In this article, we take a look at the 30 toughest Google interview questions and answers.
Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) is the fourth biggest company in the world and third biggest tech company in the world behind Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) and Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT). Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) is known for various technologies, most prominent of them being the Google search engine, which controls more than 90% of the search-engine market share.
Other popular technologies that Google owns and operates include the Android operating system, which is running on more than 3 billion devices all across the world, Gmail, Chrome web browser, YouTube, Google Workspace, the answer to Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT)’s Office, and Google Maps, among others.
In addition, Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) also owns DeepMind, the disruptive AI company known for AlphaFold and AlphaTensor, with the former having solved 98.5% of human proteins’ structure, a problem that puzzled molecular biologists for over half a century.
The latter, on the other hand, is expected to speed up computers by discovering more efficient algorithms using novel methods of matrix multiplication, especially as speeding up computers from the hardware route becomes more challenging.
Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) is a global company, with over 70 offices in 50 countries, and has an employee headcount of over 190,000. The mean salary range at Google for beginner-level L3 software engineering jobs is $198,000. The L7, considered the highest level for most engineers at Google, can command an average salary of $618,000, while at L8, the level for principal engineers, the mean salary is over $1 million a year.
The majority of engineers, however, fall between Level 3 (L3) and Level 5 (L5). The hierarchy for talent in the company is such that only a few people ever make it past level 7, and very rarely. Others who get paid lucratively at Google include data analysts, technical account managers, UX researchers and product managers.
How Does Google Hire?
Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) wants you to design a resume from scratch particularly for the job you’re hunting at the company, with your skills and experience aligned for the role, with data that can be verified if needed. The company especially wants to hear if you’ve had a leadership role in a past job, and how big of a team you managed.
If you’re a recent graduate, Google would want to know whether you’ve worked on practical projects in school. You should also include any coursework in your resume that can demonstrate your skill.
After you’ve applied for the job and if you’re considered, you’re likely to be assessed for skill using online assessments by Google, like a code quiz. You’d typically be interviewed briefly over video or phone by recruiters from Google’s hiring team. Google uses both structured interviewing and open-ended questions to test candidates holistically.
According to FAQs answered by Google at Careers.Google, the company’s recruitment teams no longer use brainteasers for questions in interviews because these questions do not accurately predict whether a candidate is a good fit. However, we’ve still mentioned some asked at the company in the past.
With this backdrop, let’s move to the 30 toughest Google interview questions and answers.
Our Methodology
For our list of the toughest Google interview questions and answers, we’ve sourced them from Inc. Magazine’s compilation of the 41 toughest Google interview questions for different jobs. We isolated the 30 toughest questions from the list and answered them. We’ve also listed the jobs for which these interview questions were asked by Google interviewers.
With that said, let’s move to the 30 toughest Google interview questions and answers.
30. What is Your Favorite Google Product and How Would You Improve It?
Associate Product Manager
This is a bit of a subjective question since different people’s favorite Google products can vary. You can answer it based on your own favorite, since you’re more likely to describe how you could improve it.
29. If You Wanted to Bring Your Dog to Work But One of Your Team Members Was Allergic to Dogs, What Would You Do?
Associate Account Strategist
If a team member is allergic to dogs and I want to bring my dog to work, I would speak with the team member to understand the severity of their allergy. If accommodations are not possible, I would not bring my dog to work. If accommodations are possible, I would work with the team members to minimize their exposure to my dog.
28. If You Could Be Remembered For One Sentence, What Would It Be?
Associate Account Strategist
It really comes down to personal preferences. I’d personally say that the sentence that best represents me and my aspirations is “I strive to use my knowledge and expertise to positively impact the world and make a meaningful difference in people’s lives.”
27. What Do You Know About Google?
Administrative Business Partner
This most likely tests your passion for the company you’re applying to. While Google search engine is what Alphabet Inc. is most widely known for, it is far from the only popular product owned by the company. Some prominent products include Gmail, Chrome, Youtube and Google Workspace. You should thoroughly research about the company’s products, corporate culture, scale and other important stuff.
26. What Do You Prefer; Learning or Earning?
Software Engineer
Learning, on its own, doesn’t put food at the table, yet it is essential for earning higher. You get paid better when you’re good at your job and you’re good at your job when you have an appetite for learning.
25. What Does Being Googley Mean to You?
Product Specialist
Being Googley refers to embodying the company’s unique set of values, including things like innovation, creativity, collaboration, and a commitment to making a positive impact on the world. It also means embracing diversity and inclusion, and fostering an environment of respect, empathy, and curiosity. These are the core values of Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG).
24. How Would You Explain Cloud Computing to a 6 Year Old?
Product Manager
This question is meant to test your empathy when it comes to explaining things to those from a different generation.
One way of explaining cloud computing to a 6 year old would look like this: Cloud computing is like having a magical treasure chest where you can store all your favorite toys and games. The treasure chest is actually a big computer that is far away, but you can access it from your own computer or tablet.
When you want to play with your toys or games, you can open the treasure chest and get them from anywhere in the world, as long as you have an internet connection. It’s like having all your toys and games in a special secret place that you can get to anytime you want, no matter where you are!
23. How would You Explain the Importance of HTML 5 to Larry Page and Then to Your Grandma?
Creative Specialist
This is, again, an empathy question.
To Larry Page:
HTML5 is important because it allows for more interactive and dynamic websites, which can improve user engagement and experience. It also supports a wide range of multimedia content, making it easier to integrate video, audio, and graphics into web pages. Additionally, it offers better accessibility and SEO optimization, which can help websites rank higher in search results.
To your Grandma:
HTML5 is important because it helps make websites look and work better, with things like videos and animations. It also helps more people be able to use websites, even if they have disabilities, and it can help websites show up higher in Google search results.
22. Would You Remove the Link to an Extremist Piece of Writing?
Legal Assistant
This is probably not as difficult as other questions. Yes, I would. While an argument can be made that doing so could be detrimental to free speech, Google, being a corporation, is not bound by the first amendment, and evidence shows that removing extremist content has a measurably positive effect in harm-reduction. Google’s policies, in this regard, are also in line with this view.
21. What is Your Opinion on Whether or Not Individuals Should Be Required to Use Their Official Name When Opening a Gmail or Google+ Account?
Administrative Assistant
While the idea that people should use their official/legal names might be sound, it does not bode well for privacy, especially given the fact that it’ll end up helping rogue governments identify local critics, among many other things.
20. What Three Things Would You Change at Your University/Workplace If You Were CEO Today?
Account Strategist
If I were CEO of my university/workplace, I would focus on improving the academic/corporate culture by implementing initiatives that prioritize student/employee well-being and growth. I would also invest in technology and infrastructure upgrades to enhance productivity and efficiency.
19. Tell Me What You Think about Google Charging Users $1/Month to Use Gmail.
BOLD Candidate
It would not be cost-effective, given the cost for the interface system, and transaction fees. Cost-effective charging would need to be higher and that may influence users in greater numbers to switch platforms, given that most other email services are free.
18. Define a Service That Would Allow You to Travel to the Future.
Interaction Designer
To design a service that would allow users to travel to the future, it would be important to consider several factors such as user experience, safety, and feasibility of the technology involved. It goes without saying that the critical component of this service would be the time-travel device.
17. How Could You Solve Humanity’s Biggest Crisis Given One Billion Dollars and a Spacecraft?
Database Administrator
A spacecraft and a billion dollars are simply not enough to solve humanity’s biggest crises.
16. How Do You Think the Digital Advertising World will Change in the Next 3 Years?
Creative Director
In the next 3 years, digital advertising is likely to shift towards increased privacy regulations and user consent, more sophisticated targeting through AI and machine learning, and potential opportunities for interactive experiences through emerging technologies such as VR and AR.
15. Which Do You Think Has More Advertising Potential in Boston, a Flower Shop or a Funeral Home?
Account Strategist
Funeral homes usually have a more well-defined target audience, and clear keywords people would be using when searching across the web. The market for flowers, on the other hand, is too broad, whether in Boston or anywhere else, so the answer would be funeral homes. It can be one of the hardest Google interview questions to answer if you aren’t familiar with digital marketing.
14. If You Had Access to a Bank’s Database, How Would You Use That Information to Design an ATM for Elderly People?
Associate Product Manager
I would incorporate features such as larger fonts and buttons, easy-to-understand instructions, and audio guidance to assist users with low vision or hearing impairments. The ATM interface could also be simplified, with fewer options and clearer language to make it easier to navigate.
13. How Would You Solve Homelessness in Downtown San Francisco?
Product Manager
Some potential strategies include increasing affordable housing options, expanding mental health and addiction services, providing job training and employment opportunities, and collaborating with community organizations to provide basic needs such as food, clothing, and hygiene services. Additionally, addressing the root causes of homelessness, such as poverty and systemic inequalities, will be critical in finding long-term solutions. It is one of the hardest interview questions at Google.
12. If Ads Were Removed from YouTube, How Would You Monetize It?
Associate Account Strategist
If ads were removed from YouTube, it could be monetized through alternative revenue streams such as subscription models, sponsored content, merchandise sales, or by offering premium features and services for a fee. Additionally, YouTube could explore partnerships and collaborations with other businesses and platforms to generate revenue.
11. Design an Evacuation Plan For The Building.
Business Analyst
Here’s a brief outline of an evacuation plan for a building:
- Map the building and identify emergency equipment and exits.
- Establish an emergency response team.
- Develop an evacuation procedure and conduct regular drills.
- Continuously review and update the plan.
10. Design a Mobile Social App for a Chain of Local Orthodontist Offices.
Product Manager
I would start by identifying the specific needs and preferences of the target audience, such as patients and their families. Based on this research, I would then develop a user-centered design that emphasizes ease of use, functionality, and accessibility.
The app could include features such as appointment scheduling and reminders, progress tracking, virtual consultations, educational resources, and social networking capabilities for patients to connect with each other and share their experiences. The app could also integrate with the orthodontist’s existing systems, such as electronic health records and billing software, to provide a seamless user experience.
9. How Would You Improve a Shoe Factory?
Field Operations Specialist
I would focus on implementing automation and digitalization technologies to increase efficiency, reduce labor costs, and improve quality control. Streamlining the supply chain and adopting sustainable manufacturing practices could also help to reduce costs and improve overall productivity.
8. How Many Ways Can You Think of Finding a Needle in a Haystack?
Business Associate
Finding a needle in a haystack is a classic idiom that refers to a challenging and time-consuming task, which can be best done in an efficient manner. This question is designed to test the candidates’ creativity and resourcefulness. While there may be many methods to approach this problem, here are some possible ways to find a needle in a haystack: You can use a powerful magnet, metal detector, or ultrasound and X-rays.
7. What Are the Number of New Book Titles Published in the US Each Year?
Product Manager
The number is about 0.3 million.
6. You Have a Colony on Mars That You Want to Communicate With. How Do You Build a System to Communicate with Them?
Associate Product Manager
To communicate with a colony on Mars, a communication system would need to be established using satellites in orbit around Mars. Multiple satellites in different orbits would be needed to compensate for the planet’s rotation. In addition, distance between Earth and Mars changes as they orbit the sun. This would require re-adjustment of satellites’ positions as well.
5. How Many Haircuts Do You Think Happen in the US Every Year?
Business Associate
This question is meant to test the candidate’s problem-solving ability. The number of haircuts that happen in the US every year can vary widely depending on a number of factors, such as population growth, fashion trends, and economic conditions. However, as the US population stands at 332 million, and assuming each person gets a haircut once every three months, that would mean around 1.32 billion haircuts per year. Of course, this is just an estimate, and the actual number may be higher or lower depending on various factors.
4. How Many Cars Travel across a Bridge Each Day?
Advertising Interview
It is impossible to answer this without additional information. But as far as averages go, we’d need to put cameras on the bridge that can detect license plates, to help count the number of cars for a certain number of days. Then, at best, we could come up with an average for the day.
3. A Coin was Flipped 1,000 times, Returning 560 Heads. Do You Believe the Coin is Fair?
Quantitative Analyst
Questions like these test the candidates’ knowledge of probability. To determine whether the coin is biased, we can use hypothesis testing. The null hypothesis in this case is that the coin is unbiased, meaning it has an equal probability of landing heads or tails. The alternative hypothesis is that the coin is biased, meaning it has a different probability of landing heads or tails.
To test the hypothesis, we can use a significance level of 0.05, which is a commonly used threshold for statistical significance. We can use a one-tailed test since we are only interested in whether the coin is biased towards heads.
Using a binomial test, we can calculate the probability of getting 560 or more heads out of 1,000 flips if the coin is unbiased. With an unbiased coin, the probability of getting heads on any given flip is 0.5. Using the binomial distribution formula, we get:
P(X >= 560) = 1 – P(X < 560) = 1 – binom.dist(559, 1000, 0.5, true) = 0.0363
This means that if the coin is unbiased, the probability of getting 560 or more heads out of 1,000 flips is only 0.0363, or 3.63%. This is less than our significance level of 0.05, which suggests that the result is statistically significant. Therefore, we reject the null hypothesis that the coin is unbiased and conclude that there is evidence to support the alternative hypothesis that the coin is biased towards heads.
2. Estimate the Number of Tennis Balls That Can Fit Into a Plane.
Intern
Assume that there are six seats in a row and a walking space between them in a Boeing 737. Each seat has enough room for the handles and is intended for one person. Assume that a seat’s width is 0.5 meters.As a result, with 6 seats, 6*0.5=3.0m. Assume the passageway is 1.5 meters wide.
Therefore, the plane’s overall width is 3.0 + 1.5 + 0.5 (buffer) meters.
And if a plane has 70 rows, each taking up one meter of space. 5 meters in front of and 5 meters behind each row
So the plane’s height is 80 meters.
The tennis ball has a radius of around 3 cm (0.03 m).
Tennis ball volume = 4/3(pi r3) = 1.33*0.000027*pi
Imagine a Boeing 747 as a cylinder with a 5 m radius and an approximate length (height) of 80 m.
Boeing 747 volume = pi*(r2)*h = 25*80*pi
Tennis balls that can fit on a Boeing 747 are equal to (25*80)/(1.33*0.000027). Six million tennis balls
Tennis balls can’t completely fill the capacity of the cabin; their random packing efficiency is only about 64%; hence, multiplying 6,000,000 by.64 yields 3,840,000.
1. Model Raindrops Falling on a Sidewalk (sidewalk is 1m and raindrops are 1cm). How Can We Know When the Sidewalk is Completely Wet?
Software Engineer
Here’s how you can model it in Python
import math
#Length and width of sidewalk in meters
sidewalk_length = 1.0
sidewalk_width = 1.0
#Diameter of a raindrop in meters
raindrop_diameter = 0.01
#Area of the sidewalk
sidewalk_area = sidewalk_length * sidewalk_width
#Area of a single raindrop
raindrop_radius = raindrop_diameter / 2
raindrop_area = math.pi * (raindrop_radius ** 2)
#Number of raindrops required to cover the entire surface of the sidewalk
num_raindrops = math.ceil(sidewalk_area / raindrop_area)
print(“The number of raindrops required to cover the entire surface of the sidewalk is:”, num_raindrops)
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