I applied online. The process took 3 weeks. I interviewed at Google in Nov 2013
Interview
First round telephone interview with a PM. Very straightforward interview (unexpected), none of the weird/crazy questions that I've read about. Basic behavioral - tell me about yourself, strengths/weaknesses, greatest professional achievement, bad team experience, why Google. And then some time for questions. A total of 45 minutes. No question on Google products, their strategy, design questions etc.
Seemed as though the interview was just a formality to reject my candidacy and that the decision was made beforehand. My answers were more or less scripted, well practiced and I don't see how any decision could have been made based on this interview.
You would have to do a hiring assessment first, then a recruiter screening follows. First round interview with the hiring manager. Majorly product sense and product improvement. The questions were not direct though.
Overall a lot of steps to the interview process. Talked to different people and had opportunities to ask questions. Many different stages which made it a lengthy process overall. Wasn't too bad.
resume screening, a recruiter call, and technical or role-specific interviews. Candidates complete coding, system design, or behavioral rounds. Onsite or virtual panels assess problem-solving, communication, and leadership. Feedback goes to a hiring committee, followed by team matching and final offer discussions.