It's the promotion process moreso than the hiring process. You can only be promoted if you fit a pattern that your job ladder's promo committee recognizes and

It's the promotion process moreso than the hiring process. You can only be promoted if you fit a pattern that your job ladder's promo committee recognizes and if you are already performing at the level you're going to be promoted to. May have worked well in a 10000 employee company but it’s extremely conservative in a company of Google's size. It knee caps recognizing innovation outside whatever's considered "traditional" for your ladder, and it is blind to any roles which require cross-ladder, cross-organizational OKRs and accomplishments. Source: not a Googler, will never be a Googler, but friends of many NYC based Googlers who all seem to be looking to leave out of frustration with the promo process.