Google rules the internet, and the company knows it. One programmer learnt that the company uses its massive reach to do more than serve search results and ads to users; it has also built a hidden recruitment process into the search engine as well.
Max Rosett was doing research for a project and Googled “python lambda function list comprehension”. What he received was one of the most cyberpunk search results page ever seen. The page literally split and revealed a hidden message that took him to what looked like a UNIX interface.
After some playing around, he discovered a series of programming challenges. It took two weeks to solve all six challenges, and he was subsequently asked to provide his contact details. This eventually lead to a Google recruiter beginning the interview process which skipped the technical knowledge tests; considering that he had already unwittingly completed them ahead of time.
Three months after the surreal encounter with Google’s hidden recruitment process, Rosett began working in Mountain View as a programmer.
This is the first time that anyone has heard of Google’s hidden recruitment process, and it is honestly an interesting way to use the company’s largest product. Interestingly, the challenges only request the user to identify themselves after they have successfully completed all six tasks. Which is a nice non-intrusive way of testing proficiency while respecting the user’s privacy.
Not everyone Googling for programming terms has seen the invitation, and it is unknown how Google selects potential candidates. That being said this certainly makes using the search engine a whole lot more interesting.
[Source: The Hustle]
