Google strategy and operations interviews—or business operations and strategy (BizOps) interviews—are very challenging. Not only are there hard-to-find resources on how best to prepare for them, the questions can be difficult, specific to Google, and cover a wide range of topics.
The good news is that the right preparation can make a big difference and can help you land the job at Google (or Google Cloud).
We have put together this ultimate guide to help you maximize your chances of success.
We’ve gathered insights from ex-Google strategy and operations interviewers on our platform, successful candidates we've worked with, reports from Google candidates on Glassdoor and Blind, from a Google BizOps specialist, as well as information from official Google sources, in order to put together this guide.
In this guide, we'll cover everything you need to know to prepare for your Google strategy and operations interviews.
Click here to practice with 1-to-1 with Google ex-interviewers
1. Google Strategy and Operations Role and Salary ↑
Before we cover your Google strategy and operations interviews, let’s first look at the role itself.
Google strategy and operations roles are diverse, covering many different specific functions and areas, such as:
- Analytical Lead for Go-to-Market (GTM) Business Strategy Operations
- Product Activation Lead, GTM, YouTube
- Product Activation Manager, Trust and Safety, YouTube
- Incentives Strategy Manager, YouTube GTM Solutions
- GTM Strategy Lead, Google Cloud
- Business Partner, Extended Workforce Solutions Partner Engagement
1.1 What do Strategy and Operations do at Google?
According to Google, strategy and operations people “make insightful recommendations and implement strategies that address complex business issues and achieve company goals.”
Strategy and operations teams work very closely with business teams at Google; in fact, one of the main strategy and operations roles is called 'business operations and strategy' or 'BizOps'.
Google business operations and strategy teams play a significant role in defining and driving strategic, operational, and operational improvements at Google. There are other strategy teams at Google, but BizOps has the broadest scope.
Gregor Fitzpatrick, who wrote about his journey to becoming an Associate for Business and Operations at Google, says, “Think of the team as an internal SWAT team that parachutes in to help solve some of the most pressing and key projects that the business faces, both by coming up with the strategic solution and helping make sure that it’s implemented correctly.”
BizOps teams help Google see the forest from the trees. They cross the divide between product, engineering, marketing, and other departments to help companies operate more efficiently. So, they see the bigger picture.
Fitzpatrick explains, “While there are other strategy teams at Google, it’s the BizOp team that’s called on when the problem spans multiple business units and needs a higher-level lens to come up with a solution.”
BizOps roles are often a solid starting point for any career direction within the company or related industries. Fitzaptrick says that the nature of the BizOps projects requires working with senior leaders at Google, who frequently “internally poach” BizOps talent for their own teams and accelerate their career development.
What skills are required to be in Strategy and Operations at Google?
An analysis of current Google Careers posts for strategy and operations roles shows that the common minimum requirements are:
- Bachelor’s degree or equivalent practical experience (although an MBA is preferred in some roles)
- Four to six years of experience in business/corporate strategy, sales operations, project management, management consulting, investment banking, venture capital, private equity, and corporate advisory
Google looks for critical thinking skills with attention to detail, investigative and structured problem-solving and decision-making skills, and strong communication and collaborative skills developed from a variety of projects and working with cross-functional teams
1.2 How much does Strategy and Operations pay at Google?
Since there are several specific strategy and operations roles at Google, we’ll focus only on the Business Operations role, which has the most data available, to give you a sense of how much Google pays for strategy and operations roles.
Based on Levelsfyi data, Business Operations compensation at Google in the United States ranges from $204.1K per year for L4 to $612.5K per year for L7. The median compensation in a United States package totals $241K. Google’s compensation packages typically involve base salary, stock, and bonuses.
Here is the breakdown of Google’s compensation packages for different Business Operations levels.
If you’re unsure what level you’re being considered for, ask your recruiter. Location and years of experience will also influence differences in salary.
Ultimately, how you do in your interviews will help determine what you’ll be offered. That’s why hiring one of our ex-Google interview coaches can provide such a significant return on investment.
And remember, compensation packages are always negotiable, even at Google. So if you do get an offer, don’t be afraid to ask for more. Use this Google offer negotiation guide to help you. If you want to receive practical advice and ask more questions on how to actually negotiate, consider booking one of our salary negotiation coaches to get expert advice.
2. Interview Process and Timeline ↑
In this section, we'll walk you through a high-level overview of the typical stages you'll face during Google's interview process for the strategy and operations role. Once you have an idea of the sequence (and number) of interviews you'll face, then we'll dig into the typical interview format.
Let's get started!
2.1 Interview process and timeline
What's the Google strategy and operations interview process and timeline? The process typically has seven steps outlined below and takes four to eight weeks to complete. Note that the process at Google Cloud Platform follows a similar process.
Now, let's spend some time digging deeper into the interview process
2.2 What interviews to expect?
First, it's important that you understand the different stages of your strategy and operations interview process with Google. In most cases, here are the steps you'll go through:
- Resume screening
- Phone screen with recruiter: one interview
- Phone screen with hiring manager or a BizOps manager: one to two interviews
- Onsite: four to six interviews
In all the interviews, Google is mainly looking for four key attributes: general cognitive ability (GCA), leadership, role-related knowledge, and Googleyness.
To assess GCA, expect a mix of behavioral and hypothetical questions from Google all throughout the interviews. For assessment of all the other attributes, they are discussed in detail as question categories and examples in Section 3.
Resume Screening
First, recruiters will look at your resume and assess if your experience matches the open position. This is the most competitive step in the process—we’ve found that ~90% of candidates don’t make it past this stage. So, to get an interview, you'll need your resume to really stand out.
Use our free comprehensive guide on how to write a resume for Google (with six examples from successful Google candidates).
To go one step further and really increase your chances, get expert feedback on your resume. Click here for a resume review with a Google ex-interviewer or recruiter. They will cover what achievements to focus on (or ignore), how to fine-tune your bullet points, and more.
Phone Screens
Next, the phone screens last about 30 minutes and are typically carried out first by a recruiter and then by a hiring or BizOps manager.
This call aims to check that you meet the basic requirements for the position and stand a chance of getting hired.
Generally, recruiters tend to ask more behavioral, Googleyness, and leadership questions, while managers tend to jump straight into business cases and role-related knowledge questions (more on these in Section 3).
If Google is really excited about your profile, they might send you to onsite straight away and skip this screening step.
Onsite Interviews
Onsite interviews are the real test. You'll typically spend a full day at a Google office and do two interviews in the morning, lunch with a BizOps person, and do three interviews in the afternoon. Each interview will last 30 to 45 minutes.
Most of the interviewers you meet will be BizOps team members, but occasionally you might also interview with an engineer who will assess your technical skills and ability to communicate with developers.
You may also complete the onsite interviews virtually, via Google Hangouts. In this case, you would follow the same process, omitting the lunch meeting.
The interviews are very structured. Each of your interviewers will evaluate you on four main attributes: general cognitive ability, leadership, role-related knowledge, and Googleyness.
They will take copious notes and then file a detailed report. The lunch interview is meant to be your time to ask your questions. Google won't be evaluating you during this time, but we recommend that you behave as if they were.
2.3 What happens behind the scenes?
If things go well at your onsite interviews, here is what the final steps of the process look like:
- Interviewers submit feedback
- Hiring committee recommendation
- Senior leader review
- Compensation committee recommendation
- Final executive review
- You get an offer
After your onsite, your interviewers will all submit their feedback and grade your answers to their questions.
This feedback is then reviewed by a hiring committee, along with your resume, internal referrals, and any past work you have submitted. At this stage, the hiring committee makes a recommendation on whether Google should hire you or not.
That recommendation is reviewed and validated by a senior manager before your candidate packet is sent to a compensation committee, which will decide how much money you are offered.
Finally, a senior Google executive reviews a summary of your candidacy and compensation before the offer is sent to you.
As you've probably gathered by now, Google goes to great lengths to avoid hiring the wrong candidates. This hiring process with multiple levels of validation helps them scale their teams while maintaining a high caliber of employees. But it also means that the typical process lasts four to eight weeks and sometimes much more.
3. Example Google Strategy and Operations Interview Questions ↑
We've previously analyzed the questions asked in Google's strategy and operations interviews using data from Glassdoor, as well as compared them with Google’s interview prep guide for business interviews.
We've organized these questions into three buckets. You'll find an overview of these three question types below:
3.1 Googleyness and Leadership ↑
As in most interview processes, you'll also need to answer behavioral interview questions that focus on Googleyness and leadership.
“Googleyness” is a shorthand way of talking about the attitudes and character traits that Google wants its employees to have.
According to Google, Googleyness is:
- Being comfortable with ambiguity
- Being humble and valuing feedback
- Having a bias for action
- Doing the right thing
- Taking ownership
- Having high standards and dreaming big
- Thinking freely
- Enjoying fun
Christian, a former Google Manager and interviewer, explains that Google wants to make sure that the company is the right environment for you, as it also assesses your fitness for Google's culture. "These questions often focus on how you would react to certain situations based on your values and attitudes," says Christian.
To demonstrate Googleyness in your answers, tell stories about how you:
- Are comfortable with ambiguity
- Show humility and value feedback
- Have a bias for action
- Do the right thing
- Take ownership
- Have high standards and dream big
- Think freely
- Enjoy having fun
Practice using the questions below.
Example Googleyness and leadership interview questions at Google
- Tell me about yourself.
- Why Google?
- Why this BizOps position?
- Tell me about a challenge or conflict you faced at your past/current job. How did you handle it?
- Tell me about a time you had to change
- Tell me about a time when you had to come up with a creative solution to solve a problem.
- Tell me about a time you created something from nothing
- Tell me about your biggest achievements in your past work
- Tell me about the last time you failed and what happened.
- Tell me about your favorite Google product
- Why this position?
- Why are you leaving your former position?
- What are your strengths and weaknesses?
- What makes a good [job title]? What makes a bad [job title]?
- When did you have a conflicting personal situation, and how did you handle it?
For more information, check out our articles on Googleyness and leadership interview questions, how to answer Google behavioral interview questions using the SPSIL method, and the "Why Google?" question.
3.2 Business case questions ↑
Business case interviews consist of candidates being assigned test cases. These cases are designed to mimic the kinds of scenarios you will work with on a daily basis in strategy and operations roles, and they are often pulled directly from real-life experiences.
The case typically consists of a single problem or situation faced by Google, with its own set of desired outcomes, opportunities, obstacles, and risks. Candidates are given a set of data and a certain amount of time to analyze the case, to design a solution, and to deliver a presentation on that solution.
Valentina, who has worked at Google as an International Growth Strategist among several other roles, advises using quick, live "backpocket" calculations.
She says, “In business case interviews, quick calculations can set you apart. For example, if presented with a datatable on potential markets, estimate the Total Addressable Market (TAM) using clear assumptions like a 50% smartphone penetration rate and $10/month ARPU, showing Market X could represent $600 million annually. Walking your interviewer through each step demonstrates both analytical agility and clear thinking—essential for Strategy and Ops roles.”
There are three key things to remember when answering business case interview questions:
- You should be structured and use frameworks, but not overly structured.
- You must be comfortable with mental math.
- You need to practice for case interviews in advance.
Valentina adds, “Avoid the common pitfall of focusing on analysis without making a recommendation. Even with incomplete data, synthesize your findings and propose a clear direction. For instance, 'Based on current data, I recommend Market X due to its growth potential, pending validation of supply chain feasibility.' A decisive conclusion shows you’re ready to drive impact.”
To learn more, check out this guide on the top seven case interview frameworks (and how to create your own), as well as this guide on case interview math.These guides were written for consulting interview candidates but still have useful information for strategy and operations candidates.
Even though several candidates mentioned case interviews at Glassdoor and Blind, we only found these two actual questions on market sizing below. They reported, though, that case interviews focused on problem-solving and analytical thinking.
Example business case interview questions at Google
- What is the size of the app promo market in SEA?
- How would you size the market for YouTube?
To learn how to answer market sizing questions, check out our market sizing interview guide.
Click here to practice case interviews one-on-one with ex-interviewers.
3.3 Role-related Knowledge (RRK) questions ↑
Google RRK interviews typically last 45-60 minutes and are run by a hiring manager, a senior employee, or the manager of the team you’re applying to join.
Here is how Google describes the RRK interview: “We’re interested in how your individual strengths combine with your experience to drive impact. We don’t just look for how you can contribute today, but how you can grow into different roles—including ones that haven’t even been invented yet.”
Here are some important points to take away from this definition:
- Highlight your individual strengths: Be ready to show off what unique capabilities you have that make you the perfect fit for the job and team that you’re applying for.
- Explain your past experience to drive impact: Use examples from your past experience that show what impact you’ve had in previous roles, and dive deep when solving problems given to you by the interviewer.
- Prove that you can grow into different roles: While you should tailor your answers as close to the role as possible, don’t forget to show some creativity and flexibility in your answers, which will allow you to adapt to evolving positions.
Valentina shares, “Google values structure over perfect answers. Clearly define the problem, prioritize stakeholders, and outline trade-offs in your solution. Demonstrating logical, data-driven thinking—rather than aiming for an ideal result—shows you’re ready to tackle ambiguity in the role.”
Let’s look into some examples of these types of questions based on interview reports by real Google candidates. They are about product improvement and product strategy, as well as go-to-market (GTM) strategy and technical questions.
Example role-related knowledge (RRK) questions at Google
- When did you launch a product, and how did it go?
- Which Google product would you improve and how? Explain how you would go about implementing this improvement change.
- What is the next big thing for Google in the region? How do you know?
- Are you familiar with the concept of Value Proposition Design and how it can be used to improve a company’s strategic position?
- What wireless speed is faster, 802.11a or 802.11n? Explain.
Learn more from these guides on answering product improvement and product strategy questions, and watch this video on Google’s product strategy interview.
For answering technical questions, check out this section of an article for product managers, which can also be used as a guide for technical strategy and operations interviews.
4. Preparation tips ↑
Now that you know what questions to expect, let's focus on preparation.
Below, you’ll find links to free resources and four introductory steps to help you prepare for your Google strategy and operations interviews.
4.1 Deep dive into the product / organization
As you've probably figured out from the example questions listed above, it's important to be familiar with Google's products and its organization. You'll therefore need to do some homework before your interviews.
Here are some resources to help you get started:
- Alphabet annual reports and strategy presentations (by Alphabet)
- Google strategy teardown (by CB Insights)
- Google organizational culture and traits (by Panmore Institute)
- Life at Google (Inside Google blog)
4.2 Learn a consistent method for answering strategy and operations interview questions
As mentioned previously, Google will ask you questions that fall into certain categories, such as Googleyness and leadership, business case, and role-related knowledge/RRK questions.
Approaching each question with a predefined method will enable you to build strong interview habits. Then, when it comes time for your interviews, these habits will reduce your stress and help you to make a great impression.
If you’re just looking for a jumping-off point, you can start learning about the different question types you’ll need to master in the following blog articles:
- Google behavioral interview questions
- Googleyness and leadership interview questions
- Market sizing: the ultimate guide
- Top 7 case interview frameworks
- Case interview maths
- Google RRK interviews
Once you’re in command of the subject matter, you’ll want to practice answering questions. But by yourself, you can’t simulate thinking on your feet or the pressure of performing in front of a stranger. Plus, there are no unexpected follow-up questions and no feedback.
That’s why many candidates try to practice with friends or peers.
4.3 Practice with peers
If you have friends or peers who can do mock interviews with you, that's an option worth trying. It’s free, but be warned, you may come up against the following problems:
- It’s hard to know if the feedback you get is accurate
- They’re unlikely to have insider knowledge of interviews at your target company
- On peer platforms, people often waste your time by not showing up
For those reasons, many candidates skip peer mock interviews and go straight to mock interviews with an expert.
4.4 Practice with experienced interviewers
In our experience, practicing real interviews with experts who can give you company-specific feedback makes a huge difference.
Find a Google strategy and operations interview coach so you can:
- Test yourself under real interview conditions
- Get accurate feedback from a real expert
- Build your confidence
- Get company-specific insights
- Learn how to tell the right stories, better.
- Save time by focusing your preparation
Valentina shares, “Mock interviews with experienced coaches build confidence and executive presence. A trained leadership coach, for example, can help refine your communication style, uncover blind spots, and prepare you to step into the role with clarity and impact.”
Landing a job at a big tech company often results in a $50,000 per year or more increase in total compensation. In our experience, three or four coaching sessions worth ~$500 make a significant difference in your ability to land the job. That’s an ROI of 100x!
Click here to book strategy and operations mock interviews with experienced interviewers.
