Google reviews

Google has to make some serious changes to improve its performance management and promotion processes. Called "Perf", it's a twice a year process that managers and staff alike despise because it takes up enormous amounts of time and results in questionable promotion decisions. In Finance, approximately 10% of the team can get promoted in any given Perf cycle and there are only two per year. I recommend learning about Google's internal level system during the hiring process and asking what level your role is before you accept the job offer. Talk to a friend or contact and see if the leveling of your role is reasonable to start with. I was hired at too low of a level and then slow (3 years) to reach my first promotion. Finance Levels at Google (rough work experience required): L3 Financial Analyst (1-2 years) L4 Financial Analyst (2-4 years) L5 Senior Financial Analyst (4-6 years) L6 Finance Manager (6-8 years) L7 & L7.5 Senior Finance Manager (8+) L8 Finance Director (12+) L5 is the terminal level for many Finance employees. It's extremely difficult to get into management. L6 and above are very political promotions. For promotions at levels 3-5, they are largely time-based (2 years on average for L3/L4, 3 years for L5). Super strong performers do not get promoted more quickly, contrary to what Google claims. While total compensation (salary + 15% bonus + equity) is often competitive, the salary component is quite low and makes it hard to afford the SF Bay Area cost of living, especially in your first year before you get a bonus and before any of your equity vests.

- very low pay for the area - my recruiter literally told me my offer was considered "below a livable wage in the bay area", however I also had no room to negotiate based on experience ..lesson learned! - unfair / biased hiring practices - theres at least one lawsuit in recent years alleging unequal pay between male and female teachers. I can confirm I knew of at least 1 male teacher who was hired as a level II when every female teacher I knew had been told by their recruiter they *must* start as a level I regardless of education or experience. I knew of at least one peer with a Masters who had to start as a level I - $16/hr. I am confident the male teacher did not have the same level of experience. - unfair promotions - all about who you are friends with. if your team is a sinking ship you will likely go down with them at performance time regardless of your own individual performance - HIGH attrition due to all of the above. constantly understaffed and making huge crazy sacrifices to stay in ratio - used to give stock options at hire - took them away without telling the population. huge uproar when everyone found out, followed by walk out protest and calls for raising base pay based on market standards. told by google leadership "we know educators being underpaid is a problem, but Google is not going to focus on that right now" - few growth opportunities - only 3 levels of teacher when I was there in 2017, otherwise like a handful of operations and leadership positions. - base pay is bad but promotion compensation was worse, a slap in the face. when I was promoted from a level I to level II teacher (the 2nd of 3 levels I could aspire to, remember) my raise was literally less than a dollar + a few stock thank god, and my manager actually acted like It was a big deal. I cant really blame her, knowing now how some companies manage promotions and $$ when It comes down to It, but that was just insulting..for the both of us. not unusual for educators, especially in preschool, but Google sets their own standard high and when a company is always preaching how "employee first" they are you kind of get to hold them accountable to it in practice.