Google interview process & questions

Landing a job at the tech giant Google is 8 times harder than getting into Harvard: Google’s acceptance rate is 0.67%, while Harvard’s acceptance rate is 5.2%. In 2019, Google received over 3 million applications but eliminated 99.3% of them. This is largely due to Google’s notoriously tough interview process. To land a job at Google, here are the steps you have to take:

Step 1: Pass the resume screening

Step 2: Pass the phone screenings (1-2 rounds)

Step 3: Pass the on-site interviews (4-5 rounds)

Step 4: Pass the hiring committee reviews

Step 5: Pass the executive reviews and get the offer

In this article, we will look at what goes on in each step of Google’s hiring process, three different types of Google’s interview questions, and three tips to ace any Google interviews. Enjoy reading!

Step 1: Pass the resume screening

The first part of Google’s hiring process is, similar to most corporate jobs, resume screening. In this round, recruiters will screen your resume for technical requirements, education, experience,.. to make sure you’re a potential fit.

Although hiring criteria depend on roles and company, the fundamental principles of writing winning resumes at Google is almost identical to writing winning consulting resumes. There are three fundamental rules you must apply in your resume:

Before moving on, I highly recommend you checking out my consulting resume overview and specifically look at the resume examples I corrected to see how these rules can supercharge your resume.

Step 2: Pass the phone screenings (1-2 rounds)

In the phone screening rounds, a recruiter (usually a team member or a manager) will contact you to explain a bit about the interview process and the role you’re applying to. The interview lasts 30 to 60 minutes depending on the role.

Step 3: Pass the on-site interviews (4-5 rounds)

Once you’ve passed the phone screenings, you’ll move on to the tough on-site interviews. In a typical on-site interview, you will be interviewed with another 4-5 people for 45 mins each.

On-site interviews usually consist of 4-5 rounds, in which two things will be assessed: (1) Your fit for the selected role (role-specific fit) and (2) Process, teamwork, and culture fit (firm-specific fit).

For technical roles, there are generally two types of interviews you should be aware of: Coding on-site interviews and System Design on-site interviews. For each type, expect 2 or more interviews. 

For both technical and non-technical roles, you’ll definitely get teamwork/process/culture fit interviews. The fit interview will be a combination of topics ranging from agile methodology or workflow, teamwork and collaboration, and conflict resolution.

Step 4: Pass the hiring committee reviews

Congratulations! You’ve passed the toughest on-site interview rounds. At this point, some candidates move directly to the hiring committee but some candidates go through the team-matching phase.

In the team-matching phase, you’ll meet prospective managers to discuss the team you’d be joining and the type of work you would do. If a team wants you, they’ll tell your recruiter and it will be added to your portfolio, which will then be submitted to the hiring committee.

In the day or two leading up to the hiring committee meeting, the reviewers read the candidate’s packet and make a recommendation on whether or not to hire the candidate. At the meeting the reviewers discuss their feedback and if all members agree an offer will be extended.

Step 5: Pass the executive reviews and get the offer

After the hiring committees meeting, the offer list awaits final reviews from an executive. That’s right, at Google, one of the top executives looks at all offers made by the hiring committees before they are extended to candidates.

Often, a Compensation Committee will determine the appropriate total compensation for the offer. Once the results are on the table, your recruiter will contact you, break the exciting news, and explain the details of the offer.

Tip 1: Prepare stories, not questions

For any interview, especially fit interviews, it is best to prepare 3-4 detailed, all-round, refined stories exhibiting all the required attributes (for Google, they’re the below “Google” traits). This way, you can tune the stories according to the interviewer’s questions in a flexible, consistent manner.

Instead, in the Case Interview End-to-End Secrets Program, I teach a story-based approach: select a few stories reflecting your best, all-round self, and develop them in detail.

Tip 2: Implicitly show your “Googleyness”

To prepare your stories, compare your past experiences with Google traits, along with personal values you’re most proud of, and select the stories best reflecting those traits and values. You want to show that your values and experiences perfectly match what recruiters look for.

So what are these famous “Google” traits? Above all, Google places emphasis on kindness, empathy, and humility in their people. Successful candidates also excel in these criteria: learning ability, teamwork, communication skills, leadership. 

Tip 3: Use the Problem-Action-Result framework

As the name suggests, the Problem-Action-Result method, also known as the STAR method, is a technique you can use to clearly demonstrate specific skills/ traits required for a job position. Using this framework instantly makes your answers more structured, logical, easy for listeners to follow, and easy for you to keep track of.

STAR stands for: 

Example: Tell me about a time when you performed well under enormous pressure. 

No.1: Fit questions

1. What it is:

For example, if you’re applying as a product manager, you might be asked the following fit interview questions:

2. How to approach it:

Remember, the main purpose of behavioural questions is to test your fit for the position you’re applying to. Hence, the key is to prepare 3-4 stories gearing towards the specific job requirements (professional experience, attributes, character, etc). 

To prepare an all-rounded story, read this article for the full guide. Alternatively, follow these three steps:

No.2: Technical questions

1. What it is:

Technical questions are exclusively reserved for candidates applying for technical roles, such as Software Engineer, Electrical Engineer, Test Engineer, Network Engineer, to name a few. Coding interview questions often fall into the following categories: 

2. Example questions:

Below is a comprehensive list of Facebook Coding Interview questions, for all aforementioned categories. Solutions are at the end of every problem.

No.3: Brain-Teaser questions

1. What it is:

But because they’re not officially eliminated, there’s still chances that you might encounter one of them. Hence, it’s still useful to grasp how to deal with brain-teasers. You will also impress the interviewer with the ability to think and work through problems with little data if you get them right.

Brain-teaser questions will generally look like this:

2. Sample questions & answers:

Below, I’ve compiled 10 brain-teaser questions, with answers for each. Alternatively, check out my full A to Z brain-teasers guide, with over 30 example questions and answers.