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> Google might not need you to code some efficient algorithm to search a b-tree every day, but they pay top dollar and can rightly expect that their software en
by MAGZine 7y ago
> Google might not need you to code some efficient algorithm to search a b-tree every day, but they pay top dollar and can rightly expect that their software engineers can come up with efficient and creative solutions to hard problems without dragging the rest of their team down.
This is a non-sequitur. Being able to write good software has nothing to do with reading cracking the coding interview and practicing leetcode for an interview in an environment that bears no resemblance to how work is actually done.
But hey, that's fine—they just leave good talent for others to hire.
- heartbeats 7y agoIt still tests something. As long as it tests something, it is useful. If the candidates were stupid, they would not be able to play this (intrinsically pointless) Red Queen game.
- starpilot 7y agoGoogle has strong data that it does predict job performance, better than GPA, college degree and so on. What are your aggregate data showing that Google is wrong on this?
- newfeatureok 7y agoI’d be curious to see this data. Have a link?
- bretpiatt 7y agoGoogle's 2013 study called Project Oxygen says different, "The seven top characteristics of success at Google are all soft skills: being a good coach; communicating and listening well; possessing insights into others (including others different values and points of view); having empathy toward and being supportive of one’s colleagues; being a good critical thinker and problem solver; and being able to make connections across complex ideas." [1] https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/answer-sheet/wp/2017/12/20/the-surprising-thing-google-learned-about-its-employees-and-what-it-means-for-todays-students/ https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/answer-sheet/wp/2017/12/...
- BlueTemplar 7y agoSince when the last two are "soft skills" ??
- inertiatic 7y agoThe poster you're responding to is arguing that their process has poor recall, not poor precision necessarily.
- taeric 7y agoDoes it? Because their strong data haven't helped them not screw up their messenger space. Or to have a fast email web client. Indeed, they seem to be going backwards on that chart. They flopped on wave and Google plus, hard. Those are the kinds of mistakes that kill most companies. Even Google glass still somewhat rankles and has left me with no confidence in any of their consumer things. And I say this as a happy Google fi user. In that I'm not convinced any alternative is worth moving to. Still can't fathom why Android is wasting fully half of my storage for "system". I'm not claiming they are crap. But I do have a hard time making all the things they do that are beyond the industry. Other than spend a ton of money.
- chillacy 7y agoI don’t think those products failed due to poor engineering, google just hasn’t been great at social (if you don’t count YouTube). Other companies which use the same interview techniques are winning in those exact product spaces.
- taeric 7y agoBut, then what are they succeeding at? If engineering hasn't helped them not kill most of their products, what is it helping do? And again, it is more than just social. ChomeOS? Even still a thing? How is android wear doing nowadays? Again, I'm not claiming they are bad at engineering. I honestly don't feel qualified to judge. But I don't know that they are qualified to judge success of new hire, either. Their main success seems to be to simply suffocate the talent pipelines of the industry by hiring the top talent first. But not by actually using it.
- ThrowawayR2 7y ago> "If engineering hasn't helped them not kill most of their products, what is it helping do?" Engineering does not set direction, they just build what they're told to. There are entire product management, market research, and similar teams that help senior management decide what to build. This is the case at most large software companies.
- chillacy 7y agoMy understanding is that they stopped asking brain teasers because they found no correlation with job performance. Which is good because for awhile it seemed like other companies were cargo culting questions like “why are manhole covers round”
- amznthrowaway5 7y agoWhat is "job performance"? I assume job performance in this case means getting promotions or good reviews. How well correlated are promotions to actual ability? In my experience they are mostly just political.
- gentleman11 7y agoIf FAANG hired all the best people, then we wouldn’t have anyone good left to hire. Maybe it’s for the best
- yahyaheee 7y agoYep it is no measure of success. I look at what people have done, that should tell you more than anything