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What is wrong with Google's recruiters?

20 points by rckclmbr ↗ HN
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?

13 comments

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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.
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.

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.

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.
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.

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...
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.

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.
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?