Google is a name synonymous with innovation. From its search engine and advertising to its phones and online apps, the brand is one that seems to be forever forward-thinking, and this is apparent in its hiring strategies as well. Google candidates come from far and wide to try to become a part of the company, but many don’t know what they are getting themselves in for when it comes time to interview. What makes Google’s hiring practices so innovative?

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Famous Interview Questions

For starters, the questions themselves are often unexpected and seemingly off the wall, but they serve a purpose. Famous examples include, “Why is a manhole cover round?” and “How many piano tuners are there in the entire world?” Now, these seem nonsensical, but what they do is show how a candidate thinks. Although Google is moving away from asking these types of questions, they allow the interviewer to see the candidate walk through a problem. Even if there is no right answer or if there are multiple right answers, the idea is to see the candidate in action.

People Are Paid Based on Talent

Many companies will try to distribute pay fairly evenly across specific departments or for similar titles. Google, on the other hand, bases pay on talent more than anything. So, if you are a programmer and your coworker is a programmer and both of you were hired on the same day, you might expect to make about the same thing. Working at Google, you and your coworker would be judged on your talents and what they bring to the company. Suppose your coworker was able to solve a difficult code issue that no one else in the department could do. In Google’s eyes, he’s more talented, and therefore more valuable.

Management Butts Out

Another problem that many employers and employees face is the role of management. Many managers forget what it was like to be an employee very quickly after being promoted, and this can lead to them sticking their noses into everything, slowing down productivity. At Google, the thinking is that people were hired to do their jobs based on their ability, and therefore, management should be involved as little as possible. If management is hiring the right people, there should be no need to micromanage.

Get the Team Involved

Google also uses committees to decide on candidates instead of allowing individuals to take care of things. The reason for this is that a single person may be having a really bad day or a really good day during the interview or when making the final decision. This can cause changes in perception of the candidate that may not be fair. By utilizing a group of people to make the decision, this eliminates potential bias. It also allows people who work at Google the chance to decide whether the candidate is someone they want to work with on a daily basis. Being stuck working with someone you don’t like is no fun!

What aspects of Google’s interviewing process can employers utilize and incorporate into their own in order to fine tune the candidate selection process?