Updated on 28 Apr 2020 | 4 Min Read
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Being one of the most respected and innovative workplaces, Google is, unsurprisingly, the most popular place to be working as an employee. Now according to various reports, it is indicated that the organization receives a whopping 1 Million resumes from interested candidates such as yourself.

Also Read: How do you prepare for a Google interview?

So, naturally, it means Google has to have a foolproof system to filter out or narrow down the large pool of applicants while choosing only the best in each stage. So, you may be wondering what exactly is the Google interview process, and how is it different from others?

Let's go in a bit deeper and take a closer look at the different processes of hiring and onboarding in this highly prestigious firm.

The process and how to prepare for Google interview

Being a highly creative and innovative industry leader, the work Google does is not very common as compared to other companies, so, it looks for employees who also have a unique mindset. But, the hiring process in this firm is not very different from other companies; it has a lot of similar procedures.

  • The Application process
  • The Interview(s) round
  • The Review Process
  • Background Checking Process
  • Employee Onboarding

1. The Application process

This is the first step in the interview process. You need to apply first, obviously for them to select you for an interview round. So, you need to hop on to Google Careers. It has a plethora of job listings inside the company with all the departmental job openings listed in proper order.

It shall include all the details relevant for each job listing including experience, skills, and other qualifications if necessary. If you think you are qualified for a particular job, click on the "Apply" button placed on top of the job listing. Fill out the required details, and you see there is an optional cover letter you can add. Now, as we said before, Google gets more than a million applications in a fiscal year, so you need to write down a unique and attractive cover letter to get noticed.

2. The Interview(s) round

Google's interview process is designed to filter out good candidates, but the necessary procedure is not anything unique. The first round is a telephonic round (generally a Google Hangout interview). The second stage is the face-to-face round. By the second round, many applicants are filtered out, so be a bit proud of yourself if you have reached this stage.

Google looks for applicants who excel in four major sections: standard cognitive ability tests, leadership tests, job-related knowledge/skills, and the last one is "Googleyness." It is basically a synonym for judging whether you are fit for the company's culture and vision.

People who have passed the interviews or have faced them, give feedbacks which includes one common thing. The interviewers tend to ask odd questions such as, "How many guitar picks are present on the earth?".

These are questions that asses your reasoning, logical skills along with your creativity in tackling a problem. Though Google has recently pulled back on these questions, there are still some applicants who say they have been asked such questions.

3. The Review Process

The third section of Google's interview process is generally referred to as "the review section". This segment can take from days to several weeks, and you are not included in this process.

This phase involves two parts. The first brings together existing employees at Google from different levels/departments of the company to discuss a potential applicant. The second consists of making a list of pros and cons for the selected candidate and comparison with other applicants.

4. Background Checking Process

Google starts on a background check on an applicant after a conditional offer of employment has been made. Their background check involves criminal, education, employment, and reference checks.

5. Employee Onboarding

In the last step, Google follows a "just in time" the alert system for employee onboarding. This means the onboarding process is taken up by your future manager. However, their internal system sends reminder emails to respective managers for doing things proven to help with the onboarding process.