Former Google Employee Reveals a Brainteasing Interview Question That Confused Most Applicants

There is no hard and fast format when it comes to interviews and yet, most people go to interviews after preparing just a few basic questions. No wonder they are often caught off-guard. This TikTok user recently shared how her former workplace, Google stumps interviewees. Tiktoker creator @hrbitch says, "This question stumps the most interviewers at Google. I'll share with you," she says before asking the question that the tech giant shoots at interviewees. 

"There's a coffee shop in San Francisco," she says. "It has unlimited supply and demand, meaning it has all the coffee beans, coffee cups, and teas in the world." The customer line wraps around the block. "The coffee shop is roughly 500 square feet. So how many cups of coffee can this coffee shop produce in one day?" she asks

Many took to the comment section to write their answers. One of the top answers read, "Zero-no workers were mentioned," while another comment by @Someone, reads, "Here goes.. 500 sqft assume each person and machine needs 10 square feet. So, 50 people in the shop at once. So 50 cups going at once." Another person @Long Nguyen says, "Not enough information to determine the outcome." 

Other interesting answers like "It takes 30 seconds to pour a cup of coffee. So that's 120 cups every hour. If you're open hours, that's 960 cups of coffee" received tons of likes. A few others simply declared that they are not capable of working at Google. "Guess I’m not working at Google," writes Daniel. 

In a follow-up video, the creator takes to the platform to say that there is no right or wrong answer to this. "There are no right or wrong answers, the interviewer's just trying to figure out your thought process," she says.

Google is known for asking these brainteasing questions in their interviews. However, they have slowly moved away from this. The company says on its Careers site: "Our data showed that brainteaser questions didn’t predict how well someone would do on the job. So, we no longer ask them. Instead, we do work sample tests and ask structured interview questions."

"We typically use two types of questions now: we use behavioral questions and hypothetical questions. We will ask you for examples of something you did in the past, which can be a good indicator of how people are likely to approach situations."

For people applying for jobs at Google, know that there are typically four rounds of interviews after which one is selected for the role. The interviewee usually goes through a screening interview which is typically conducted over the phone. After that, the candidate goes through another screening interview before being brought on site. In an on-site interview round, one usually has to go through 4 to 6-person interviews over lunch. 

Afterward, the interviewer meets to discuss your performance and give feedback. Most tech giants respond to the candidate within a week. The recruiter should tell candidates once they come to a final decision. 

For more such content,  you can follow, @hrbitch on TikTok.