Googleyness & Leadership Interview: Leadership Rubrics

Have you ever wondered how to crush Google’s Googleyness & Leadership interview? This week and next, we are going to discuss the rubrics for a successful interview. We want to discuss the differences between “solid” and “outstanding,” as well as how Google defines each rating. Both are great. However, it is important to understand exactly what “outstanding” represents in the eyes of Google.

Item #1—Rubrics Overview

There are four Google leadership rubrics:

1.   Project Management
2.   Getting Things Done
3.   Working as a Team
4.   Striving for Self-Development

Then, there are six standard Googleyness rubrics:

1.   Thrives in Ambiguity
2.   Values Feedback
3.   Effectively Challenges the Status Quo
4.   Puts the User First
5.   Does the Right Thing
6.   Cares About the Team

Item #2—Leadership Rubrics (Solid vs. Outstanding)

When it comes to Google’s leadership rubrics, let’s walk through each one and show the key differences between solid and outstanding. In my next article, I will dive into the specific Googleyness rubrics.

Project Management

In relation to managing projects, solid is looked at in terms of scalability, repeatability, reliability, prioritization, contribution and growth. When we switch to outstanding, Google is looking for skills that show you successfully managed a project, program, or initiative that was complex and scalable. They want to see that you had strong stakeholder management, met timelines, managed changing circumstances, emphasized organizational importance and clearly understood the implications of those items.

In the full video for this topic, I walk through example questions that touch on each of these Googleyness & Leadership interview rubrics. Watch it below:

From a solid perspective, this rubric is all about anticipating objections, effectively influencing change, doing impactful work, constant process improvement, networking and building relationships for change management. Outstanding builds on these core qualities, as well as how you are creating a substantial impact based on key organizational metrics.

Working as a Team

In this Google leadership rubric, solid is represented by helping coworkers for the good of the common goal, in addition to collaborating and sharing information. Meanwhile, outstanding is helping foster team dynamics through knowledge sharing and leveraging everyone’s individual strengths to benefit the team.

Strives for Self-Development

A solid candidate has the ability to recognize his or her strengths and weaknesses. And, the candidate is also willing to proactively seek constructive feedback and take action to affect positive change. As you might expect, outstanding pushes the envelope a little further. This involves showing tangible ways to leverage strengths and improve weaknesses, as well as taking full advantage of opportunities for self-development.  

Next week, we will walk through the six Googleyness rubrics in more detail. This will give you a full understanding of what Google’s interviewers are looking for when asking Googleyness & Leadership questions. When you know the rubrics, you can be better prepared to get the most out of your interview. 

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