Here are the Top Tech Companies’ Secrets to Hiring the Best People by Sarah Cooper
Google, Facebook, Apple, Amazon, Google, Amazon.
These top tech companies each receive over a quadrillion resumes per
year (source needed). So it’s safe to say they have a good process for
choosing the best job candidates. But what is it?
No,
it’s not that list of popular Google interview questions you Googled on
Google. In fact, their finely tuned hiring process goes way beyond
rudimentary queries on algorithms and quantum physics.
If you, too, want to hire the world’s best top tech talent, try one of these secret hiring strategies.
1. Begin phone screens 15 minutes early, 15 minutes late, or not at all
WHY? To find people who are always ready for the job
Anyone
can answer a series of probing questions when you call them at the
expected time. But what happens if you call them when they’re still
sleeping, in Zumba class, or on the toilet? This is how the top tech
companies find people who are ready for the job at any moment.
2. Make the interview schedule as confusing and unpredictable as possible
WHY? To find people who don’t need instructions
Make
sure that neither the interviewers or interviewees have any idea what’s
going to happen during the interview. This is a great indicator of who
will perform best when no one has any clue what’s going on.
3. Make sure something goes wrong during the presentation
WHY? To see how the candidate adjusts to less-than-ideal circumstances
Purposely
set up the candidate’s presentation in a room where the equipment
doesn’t work, which is probably any room. If the candidate is able to
roll with it and doesn’t mind adjusting, then that’s a good sign she’d
be easy to work with. Bonus points are given for candidates who have a
Plan B, Plan C and Plan D, which comes in very handy in the tech world.
4. During the interview, make a ton of incorrect assumptions
WHY? To weed out candidates who are easily annoyed
If
the candidate’s last job was at Twitter, say, “How long were you at
Yahoo!?” Take note of the candidate’s tone when he corrects you. Is he a
jerk about it or does he stay cool? This is how tech companies find out
what a candidate would be like to work with when the shit inevitably
hits the fan.
5. Ask the candidate to solve your own, specific problems
WHY? Because you really need help with this problem
Tech
companies often have candidates solve real problems they are currently
facing. This is a good way to get some free help with those problems.
6. Have the interview frequently move between different rooms
WHY? To find people who are still excited, even when they’re uncomfortable
Never
let your job applicants get comfortable during the interview. This is
how you find people who are uncomfortably excited and also get around
the fact that no conference rooms were available for the entire day.
7. Ask the same questions over and over and over again
WHY? To test consistency
In
the tech world, predictability is a good thing. During the interview,
don’t worry about asking the same question over and over again because
you keep blanking out. This is a great tool for testing the candidate’s
consistency. Candidates should only be wildly inconsistent with their answers when interviewing for senior roles.
8. Conduct dual interviews with a good cop / bad cop vibe
WHY? To find people who can multi-task under pressure
Put
the candidate in the middle of a conference room with interviewers at
both ends of the table. Is the candidate able to simultaneously direct
her attention to both interviewers while sufficiently answering each
question at the same time? Or is she clearly exhausted and wondering why
she even agreed to this interview? This is a great indicator of how the
candidate will perform during a crunch.
9. Ask a question, then start typing very loudly
WHY? To find people who remain focused despite distractions
Ask
the candidate a question. Then, as soon as he starts to answer, start
typing loudly. Apologize and say you’re “listening, just taking notes.”
You could be taking notes, or you could be writing an email to your
estranged father, doesn’t matter. See if the candidate can remain
focused on the question or if he gets lost. This will help you find
candidates who don’t let tiny distractions get in the way of finishing
the job.
10. 3 months later, call and offer the candidate a job she didn’t apply for
WHY? To find people who are determined
This
is a great way to weed out people who obviously didn’t really want the
job in the first place. Does the candidate fight for the job he wanted?
Does he take the offer because he thinks it’s the best he can get? Or
does he turn it down because he already found another job months ago?
This tactic is a good way to suss that out.
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