I agree. The last thing I want is another set of hoops to jump through when applying for a job -- not to mention the fact that it's in Google's interest to find

I agree. The last thing I want is another set of hoops to jump through when applying for a job -- not to mention the fact that it's in Google's interest to find good employees, so they'll figure a way around this. Question: Do highly selective companies hire as much through word-of-mouth/referrals, as less selective ones? I'm curious because referrals provide a modicum of pre-screening, but also introduce a lot of nepotism/bias into the overall hiring process vs. making everyone apply through the "front door".