
Ask HN: I am in the middle of pregnancy, should I still interview Google? - msmom
I am a software engineer at bay area. Google&#x27;s recruiter contacted me couple months ago for a pretty interesting job position. I passed the phone interview and are preparing for the upcoming onsite. But I am now concerned about how my pregnancy could affect the interview.<p>Personally I don&#x27;t think pregnancy can affect my work much: I had a baby during PhD, which I believe was more tough than work. But I made it through with on-time project deliveries and publications.<p>However, I haven&#x27;t worked long in industry, so not much sure about the current situation. Should I hide or tell them that I am pregnant? Should I use my PhD experience to show pregnancy won&#x27;t affect much? Or should I interview at all when pregnant?
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JSeymourATL
> It is also a bit hard for me to start the conversation about pregnancy: I am
> pretty sure the hiring manager is a man...

More than a few executive-level moms that I know-- actually received more
empathy and encouragement from men bosses during pregnancy, than their female
colleagues.

Transparency is a desirable managerial trait. Try this word track-- "It's
really too early to discuss this, but full disclosure, we may be having a new
addition to our family next year. My intention to keep right on working. We
already have one little one. And with the help of my spouse, we've managed it
all amazingly well."

Then focus the remaining 99.9% of your conversation discussing the job and how
you can help move his agenda forward. BTW, all the best to you & your
expanding family!

~~~
msmom
Thanks!

I said that because my PhD advisor is a female professor and she was very nice
and very helpful during my first pregnance.

I like you advice about how to bring this up. Will use it! Thanks!

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wglb
I would interview--they are not allowed to take your pregnancy into account.
They are legally forbidden from asking you about that or how you would manage
your children.

Good luck with the interview!

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vkb
How far along are you? If you're not far along enough to show, don't bring
this up. Regardless of how open-minded hiring managers are, it will definitely
unconsciously bias a decision. Don't make it a deciding factor.

If you have a great interview and an offer, that's the time to bring up any
potential time off or accommodations that you'll need. Corporette has some
really great resources around this:

\+ [http://corporette.com/2011/06/16/taking-a-new-job-while-
preg...](http://corporette.com/2011/06/16/taking-a-new-job-while-pregnant/) \+
[http://corporette.com/2012/11/20/how-to-negotiate-future-
mat...](http://corporette.com/2012/11/20/how-to-negotiate-future-maternity-
leave/)

And, congratulations!

~~~
kleer001
> it will definitely unconsciously bias a decision

What makes you say that? I assume you're in HR or have done a lot of hiring?
Or have read meta-studies on hiring practices?

~~~
vkb
I don't have any specific studies, but I have read about human cognitive
biases in general (Thinking Fast and Slow, Freakonomics), have talked to
pregnant women going through the interview process, and have myself
interviewed as a pregnant woman over the past couple years. I've also read
countless forums (Corporette posts[1], the excellent Ask A Manager[2] blog,
Laurie Ruettimann [3] that talk specifically about workplace psychology in a
non-clinical way.

The hiring manager likes to think they are not biased, but they always are, in
the same way all humans are. Be it by names in resumes [4], or because
employees experience a "cultural mismatch", we are imperfect as humans and
will judge a person just as much as we judge credentials or resumes.

The best hiring managers will recognize that this is a Thing That Exists and
try to actively overcome these biases. But the world is not made up of best
hiring managers. It is made up of people who may or may not assume that
because you are pregnant you will not do as much work, or they don't want to
give you leave or deal with FMLA, or they don't want to deal with you
potentially not coming back after your leave is over.

This is a constant fear for women, this fear of being judged on our
childbearing potential, and comes up over and over again in both motherhood
forums and professional work forums, as well as more recently in the national
conversation with the likes of Lean In, Anna Marie Slaughter, and others.

I've had conversations with women who are worried that they should remove
their engagement and wedding ring in case the employer sees it and assumes the
woman is newly married and wants to have children right away, ruining the
amount of time she might put into the career. Other women are terrified of
losing their jobs after coming back from a maternity leave where men or non-
pregnant coworkers handle all of the business and they suddenly feel they are
not needed.

To anyone unfamiliar with how hiring and workplace psychology work, these
concerns seem far-fetched. To many women working today, they are an
unfortunate reality, although one that doesn't exist everywhere and is
starting to shift, hopefully, with things like an increasing number of more
flexible parental leave policies.

So, don't mention anything until you're far along enough in the process that
it's time for both parties to evaluate whether they want to work with each
other (i.e. the offer stage). Then it's 100% worth putting on the table.

[1][http://corporette.com/](http://corporette.com/)
[2][http://www.askamanager.org/](http://www.askamanager.org/) [3]
[http://laurieruettimann.com/](http://laurieruettimann.com/)
[4][http://freakonomics.com/2013/04/08/how-much-does-your-
name-m...](http://freakonomics.com/2013/04/08/how-much-does-your-name-matter-
a-new-freakonomics-radio-podcast/)

------
yongjik
Definitely go for the interview. You have no reason to discuss your pregnancy
with interviewers. If your pregnancy is obvious and the interviewers bring it
up (as a kind of ice-breaking "small talk"), don't be alarmed, just play it
cool, as if they're commenting on your hat.

Remember, Google is a big company, and unless you're being hired for a very
specific position, none of those people who interview you will likely be in
your team when you join. So, "What happens after she delivers a baby?" is not
really the interviewers' concern.

If you're really worried, you could tell the recruiter/HR person after the
interview is over and they contact you. I don't expect anything other than
"Oh, congratulations!" But if (God forbid) any one of them is stupid enough to
say "Oh really? Now we have to re-think your application.", then you have a
story to tell HN, and hopefully somebody will be fired from Google.

(I mean, statistically speaking, none of the people you meet during the
interview process will be in the same team as you when you join, so I don't
see why anyone would be "worried" about your pregnancy. A competent new hire
is still a competent new hire even if she has to delay joining the company
for, say, half a year, and Google has so many employees that "one hired person
will not be available for several months" shouldn't be a problem for anyone.)

\- Ex-Googler

* p.s. If you do get rejected, don't assume it's because of your pregnancy, even if somebody commented on it during the interview. Chances are that such comment wouldn't even make it into the interview feedback (if if they do, they will be summarily ignored). Lots of really great people get rejected from Google for mysterious reasons all the time.

~~~
msmom
Got it. Very appreciate!

My interview will be a special hire so the team that is supposed to hire me
will do the interview.

Anyway, thanks for your advice!

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wbsun
No worry about pregnancy. I am pretty sure the interviewers won't ask any
question about it :) It is very un-googly and prohibited (and illegal) to take
that into account when they evaluate your candidacy. If anything make you feel
uncomfortable during interview, just contact your recruiter. They should take
care of you immediately.

------
alexandrerond
Since you live in the US, and benefits for parents are almost non existent and
letting people go if things don't work out is cheap, I wouldn't think anyone
at Google would fail at attracting talent because of a pregnancy.

I don't think they'll even ask, and I would feel offended and would never
answer such question regardless of my state.

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brudgers
In my opinion, your pregnancy is none of Google's business...though I
appreciate the irony of that statement. Anyway, there is no obligation to
disclose any medical condition and in a company Google's size there is
undoubtedly significant human resources experience with pregnancy and strong
guidance for those engaged in the hiring process.

An employer inclined to find issue in a woman's pregnancy, has an issue with
women in general.

Good luck.

------
jfoster
What's the potential downside?

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kleer001
I would definitely address it in the interview (and the things that naturally
follow and non-intuitively follow from said fact).

Did your pregnancy come up before?

Best case scenario they understand and make leeway for a talented person they
need on the team. Worst case scenario they decide you're not worth the effort.
Middle case you're on an extended probationary period as they're investing a
little more than average on you.

Certainly laying down all the facts clearly should do well for you at any
company you want to work for.

~~~
msmom
Thanks!

I was aware of my pregnancy right before getting recruiter's email. At that
time I didn't think too much and went though phone interview without
mentioning pregnancy (plus it is traditionally believed that people should
keep it secret within the first three uncertain months of pregnancy in my
hometown's old culture).

I am not sure who I should talk to in the interview. Because the onsite rounds
will be focusing on tech not general chat. Maybe the hiring manager who is
going to take me to the lunch?

It is also a bit hard for me to start the conversation about pregnancy: I am
pretty sure the hiring manager is a man, I feel it is a bit wired to talk
about my pregnancy and maybe something about it to a strange man in person.
Any suggestion?

Also my belly is not that big yet :) so maybe I can avoid the wired talk by
waring more/loose cloths?

~~~
kleer001
> I am not sure who I should talk to in the interview.

>It is also a bit hard for me to start the conversation about pregnancy

Successful strategies to solve these problems, I think, will show them how you
should be a cherished employee.

Maybe there's some homework and social hacking you could do to find the right
people to talk to. Maybe there's some more experienced moms at Google that
could steer you in the right direction on how to breach this.

>I feel it is a bit wired to talk about my pregnancy

As a man I feel all pregnant ladies are the embodiment of the infinite
creativity of nature and as such I try to give them lots and lots of leeway
and respect. Be proud, lady. You're not a leper, you're a goddess incarnate.
Nothing to be shy or shameful of :)

Certainly you spoke with someone in HR or Recruiting during your interview
process? Certainly they'll be happy to help you with feels and mommy
coordination.

Good luck. I'm sure you'll be fine.

