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Google L4 (Mid-Level) Software Engineer Interview Guide
A comprehensive guide to the Google L4 (Mid-Level) Software Engineer interview process
The Google L4 software engineer interview process starts with a mandatory Google Hiring Assessment (GHA), followed by a recruiter screen, one technical phone screen, then an onsite loop of three to four interviews covering coding and behavioral assessment. After your interviews, a hiring committee reviews all feedback before you enter team matching, where you'll have conversations with potential teams before receiving an offer. The entire process from application to offer typically spans 2 months on average, though it can range from a few weeks to 3+ months depending on preparation time, scheduling, and team matching availability.
Google's hiring committee places the most weight on coding performance for L4 level determination. The behavioral round evaluates "Googliness" and cultural fit, focusing on teamwork and potential for growth rather than demonstrated leadership. Strong coding skills are the primary differentiator, and your ability to solve algorithmic problems efficiently while communicating clearly often determines whether you'll be hired at L4 or potentially down leveled to L3.
Since 2020, Google has conducted most interviews virtually through Google Meet using their Virtual Interview Platform (VIP). In 2022, they introduced the Google Hiring Assessment as a mandatory pre-interview requirement for all candidates, including L4s.
The interview consists of 5-6 total steps:
- Google Hiring Assessment (GHA)
- Recruiter Phone Screen
- Technical Phone Screen (Coding, 1 round)
- Onsite (Usually virtual)
- Coding (2-3 rounds)
- Googliness/Behavioral
If you pass, you'll move onto team matching and finally, offer negotiation.
Interview Rounds
Google Hiring Assessment (GHA)
Before any human interviews, all Google candidates must complete the Google Hiring Assessment (GHA), a mandatory online assessment introduced in 2022. This ~50-question assessment takes about 30-45 minutes and evaluates your workstyle alignment with Google's culture through Likert-scale personality questions and situational scenarios.
The GHA covers topics like how you handle ambiguity, work in teams, approach problem-solving, and align with Google's values. It's essentially a cultural fit pre-screening tool that helps Google determine if you're likely to thrive in their environment before investing time in technical interviews.
The assessment is taken online at your convenience after submitting your application. Once you pass the GHA, you'll typically hear from a recruiter within a few days to a week to schedule your phone screen.
You're evaluated on:
- Cultural Alignment: How well your work style and values align with Google's culture and expectations
- Team Fit: Your approach to collaboration, communication, and working in diverse team environments
- Problem-Solving Approach: How you think through challenges and ambiguous situations
Recruiter Phone Screen
The recruiter phone screen is your first real conversation with Google. You'll spend about 30 minutes on a phone call or Google Meet with a technical recruiter who wants to understand your background and confirm you're a good fit for the L4 level.
Expect questions about your current role, why you're interested in Google, and what type of work excites you. The recruiter will walk through your resume, asking about specific projects or technologies you've worked with. They're making sure you have the 3+ years of experience and mid-level responsibilities that match what Google expects from an L4 hire.
The recruiter will also verify practical details like your work authorization status, salary expectations, and timeline. This is your chance to ask questions about the interview process, typical team structures, or what the role involves day to day. Most recruiters are happy to share insights about what makes candidates successful in Google's process.
You're evaluated on two main aspects:
- Role Fit & Motivation: Shows genuine interest in Google and demonstrates experience that aligns with mid-level software engineering responsibilities
- Communication: Speaks clearly about your background and answers questions in a professional, organized way
The conversation flows naturally, but treat it seriously. Recruiters have significant influence over whether you move forward, and they often provide valuable context about what interviewers will focus on later. If you've been working at smaller companies, be ready to explain how your experience translates to the scale and complexity Google operates at.
Technical Phone Screen (Coding)
You'll have one 45-60 minute coding session over Google Meet. L4 candidates typically receive just one technical phone screen, though a second may be scheduled if the first round is borderline and the hiring team wants additional data before proceeding to onsite. These feel similar to any other tech company's phone screens, but Google's approach has some specific quirks worth knowing about.
VIP provides syntax highlighting, real-time collaboration, and supports major programming languages like Java, C++, and Python. This is a significant improvement over the plain Google Docs that Google used historically. You can't run your code or use AI assistants (explicitly prohibited as of 2023), which means you need to be comfortable writing syntactically correct solutions and walking through test cases verbally. Most candidates get 1-2 medium difficulty problems per session, though if you finish quickly, expect a follow up question.
The problems lean heavily toward classic algorithms and data structures. Your interviewer wants to see you recognize patterns quickly and apply the right algorithmic approach without much guidance. They're also watching how you structure your code - clean variable names, logical flow, and proper handling of edge cases all matter at the L4 level.
Your communication style during these sessions carries significant weight. Start by asking clarifying questions about input constraints, expected output format, and any edge cases the interviewer wants you to consider. Then talk through your high-level approach before coding. As you write, explain your logic so the interviewer can follow your thinking, especially when you make trade-offs or choose between different algorithms.
You're evaluated on three main aspects:
- Algorithmic Problem Solving: Efficiently analyzes problems and applies appropriate data structures and algorithms to reach optimal solutions
- Code Implementation: Writes correct, well structured code with proper syntax and clear logic in real time
- Communication & Clarification: Explains thought process clearly and asks clarifying questions to ensure understanding
Live, up-to-date
Most commonly asked Coding questions
Mid-level
Onsite
Coding Interviews (2-3 rounds)
The onsite coding rounds (typically 2-3 rounds, for a total of 3 coding interviews including the phone screen) use the same VIP platform format as phone screens. You're still writing code in Google's shared environment without being able to run it, but the problems get more complex and often require more sophisticated algorithms.
Each 45 minute session typically gives you one challenging problem, though occasionally you might get a follow up if you finish early. The interviewers expect you to move through these harder problems with the same efficiency you showed in the phone screens, but now they're watching more carefully for the mid-level level thinking that distinguishes L4 candidates. Your approach to breaking down complex problems, the elegance of your solution, and how you handle the additional constraints they throw at you all factor into their evaluation.
"Every interviewer was very friendly and helpful on the interviews, if I got stuck they helped me with tips on how to think of an approach. Only one of them wasn't very helpful and wanted me to assume things when I wasn't very clear on the problem specifics. Overall the interviewers and googlers in general are very nice and want you to succeed"
— Recent Google L4 candidate
You're evaluated on four main aspects:
- Complex Problem Solving: Tackles difficult algorithmic challenges effectively, using optimal solutions and analyzing time/space complexity
- Code Quality & Accuracy: Produces clean, correct code with good organization and naming, with minimal bugs by the end
- Clarity & Thought Process: Communicates logic and decisions clearly under pressure, adapting to hints or new constraints
- Edge Case Awareness: Identifies corner cases and tests solutions mentally when time permits
Most successful L4 candidates solve their problems completely in both rounds, even if they need a hint or two along the way. The bar is high, but the problems are designed to be solvable within the time limit if you have solid algorithmic foundations and can stay organized under pressure.
Live, up-to-date
Most commonly asked Coding questions
Mid-level
Googliness/Behavioral Interview (1 round)
The behavioral round evaluates your cultural fit and potential for growth at Google. You'll spend 45 minutes discussing real situations from your career where you've demonstrated teamwork, problem-solving, and learning from failure.
Your interviewer will ask both behavioral questions ("Tell me about a time when...") about past experiences and situational questions ("How would you...") about hypothetical scenarios. Google uses this mix to evaluate both your proven track record and your thought process for novel situations. They're not looking for perfect scenarios where everything went smoothly. Google specifically values stories where things went wrong and you learned something meaningful from the experience.
The "Googliness" aspect focuses on traits Google considers essential for their culture. Google specifically evaluates candidates on six core Googleyness attributes: thriving in ambiguity, valuing feedback, effectively challenging the status quo, putting the user first, doing the right thing, and caring about the team. Humility matters more than you might expect. They want to see you can admit when you're wrong and learn from others. Adaptability comes up frequently too, especially your ability to pivot when requirements change or new information emerges. User focus is another key element, so frame your stories around how your decisions ultimately benefited users or customers rather than just hitting internal metrics.
The conversation flows naturally, but your interviewer is carefully noting how you describe your role in team dynamics. They're interested in times you've collaborated well with teammates, contributed to technical decisions, or stepped up during challenging moments. L4s are expected to be strong individual contributors who can work effectively across teams and take ownership of their work.
At Google, L4s are expected to be self-directed and collaborative. This means demonstrating how you can take ownership of your work, collaborate effectively with others, and contribute positively to team goals without needing constant guidance.
You're evaluated on three main aspects:
- Initiative & Ownership: Provides examples of taking ownership of tasks, contributing to team success, and showing initiative in problem-solving
- Collaboration & Communication: Demonstrates the ability to work well in a team, resolve conflicts professionally, and communicate effectively with peers and stakeholders
- Googliness (Culture Fit): Exhibits Google's valued traits such as humility, adaptability, learning from failure, and a user focused mindset
Live, up-to-date
Most commonly asked Googlyness questions
Mid-level
1. Tell me about a time you had a conflict with a coworker. How did you resolve it?
2. What project are you most proud of?
3. Give me an example of a tough or critical piece of feedback you received.
4. Tell me about a time where you proactively proposed a change.
5. Tell me about a time where you mentored a colleague
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