Google’s Toughest Interview Questions: Test Your Problem-Solving Skills
Discover Google’s Toughest Interview Questions: Prepare for challenging brain teasers and problem-solving scenarios that test your skills under pressure. Learn how to tackle quantitative and broad thinking challenges. While the specific questions may vary, we provide a glimpse into past interview questions that have stumped candidates at Google.
Google has a reputation for asking difficult brain-teaser questions that challenge how you act under pressure.
Most of them require you to think quantitatively and broadly, and test the way you tackle problems on the spot.
Google probably switches up its questions over time, but career website Glassdoor provides a glimpse of the types of brain-stumping puzzles Google has asked in the past.
Not all of Google’s tricky questions are necessarily meant to be brain teasers–some of them sound simple, but turn out to be difficult to answer in a concise way. Here are Google’s Toughest Interview Questions
1. What is your favorite Google product, and how would you improve it?–Associate Product Manager, January 2016
2. If you wanted to bring your dog to work but one of your team members was allergic to dogs what would you do?–Associate Account Strategist, December 2014
3. If ads were removed from YouTube, how would you monetize it? – Associate Account Strategist, January 2016
4. What do you know about Google?–Administrative Business Partner Interview, February 2015
5. Design an evacuation plan for the building.–Business Analyst Interview, November 2014
6. Which do you think has more advertising potential in Boston, a flower shop or funeral home?–Account Strategist, October 2015
7. A coin was flipped 1000 times and there were 560 heads. Do you think the coin is biased?–Quantitative Analyst, September 2015
8. What does “being Googley” mean to you?–Product Specialist, December 2015
9. Name a prank you would pull on x manager if you were hired.–Google Applications Support Engineer, June 2014
10. What is your opinion on whether or not individuals should be required to use their official name when opening a gmail or Google + account?–Administrative Assistant Interview, April 2014
11. What would you want to do if you didn’t have to work?–Interaction Designer, September 2014
12. What scares you?–Business Analyst Interview, September 2014
13. How many ways can you think of to find a needle in a haystack?–Business Associate, May 2014
14. Estimate the number of tennis balls that can fit into a plane.–Intern, December 2015
15. If you could be remembered for one sentence, what would it be?–Associate Account Strategist Interview, March 2014
16. If you could only choose one song to play every time you walked into a room for the rest of your life, what would it be?–Associate Account Strategist Interview, March 2014
17. How do you think the digital advertising world will change in the next 3 years?–Creative Director, January 2016
18. What three things would you change at your university/work place if you were CEO today?–Account Strategist Interview, April 2014
19. Describe AdWords to a seven-year-old.–Associate Account Strategist Interview, December 2014
20. You have a grocery delivery service (similar to Amazon Fresh) which delivers food within 24 hours. Estimate how many trucks you need to operate this service.–Product Manager, November 2015
21. How would you explain cloud computing to a 6 year old?–Product Manager, November 2015
22. Tell me what you think about Google charging users $1/month to use GMail.– BOLD Candidate, October 2015
23. How many haircuts do you think happen in America every year?–Business Associate, May 2014
24. List six things that make you nervous.–Android Support Level III, July 2014
25. Tell me something about you that isn’t on your resume.–Associate Account Strategist Interview, March 2014
26. What is the market for driverless cars in the year 2020?–Product Manager, November 2015
27. Model raindrops falling on a sidewalk (sidewalk is 1m and raindrops are 1cm). How could we know when the sidewalk is completely wet?–Software Engineer, January 2016
28. How would I explain the importance of HTML 5 to Larry Page and then to my grandma. — Creative Specialist, January 2016
29. Tell me a joke. — Executive Assistant Interview, March 2014
30. The best question in my opinion was, they asked me at this stage whether you prefer earning or learning. — Software Engineer, January 2016
31. If I gave you 10 million dollars right now, what would you do?–Associate Account Strategist, May 2014
32. Define a service that would allow you to travel to the future.–Interaction Designer, December 2015
33. Would you remove the link to an extremist piece of writing?–Legal Assistant, December 2015
34. How could you solve humankind’s biggest crisis given one billion dollars and a spacecraft?–Database Administrator, December 2015
35. You have a colony on Mars that you want to communicate with. How do you build a system to communicate with them?–Associate Product Manager, November 2014
36. How many cars travel across a bridge each day?–Advertising Interview, September 2014
37. If you had access to a bank’s database, how would you use that information to design an ATM for elderly people?–Associate Product Manager, February 2015
38. How would you improve a shoe factory?–Field Operations Specialist, November 2014
39. Design a mobile social app for a chain of local orthodontist offices.–Product Manager, November 2015
40. What are the number of new book titles published in the US each year?–Product Manager, November 2015
41. How would you solve homelessness in downtown San Francisco?–Product Manager, November 2015
Here are some additional Google interview questions that were asked up until 2021:
- Describe a time when you had to persuade someone to see things your way.
- How would you explain a complex technical concept to a non-technical audience?
- Design a system to track and manage inventory for an e-commerce website.
- How would you optimize Google Search for mobile devices?
- Solve a coding problem: Implement a function to check if a binary tree is balanced.
- How would you design a recommendation system for a streaming platform like Netflix?
- Describe a challenging project you worked on and how you overcame obstacles.
- How would you improve Google Maps to provide more accurate real-time traffic information?
- Solve a coding problem: Find the kth largest element in an unsorted array.
- How would you approach reducing the environmental impact of data centers?
- Describe a time when you had to make a difficult decision with limited information.
- Design a scalable and efficient system for processing and analyzing large volumes of data.
- How would you detect and prevent fraudulent activity on an online marketplace?
- Solve a coding problem: Reverse a linked list.
- How would you optimize the performance of a web application?
- Describe a time when you had to collaborate with a difficult team member.
- Design a system to detect and mitigate distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks.
- How would you improve the user experience of a popular social media platform?
- Solve a coding problem: Determine if two strings are anagrams.
- Describe a time when you had to quickly learn a new technology or programming language.
How to Enable Two-Step Verification on WhatsApp
Technology giants such as Google, Apple, Microsoft, and Facebook among others have always advocated enabling two-step verification to add more security. If you still don’t use two-step verification, we recommend enabling the security feature following these simple steps for many popular services. Facebook-owned WhatsApp is the latest in the list of services to add support for two-step verification.
The new two-step verification is optional but your WhatsApp account is probably the one you want to secure first. The company assures that once two-step verification enabled, any attempt to verify phone number on WhatsApp will require the six-digit passcode that is created by the user.
Currently, the two-step verification feature is available only for beta users, we can expect it to be rolled out to all users in coming weeks. On Android, beta app users running version 2.16.341 or above will be able to enable the two-step verification. Windows 10 Mobile beta user, running version 2.16.280 of WhatsApp can enable the security feature.
To set up two-step verification for WhatsApp, you need to take the following steps:
Open WhatsApp (duh!)
Go to Settings
Go to Account
Look for Two-step verification
Tap on Enable
On the next screen, enter six-digit passcode.
Next, re-enter six-digit passcode.
Optionally, add your email address on the next screen.
In the last step – optional, as mentioned – WhatsApp asks for an email address to link with your account. This email address will let WhatsApp to send a link via email to disable two-step verification in case user forgets the six-digit passcode.
Remember that in case you user forget the six-digit passcode, WhatsApp won’t permit re-verifying the account within seven days of last using WhatsApp.
“After these seven days, your number will be permitted to re-verify on WhatsApp without your passcode, but you will lose all pending messages upon re-verifying – they will be deleted. If your number is re-verified on WhatsApp after 30 days of last using WhatsApp, and without your passcode, your account will be deleted and a new one will be created upon successfully re-verifying,” the WhatsApp team explains.
Have you set up two-step verification on your WhatsApp account? Let us know via the comments. For more tutorials, visit our How to section.
10 Ways to Quickly Generate Leads
You’ve printed flyers, you’ve sent out mailers, you have blasted your social-media followers, but you’re still not getting the lead flow you need to grow your company into the next billion-dollar brand. Well, there are hundreds of ways to generate leads, so don’t hang your head.
Here are ten ways to quickly generate leads.
Table of Contents
1.eBooks
These work great for B2B companies or a business that works in a very technical space, as people love to read and gain expertise about their industry. Make sure you don’t promote your services or products. People don’t want to be sold, they want to be informed. So write it from a neutral perspective and give actionable insights. Share the eBook socially and ask your network to share it for you.
You’ll want to ensure that you have a landing page set up that requires visitors to input their name, email and phone number for a chance to download the eBook.
2. Newsletter
Do you have a newsletter yet? If not, you’re missing out on one of the simplest way to generate more leads. Make sure you put a newsletter sign up in every possible place that makes sense on your website.
With these newsletter, not only do you have a captive audience (people have to opt-in to your newsletter) but email pathways are a great way to avoid getting lost in all the Internet noise. Again, don’t make it all about you. Instead, share with your contacts your insights, recent wins you created for your customers and industry news.
3. Blog
Having a blog is one of the best lead generating tools you can use, as it not only allows a company (or person) complete control of what is said but also an opportunity to have the undivided attention of the reader. Make sure that your blog is optimized to generate leads by having a sign-up section for your newsletter and by using the margins to promote your products and services. And I feel like a broken record, but don’t make the blog all about you! Give real value.
4.Twitter
Twitter is a dream for generating leads. Use it to reach out to influencers in your industry and get into conversations with them. Their followers, who are probably some of your potential customers, will see your interactions and follow you or visit your site. You can also follow trending subjects that pertain to your business and interject your thoughts into the general discussion by using the # symbol. For instance, if you are in the mobile world, you may use #iphone to find and eventually get leads.
5. Networking events
While a lot of action happens in the digital world, the real world still provides a lot of advantages — especially networking events. Even events that didn’t directly pertain to my business have provided me with some of the most valuable contacts and leads. You’ll meet more people, expand your network and gain referrals. Plus, it’s a great way to build your brand. Make sure to bring business cards and don’t be afraid to ask the people you meet for their patronage.
6. Develop an engaging video
Please don’t produce another terrible commercial and post it on YouTube. The world doesn’t need any more of these. What people always want more of is entertainment. So, spend some time on developing a great idea that promotes your business and engages your customers. Once you’ve uploaded the video, you can get the ball rolling on making it go viral by using services like StumbleUpon to drive traffic to your video for pennies per viewer. Video sites like YouTube allow you to put links directly into the video. Use these to link back to specific landing pages on your website.
7. Infographic
Yes, infographics may have been overused a few years back, but people still share them and still stop and read them whenever they can.They’re quite cheap to produce as well. Simply come up with an original idea (again, don’t make it about you), find a quality (but affordable) graphic designer, then share it socially and ask your network to pass it along. You can also submit your infographics to publications that cover your industry.
Always put your logo and website URL on the bottom of the infographic. This way readers will be able to visit your site.
8. Webinars
Webinars are an inexpensive way to get your message to thousands of potential customers. There are many services that allow you to broadcast a webinar quickly and easily. And if you make it a recurring event, you’ll continue to grow your following. So, come up with a great idea that helps your customers and promote it using social media, your network and your newsletter.
At the end of the webinar, feel free to ask the attendees to download an eBook, sign up for your newsletter, or visit your site. This will bring the leads flowing in.
9. Media coverage
Do you know what journalists hate? Being hit up by dozens of PR agencies hour after hour, day after day. Do you know what journalists hate a little less? Having an owner of a company reach out to them and tell their story in a real and authentic manner. In fact, your chances of being covered go up significantly if you do the reach out yourself (as long as your pitch is on point). A few tips regarding reaching out to journalists: Don’t mass email them, do not open with “to whom it may concern” and don’t pester them (one follow up email is sufficient).
By getting your name out in the media, you begin to develop a following, increase your personal brand and come off as an expert in your domain – all that can help you get leads.
10. Strong branding
Customers love authentic companies. They like it when a company has a strong and clear message and that message is consistent across all of their marketing platforms. So, don’t try and be everything to everyone. Customers want the experts and the company that is the best in their industry. Focus on communicating that through your branding and your conversion rates will go up, resulting in more leads.
Mastering Google’s Toughest Interview Questions: 40+ Powerful Challenges to Test Your Skills (Updated)
Google’s Toughest Interview Questions: Test Your Problem-Solving Skills
Discover Google’s Toughest Interview Questions: Prepare for challenging brain teasers and problem-solving scenarios that test your skills under pressure. Learn how to tackle quantitative and broad thinking challenges. While the specific questions may vary, we provide a glimpse into past interview questions that have stumped candidates at Google.
Google has a reputation for asking difficult brain-teaser questions that challenge how you act under pressure.
Most of them require you to think quantitatively and broadly, and test the way you tackle problems on the spot.
Google probably switches up its questions over time, but career website Glassdoor provides a glimpse of the types of brain-stumping puzzles Google has asked in the past.
Not all of Google’s tricky questions are necessarily meant to be brain teasers–some of them sound simple, but turn out to be difficult to answer in a concise way. Here are Google’s Toughest Interview Questions
1. What is your favorite Google product, and how would you improve it?–Associate Product Manager, January 2016
2. If you wanted to bring your dog to work but one of your team members was allergic to dogs what would you do?–Associate Account Strategist, December 2014
3. If ads were removed from YouTube, how would you monetize it? – Associate Account Strategist, January 2016
4. What do you know about Google?–Administrative Business Partner Interview, February 2015
5. Design an evacuation plan for the building.–Business Analyst Interview, November 2014
6. Which do you think has more advertising potential in Boston, a flower shop or funeral home?–Account Strategist, October 2015
7. A coin was flipped 1000 times and there were 560 heads. Do you think the coin is biased?–Quantitative Analyst, September 2015
8. What does “being Googley” mean to you?–Product Specialist, December 2015
9. Name a prank you would pull on x manager if you were hired.–Google Applications Support Engineer, June 2014
10. What is your opinion on whether or not individuals should be required to use their official name when opening a gmail or Google + account?–Administrative Assistant Interview, April 2014
11. What would you want to do if you didn’t have to work?–Interaction Designer, September 2014
12. What scares you?–Business Analyst Interview, September 2014
13. How many ways can you think of to find a needle in a haystack?–Business Associate, May 2014
14. Estimate the number of tennis balls that can fit into a plane.–Intern, December 2015
15. If you could be remembered for one sentence, what would it be?–Associate Account Strategist Interview, March 2014
16. If you could only choose one song to play every time you walked into a room for the rest of your life, what would it be?–Associate Account Strategist Interview, March 2014
17. How do you think the digital advertising world will change in the next 3 years?–Creative Director, January 2016
18. What three things would you change at your university/work place if you were CEO today?–Account Strategist Interview, April 2014
19. Describe AdWords to a seven-year-old.–Associate Account Strategist Interview, December 2014
20. You have a grocery delivery service (similar to Amazon Fresh) which delivers food within 24 hours. Estimate how many trucks you need to operate this service.–Product Manager, November 2015
21. How would you explain cloud computing to a 6 year old?–Product Manager, November 2015
22. Tell me what you think about Google charging users $1/month to use GMail.– BOLD Candidate, October 2015
23. How many haircuts do you think happen in America every year?–Business Associate, May 2014
24. List six things that make you nervous.–Android Support Level III, July 2014
25. Tell me something about you that isn’t on your resume.–Associate Account Strategist Interview, March 2014
26. What is the market for driverless cars in the year 2020?–Product Manager, November 2015
27. Model raindrops falling on a sidewalk (sidewalk is 1m and raindrops are 1cm). How could we know when the sidewalk is completely wet?–Software Engineer, January 2016
28. How would I explain the importance of HTML 5 to Larry Page and then to my grandma. — Creative Specialist, January 2016
29. Tell me a joke. — Executive Assistant Interview, March 2014
30. The best question in my opinion was, they asked me at this stage whether you prefer earning or learning. — Software Engineer, January 2016
31. If I gave you 10 million dollars right now, what would you do?–Associate Account Strategist, May 2014
32. Define a service that would allow you to travel to the future.–Interaction Designer, December 2015
33. Would you remove the link to an extremist piece of writing?–Legal Assistant, December 2015
34. How could you solve humankind’s biggest crisis given one billion dollars and a spacecraft?–Database Administrator, December 2015
35. You have a colony on Mars that you want to communicate with. How do you build a system to communicate with them?–Associate Product Manager, November 2014
36. How many cars travel across a bridge each day?–Advertising Interview, September 2014
37. If you had access to a bank’s database, how would you use that information to design an ATM for elderly people?–Associate Product Manager, February 2015
38. How would you improve a shoe factory?–Field Operations Specialist, November 2014
39. Design a mobile social app for a chain of local orthodontist offices.–Product Manager, November 2015
40. What are the number of new book titles published in the US each year?–Product Manager, November 2015
41. How would you solve homelessness in downtown San Francisco?–Product Manager, November 2015
Here are some additional Google interview questions that were asked up until 2021: