Google reviews

It's a cross between grad school and a hundred little startups. I haven't always gotten guidance from management about what's important or how the teams need to work together. Like grad school, there's times where it does feel all your responsibility. Marketing and bigger vision sometimes comes from the product managers, but it always feels like individual advice rather than a single clear vision of where we should go. Individual teams have a lot of control over libraries and code they use, so lots of infrastructure projects grow as research projects that succeed only if adopted by significant numbers of other teams. Although there is a big vision for the company, it isn't as focused or controlled as in other companies; there's really an assumption that the right stuff will bubble up. It's not a place with the razor-focused direction. Initial titles/ranks and promotions are determined by committees of other engineers. This is great because you're recognized for your engineering work, but bad if you aren't churning out enough code or if you're not having enough impact on the rest of the company. Initial titles get assigned 6-12 months in when you're put in the same pool as existing Googlers who are up for promotion. If you don't match up to them, you go down a slot - no difference in salary, bonuses based on new level, and any mental scars from being judged unworthy. It doesn't really matter, but if you're at Google you're probably not used to failing. Everyone's driven to succeed. There may not be a lot of external pressure from management to pull long hours, but folks tend to do it anyway because they want to accomplish something great. It's an easy place to feel you're below average, even when you've been tops everywhere else.

5.8% of the company made up of African & African Americans. The promise of DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) initiatives often falls short, as funding meant to support HBCUs (Historically Black Colleges and Universities) and programs for Black professionals in tech can sometimes serve as a superficial effort, rather than creating real change within companies. Many Black employees struggle to advance into leadership positions, facing a lack of genuine support and mentorship. In contrast, White and Asian employees often receive more direct support, as these groups are more prominently represented in leadership roles. Google’s "Stay & Thrive" program, for instance, aims to assist employees who identify as Black, Hispanic, or Native American when they encounter challenges with their managers. This program helps them find new roles within the company without their current manager’s knowledge. However, while a few Black employees may receive support through such initiatives, it’s a small percentage—around 1%. Given this reality, it's crucial for Black professionals to cultivate their own businesses and alternative income streams outside of major tech companies like Google. While these companies are often celebrated, the reality can be different for underrepresented groups, and the intellectual capabilities of Black professionals are sometimes met with discomfort or resistance within these spaces.