 

●     For Non-Technical Positions: You will be asked behavioral questions to probe your experiences and future goals.

Offer

If you're invited to the final interview, then this is usually your last stage. At this point, you will be assessed if you are fit with the company's culture and values.

●     Feedbacks: You will receive an evaluation from your former colleagues and interviewer.

●     Review and Selection: Your performance will be reviewed by a hiring committee. Then, you'll receive an offer within a couple of weeks.

You'll get a proposal with information on the stock package, employee benefits, and pay. Candidates are given at least two weeks to decide whether to reject or accept the offer.

The Four Key Qualities Google Look For

There are reasons why the Google hiring process is shorter than other companies. One of them is because they need to make quick hires so that projects and teams will not be disrupted. 

Another is that they want to be sure you'll fit with their company values and culture. So, what kind of qualities does Google look for in an applicant? Here are four:

Googleyness

Googleyness entails putting the user first, being pleasant, modest, putting ego aside, approachable, keeping an eye on objectives, being proactive, and much more; for the most part, Google is seeking friendly, genuine people. Interviewers will screen for collaborative behavior, bias to action, and ambiguity in the candidate during the interview process.

General Cognitive Ability

Google wants to see if you can think critically, come up with new ideas and approaches, solve complex problems from different angles. They're looking for "systematic" problem solvers as opposed to those that rely on a specific approach or previous experience.

Role-related Knowledge

Google will want to know that you have a clear understanding of your role and the skills needed for it. So, it's crucial to know what your role entails and whether or not you're a good fit for the job.

Leadership Traits

Google will be looking for those who can lead projects and teams, communicate directly with the CEO, take ownership of their work, collaborate well in a team environment. So, you must demonstrate these traits during the Google recruitment process.

These are some of the qualities Google looks for in an applicant. They also want their team members to fit with company values and culture, so be sure your personality is compatible with theirs!

Tips To Ace The Google Interview Process

Recruitmently believes that a basic idea of how the Google interview process works can help you ace it. So, what can you do to prepare for a Google interview?

Prepare Stories, Not Questions

Google wants people to give them thoughtful responses derived from their own experiences and not simply regurgitate what they've heard from someone else.

Google doesn't want to know what you think their company values and culture are; they'd rather see how well you can apply them in the real world, so be sure to come up with your own stories about your past experiences!

Do Your Research

Prior research is very important. Be sure you know the company's history and all that they've accomplished since its inception. You should also be aware of current projects at Google, especially those relevant to your role.

The Google recruitment process is very competitive. So, you need to do your research and come up with a list of questions for the interviewer(s).

Here's what we recommend:

●     Conduct some research about the company and know why they hire people like you (i.e., job description)

●     Prepare examples that demonstrate how you've been a good team player in past jobs and why you're a good fit for Google.

●     Have questions ready that demonstrate your knowledge about the company's industry, current interests/industry trends, etc.

●     Be humble and carry yourself well during the interview process.

This will show them how much passion you have for working at their company! Our coaches at Recruitmently can help you prepare for your interview with Google. We've helped many people get hired by top companies, including Google!

Show Your "Googleyness

Comparing your past experiences to Google traits and your most cherished personal values and picking the ones that best represent those characteristics and beliefs is a good approach to preparing your stories. You want to demonstrate that your principles and experiences perfectly fit what recruiters are searching for.

Demonstrating your passion, humility, and social intelligence is also very important. Be open to feedback from the interviewer(s). Google wants people who are willing to take on challenges; they want those who will impact their work.

So, showing them how passionate you are about working for their company and overall "Googleyness" during the interview process is extremely important. It shows recruiters that you're a good fit for their company and will help them gain trust in your capabilities.

Use the STAR Method

Using the STAR approach is an excellent way to convey your experiences and accomplishments in an organized manner. STAR means:

●     Situation: A problem, an event, or a project you have been working on

●     Task: Your assignments and responsibilities for the situation

●     Action: Steps that are taken to correct or relieve the problem.

●     Result: What were the actions you have taken and their outcome.

Use this framework to make your replies more logical, organized, simple for listeners to follow, and easy for you to manage. As you prepare for the Google interview process, think about examples of times when:

●     You faced a problem

●     Your tasks were challenging

●     The outcome yielded positive results for yourself and others involved.

These are all crucial aspects that demonstrate how good a fit you would be for the company and its needs.

Sample Interview Questions

The following are sample questions given by Google for resumes and cover letters.

●     What interests you about this job?

●     How do you approach teamwork in your current role?

●     Give an example of how you've helped build team spirit.

●     Share an experience where it was particularly important to work as a member of the group.

●     Why are you interested in working for Google (or this company?

Technical Questions

Technical inquiries are only for candidates looking for technical roles, such as Network Engineer, Test Engineer, Electrical Engineer, and Software Engineer.

Here is a list of frequently asked coding interview questions:

●     Maths / Geometry (least frequent, 11% of questions, )

●     Recursion (12%)

●     Dynamic programming (12%)

●     Strings / Arrays (26%)

●     Trees / Graph (39% of questions, most frequent)

Sample Questions: 

• How would you determine if a Binary Search Tree contains a duplicate element?

• What are some good examples of recursion? 

• You have a string S, which consists of lowercase letters only. You want to know if there is a sub-string within S that contains uppercase and lowercase characters together. How would you approach this?

• What is A/B testing?

• How is a merge sort algorithm implemented?

• How can you exchange two variables without using the third?

• How would you sort a list of numbers in an efficient manner?

• What is your favorite data structure, and why?

• Which sorting algorithm are you most familiar with? Why did you choose it over the others, if any?" 

Brain-Teaser Questions

Brain-teaser questions are some of the most difficult interviews questions that Google itself created. 

These questions are designed to see if you can think outside of the box and find creative solutions. Google was inspired by puzzles that they use in interviews, such as crossword puzzles or sudoku.

The following is a list of brain-teaser interview questions: 

• How many golf balls could a Boeing 747 hold? 

• How many times a day does the clock's hands overlap? 

• You are given two eggs and access to a 100-story building. How do you figure out which floor the eggs are on by dropping them one at a time without breaking either egg? 

• You have four cards, each of which shows a positive integer between one and six. What is the probability that two cards chosen at random show different numbers?

• How many ways can you arrange three flowers in a row if each flower has to be adjacent to another one of the same type? 

These are some possible questions but not all, as Google does not disclose its specific list of questions. However, our coaches at Recruitmently can help you prepare for the Google recruitment process. 

Takeaway 

The Google hiring process is unique and interesting. You can expect a lot of questions, both technical and brain-teaser. You will also be subject to in-depth phone screenings that you should prepare for ahead of time using the following resources provided by this article.  

Above all, preparedness, proper guidance, and a positive attitude during the process will take you a long way. Recruitmently can help you with all this. We are comprised of top-rated recruiters who can guide you through the process, provide tips and tricks on how to ace phone screenings, and the Google hiring process. So book and connect to our recruiters today!