Some things that may have come to mind, in regard to likes and dislikes with past and even present companies, may have been management style and beliefs, the goals and purpose of the company, the working environment, company policies, and work/life balance. All of these factors contribute to the overall culture of a company and have an impact on whether or not someone will stay with an organization. A company’s culture and climate can actually play a huge part in a number of organizational factors including employee turnover, overall employee performance, and whether or not employees are satisfied with their jobs.
Before applying for a job at Google, therefore, ask yourself these five questions.
Do you have an IQ higher than 130?
The worst possible answer here is "Yes." Bock specifically wants "intellectual humility", without which he claims people can't learn. Those who have been clever all their lives often commit, Bock says, "the fundamental attribution error, which is: if something good happens, it's because I'm a genius. If something bad happens, it's because someone's an idiot." Taking IQ tests and remembering the score suggests exactly the wrong combination of self-aggrandisement and insecurity.What shall we have for dinner this evening?
Don't say "I don't mind" or "I'm easy, really" or "What would you like?" or any of that rubbish. If we're going to solve the dinner problem your opinion is required, so stand up and give it. This is the kind of "emergent leadership" that Googlewant: the willingness to take charge when required, and not take charge when not.
Why did you choose the last five articles you read?
What do you mean you don't know? Bock's first criterion was a type of intelligence that he calls "learning ability", which is defined as being able "to process on the fly … to pull together disparate bits of information." It doesn't bode well for Google's "structured behavioural interviews" if you go to pieces when a simple question like this is fired at your face.Are you incompetent and lazy?
You are? Excellent. Bock wants to hire people who feel "ownership" of the company's projects but also enough "humility" to do only what they usefully can. If you're incompetent, therefore, you're only going to ruin anything you get involved with, so never volunteering is the right call. Clever and active is another successful combination.Do you have a track record of doing something really well?
If so, that's a disaster. When faced with a problem, Bock explains that: "The expert will go: 'I've seen this 100 times before; here's what you do.'" A clever novice will usually also solve the problem, and while sometimes they fail this is more than compensated for by the valuable occasions when they solve it in new ways. People are better at things, in short, if they don't know what they're doing. If you do get in, you might find that a useful line on Friday nights.Here are seven things Google looks for in their employees:
1. Cognitive Ability Is Valued Above All Else
Cognitive ability does not mean IQ. Google is looking for those with the ability to learn new things. They want people who can process data on the fly and adapt quickly to new situations.Google uses a carefully designed and meticulously tested behavioral interview process to assess a candidate’s cognitive abilities. To prepare for such an interview, consider doing some lateral thinking puzzles which force you to solve problems through outside-the-box thinking.
2. Emergent Leadership
Google values emergent leadership over traditional leadership. This means that they would rather see an example of where you took the lead on your own initiative, as opposed to hearing that you were class president or team leader. They want to see that you can take the lead without being assigned to fulfill such a role, and, almost more importantly, that you are okay with relinquishing that power when it is appropriate to do so. Google is very team-oriented, and in many ways eschews a typical employee hierarchy. They want people who can move in and out of leadership positions on the fly.3. Humility
Google wants people who are confident in their abilities, but humble enough to know when to yield to a better idea. Lazlo Bock, Google’s senior vice president of people operations, put it this way: “You need a big ego and small ego in the same person at the same time.” You must be able to acknowledge and learn from your failures.4. Ownership
Google wants employees who take ownership over the tasks they are assigned; those who are passionate about solving problems and pushing the company forward. They feel a sense of responsibility which drives them to overcome obstacles. In other words, they do not want people who view working for them as just a paycheck, they want people who see their work as an extension of themselves.5. Expertise
According to Bock, while expertise is important, especially for more technical positions, it is actually the least important of the qualities that they look for in an ideal candidate. Often a so-called “expert” will, when presented with a problem, default to the way they have always done things, as opposed to trying new techniques. Google prefers those that can exhibit their expertise in innovative ways.
6. Accomplishments Beyond Your Degree
Bock stated that the “proportion of people without any college education at Google has increased over time.” In fact, on some Google teams, up to 14% of the members do not possess college degrees. He went on to add, “G.P.A.’s are worthless as a criteria for hiring, and test scores are worthless…We found that they don’t predict anything.”Of course, none of this is to say that good grades and a relevant college degree are not valuable in landing a job at Google, especially since many positions there require advanced math, computing and coding skills. It is just to say that while these things are a great starting point, Google doesn’t believe that they tell the whole story.
7. Show, Don’t Tell
Google wants to see what you can create. For example, If you are a programmer, you are more likely to get a job by showcasing your code itself than by listing off your impressive work history or industry certifications. They want to see clear examples of your proficiency, like an open source project that you contributed code to or an innovative approach you took to a challenging project. Ultimately, if you say you know how to do something, you’d better be prepared to back that up.Google is looking beyond traditional qualifications and searching for those that know how to innovate, learn and work effectively within a team. If you think that you’ve got what it takes, then don’t hesitate to apply for your dream job. Even if your sights are set elsewhere, showcasing these qualities will help you to be a more attractive candidate in any job hunt.
