
What is wrong with Google's recruiters? - rckclmbr
I've had two different recruiters (one last year, one this year) get ahold of me to pursue employment, I speak with them on the phone and decide to get interviews setup, I don't hear from them for a week so I email, and then they are completely unresponsive.  Has anyone else had this kind of problem?  It's like, why even contact me if you're just going to ignore me?
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paulsutter
Google's sourcers are graded according to metrics: number of phone interviews,
number of onsites, and number of actual hires. They also have an overall
percentile score. Sounds like you got a phone screen, which are so numerous
that they dont even track them in the metrics.

Google's process is famously maddening for applicants. Expect lots of
frustation and uncertainty, but dont give up. I hear the same nonresponsive
horror stories from people who never got far in the process, and from people
who eventually got hired.

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supervillain
I had 3 different recruiters who contacted me via email (2008, 2010, 2012),
all 3 interviews failed, and if I'll be contacted again next year or so for
the 4th time, I just wish Oracle won the Java lawsuit against Google.

Yes, I'm bitter now, I'm not sure what I'm missing, I'm well qualified and did
my best on all the interviews I had with them but the 'Engineering team'
thinks that I'm not fit for them.

They might be looking for Java developers, and not Haskell, Lisp, Ruby or
Python.

If I had another interview, I had no hopes anymore of ever being accepted.

And yes, they don't reply once you had the schedules set.

They lied on the phone, saying if I need any further information or
assistance, don't hesitate to email them.

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ghoul2
<http://news.ycombinator.org/item?id=3766484>

Similar experience from a while back. At that time, this problem only
manifested on the India side.

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bceagle
I didn't have them initially reach out to me, but I did have a similar
experience in that after initially talking to them they sort of tailed off
communication until I pressed it a little further. I think perhaps they get
incentivized for bringing in leads, but then when it comes time to actually
put a Google engineer on the phone or in the room with you for an interview,
there is a waiting list where you get pushed to the back. I have no idea, but
I agree it is weird.

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pasbesoin
Here's the deal with HR and recruiters: In many cases, you're their product,
not their client/customer. So, they will use... erm, contact you, when and as
and how it suits them.

When their _client_ is interested -- and you have to hope that this is maybe
at least halfway the hiring manager; not infrequently, it isn't -- that's when
things happen.

One prospective job, I'd been identified, but no call was made. I happened to
have the name of and to catch the hiring manager, who was rather senior at the
organization. Blamo, I had a call to set up an interview within 24 hours.

If you have enough seniority/desirability to have some appeal/leverage, try to
deal with the hiring manager. To the extent the both of you can, relegate
recruitment/HR to doing the paperwork/busywork.

Of course, this isn't always possible.

P.S. Of course, don't present this attitude to recruitment/HR, or they may do
their best to sabotage you. Not just out of spite; the more this happens, the
less relevant and influential and paid they are.

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dzendian
I've had about 5 or 6 rounds of interviews with Google. All of which leave me
with a bitter taste in my mouth.

Nothing like getting your hopes up that many times. The last time I even
checked with the recruiter to make sure, because I've been let down so many
times (phrased it much more fluffy on the phone).

At one point, I made it through 3 phone interviews and the last guy said "Ok,
we'll either schedule you for an in-house or call you up for another phone
interview."

That weekend... letter of rejection in my inbox.

I feel your pain.

~~~
rckclmbr
I would be fine if I had an interview and was rejected -- that's just part of
the game. But this guy calls and talks to me (not an interview, just the
recruiter), says he will setup interviews, and now I get no response. Crazy.

Don't feel bad about rejection to Google... I know a lot of brilliant people
who were rejected, and a lot of so-so people who got in. Their recruitment
process is far from perfect.

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etfb
I'm perversely glad that I never finished my degree and don't have the
specific kind of skills that would make Google call me in for an interview.
Everything I read about the interview process there fills me with a nameless
dread. Come to think of it, since the nymwars debacle, everything else about
Google does that too...

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mirsadm
At another company I went for an interview, got an offer and quit my current
job. All seemed fine until I got a call a few days later from a HR person that
started with "now that you have passed the first round of interviews". Luckily
I had good friends at the place and they made sure that never happened again.

~~~
josephkern
I ... wow. Did they have you sign an offer letter?

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desipenguin
I had a similar experience myself recently (around late march, Early April
2012). Google HR approached me. I responded. Then dead air. Never heard from
her again till now.

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Donito
Had a similar issue with a Facebook recruiter, who was terribly
unprofessional.

~~~
nbm
I'd love for you to tell me the story (with or without names, anonymously or
otherwise) so I can give feedback to the recruiting team (or individual) here
at Facebook. Contact details in my profile.

