7/25/2019 The Skills It Takes to Get Hired at Google, Facebook, Amazon,

1/4

4 M I N U TE R E A D L E AD E RS H IP

The Skills It Takes To Get Hired AtGoogle, Facebook, Amazon, And More

[Photos: Flickr userAnthony QuintanoAnthony QuintanoAnthony QuintanoAnthony QuintanoAnthony QuintanoAnthony QuintanoAnthony Quintano,Wikimedia CommonsWikimedia CommonsWikimedia CommonsWikimedia CommonsWikimedia CommonsWikimedia CommonsWikimedia Commons, Eric Broder Van Dyke viaShutterstockShutterstockShutterstockShutterstockShutterstockShutterstockShutterstock]

L Y D I A D I S H M A N 0 6 . 2 4 . 1 6 5 : 5 5 A M

LinkedIn dove deep into its user data and produced a list offor attracting and keeping talented employees.

Only three companies in the top 20 (Coca Cola, Under Armor, and Black Rock)

were not in the tech industry. These days though, plenty of businesses consider

themselves a part of that sector. Take the CEO of Goldman Sachs, who

. Furthermore, coding has become the

across industries.

As the LinkedIn report notes, with every company going through a tech-driven

transformation, "being a talent magnet is going to be what separates the

winners from the also-rans."

Google cinched the top spot among the 40 top attractors. In addition to perks like

free meals and massages along with a culture that supports diversity and the

, Google has no trouble drawing candidates. One

former that he reviewed 3 million resumes in one

year.

But what does it really take to get a job at the top organizations?

Tech knowledge, is of course, a requirement. However, Chris Bolte, the

cofounder and CEO of Paysa, a big-data platform providing market insight about

the top 40 U.S.the top 40 U.S.the top 40 U.S.the top 40 U.S.the top 40 U.S.the top 40 U.S.the top 40 U.S.companiescompaniescompaniescompaniescompaniescompaniescompanies

refers torefers torefers torefers torefers torefers torefers to

the financial firm as a tech companythe financial firm as a tech companythe financial firm as a tech companythe financial firm as a tech companythe financial firm as a tech companythe financial firm as a tech companythe financial firm as a tech company mostmostmostmostmostmostmost

important job skillimportant job skillimportant job skillimportant job skillimportant job skillimportant job skillimportant job skill

Photo: courtesy of Google

creation of the "perfect" teamcreation of the "perfect" teamcreation of the "perfect" teamcreation of the "perfect" teamcreation of the "perfect" teamcreation of the "perfect" teamcreation of the "perfect" team

Google recruiter estimatedGoogle recruiter estimatedGoogle recruiter estimatedGoogle recruiter estimatedGoogle recruiter estimatedGoogle recruiter estimatedGoogle recruiter estimated

M U S T R E A D S

After Brexit, London Mayor SadiqAfter Brexit, London Mayor SadiqAfter Brexit, London Mayor SadiqAfter Brexit, London Mayor SadiqAfter Brexit, London Mayor SadiqAfter Brexit, London Mayor SadiqAfter Brexit, London Mayor Sadiq

Khan Tells Immigrants: You AreKhan Tells Immigrants: You AreKhan Tells Immigrants: You AreKhan Tells Immigrants: You AreKhan Tells Immigrants: You AreKhan Tells Immigrants: You AreKhan Tells Immigrants: You Are

Very Welcome HereVery Welcome HereVery Welcome HereVery Welcome HereVery Welcome HereVery Welcome HereVery Welcome Here

The OnePlus 3 Is A Shot AcrossThe OnePlus 3 Is A Shot AcrossThe OnePlus 3 Is A Shot AcrossThe OnePlus 3 Is A Shot AcrossThe OnePlus 3 Is A Shot AcrossThe OnePlus 3 Is A Shot AcrossThe OnePlus 3 Is A Shot Across

The Bow Of Expensive PremiumThe Bow Of Expensive PremiumThe Bow Of Expensive PremiumThe Bow Of Expensive PremiumThe Bow Of Expensive PremiumThe Bow Of Expensive PremiumThe Bow Of Expensive Premium

PhonesPhonesPhonesPhonesPhonesPhonesPhones

Britons Are Googling What Is TheBritons Are Googling What Is TheBritons Are Googling What Is TheBritons Are Googling What Is TheBritons Are Googling What Is TheBritons Are Googling What Is TheBritons Are Googling What Is The

EU? After Voting To Leave ItEU? After Voting To Leave ItEU? After Voting To Leave ItEU? After Voting To Leave ItEU? After Voting To Leave ItEU? After Voting To Leave ItEU? After Voting To Leave It

LinkedIn compiled a list of the most sought-after companies. Here is what it takes toland a job at some of them.

L E A D E R S HI P : T H E S K I L L S I T T A K E S T O G E T H I R E D A T G O O G L E , F A C E B O O K , A M A Z O N , A N D M O R EE N U S U B S C R I B E

http://www.fastcompany.com/3061291/britons-are-googling-what-is-the-eu-after-voting-to-leave-ithttp://www.fastcompany.com/3061214/the-oneplus-3-is-a-shot-across-the-bow-of-expensive-premium-phoneshttp://www.fastcompany.com/3061289/after-brexit-london-mayor-sadiq-khan-tells-immigrants-you-are-very-welcome-herehttp://www.fastcompany.com/3052371/hit-the-ground-running/a-former-google-recruiter-reveals-the-biggest-resume-mistakeshttp://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/28/magazine/what-google-learned-from-its-quest-to-build-the-perfect-team.htmlhttp://www.fastcompany.com/3060883/the-future-of-work/why-coding-is-the-job-skill-of-the-future-for-everyonehttps://www.linkedin.com/pulse/behind-top-attractors-how-we-discovered-worlds-best-hirers-rothhttps://news.fastcompany.com/why-everyone-wants-to-work-at-google%E2%80%944011088http://www.fastcompany.com/user/lydia-dishmanmailto:?body=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fastcompany.com%2F3061237%2Fthe-skills-it-takes-to-get-hired-at-google-facebook-amazon-and-more&subject=The%20Skills%20It%20Takes%20To%20Get%20Hired%20At%20Google%2C%20Facebook%2C%20Amazon%2C%20And%20Morehttp://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fastcompany.com%2F3061237%2Fthe-skills-it-takes-to-get-hired-at-google-facebook-amazon-and-more&media=The%20Skills%20It%20Takes%20To%20Get%20Hired%20At%20Google%2C%20Facebook%2C%20Amazon%2C%20And%20Morehttp://twitter.com/share?url=%2F&text=Which%20skills%20do%20employees%20of%20Google%2C%20Facebook%2C%20and%20Amazon%20have%3F%20http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fastcompany.com%2F3061237%2Fhow-to-get-a-job-at-one-of-linkedins-top-attractor-companies%20by%20%40lydiabreakfast%20via%20%40FastCompanyhttp://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fastcompany.com%2F3061237%2Fthe-skills-it-takes-to-get-hired-at-google-facebook-amazon-and-more&app_id=178479832213933&display=popuphttp://www.shutterstock.com/pic-372192124/stock-photo-san-francisco-october-amazon-logo-on-black-shiny-wall-in-mall-california-october.html?src=hI7-V9SW9RKWESSZ3sBrhg-1-6https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3AFacebook_Headquarters_Entrance_Sign_Menlo_Park.jpghttps://www.flickr.com/photos/quintanomedia/13607388294http://www.fastcompany.com/leadershiphttps://magazine.fastcompany.com/loc/FST/navchargerhttp://www.fastcompany.com/leadership?utm_source=newnavbar&utm_medium=web&utm_campaign=leadershiphttp://www.fastcompany.com/

7/25/2019 The Skills It Takes to Get Hired at Google, Facebook, Amazon,

2/4

compensation and retention, says hes seeing another trend that is clinching

jobs for those without a traditional computer science degree.

"The most explosive growth we're seeing is the emergence of deep learning,"

says Bolte. He explains, "Its a branch of machine learning and artificial

intelligence leveraging what are called ."

At its simplest, the neural network functions like a web of interconnected brain

cells inside a computer that can parse signals from images or video, for

example. It can learn to recognize patterns and make decisions in a human way.

Bolte explains that deep learning extends a number of layers "deeper" than

what was previously computationally feasible. He says given the amount of data

Internet giants create, coupled with the advancement of computing, these deep

learning methods are able to model signals more completely.

Artificial intelligence and machine learning as broader skills offer opportunity

to a variety of tech talent. In a recent interview with Fast Company, senior

machine learning recruiter at revealed: "Not everyone

has to have that PhD in computer science. We have folks that have more physics

backgrounds or biomathematics or permutational biology. [Machine learning]

doesn't necessarily have to have that standard comp-sci path."

shows that programming is still in high demand. At Google, for

example, nearly half (45%) of its 60,000 employees know Java, and 42% knowPython. Only 13% are knowledgeable in Git (open source software

development), and 14% have skills in cloud computing. The majority (83%) of

employees at Google have a bachelors degree, but only 7% come from Stanford.

Other schools include Colorado School of Mines, Carnegie Mellon, and University

College Dublin.

The No. 2 company on the list, Salesforce, has 20,000 people on staff, but their

top skills are somewhat different than those at Google. As many as 46% know

cloud computing and 39% are versed in agile methodologies (project

management for software development). Eighty percent hold bachelors degrees

and draw from schools such as University of California Berkeley, Southeast

University, Arizona State, and University of Illinois at Urbana.

At Facebook, programming languages are in demand. Paysa data indicates that46% of Facebook employees know Java and 44% know Python. Other top skills

include C++, distributed systems, algorithms, and machine learning. Similar to

the other two companies, most employees (84%) have a four-year degree, but

42% of Facebookers hold master's degrees, too. This lends credence to

that more employers are looking to hire candidates with advanced

degrees.

neural networksneural networksneural networksneural networksneural networksneural networksneural networks

Microsoft Amanda PappMicrosoft Amanda PappMicrosoft Amanda PappMicrosoft Amanda PappMicrosoft Amanda PappMicrosoft Amanda PappMicrosoft Amanda Papp

Paysas dataPaysas dataPaysas dataPaysas dataPaysas dataPaysas dataPaysas data

Photo: courtesy of Facebook

recentrecentrecentrecentrecentrecentrecent

researchresearchresearchresearchresearchresearchresearch

http://www.fastcompany.com/3057941/the-future-of-work/how-the-masters-degree-became-the-new-bachelors-in-the-hiring-worldhttps://www.paysa.com/salaries/googlehttps://news.fastcompany.com/machine-learning-could-create-more-tech-opportunities-for-women-4011367https://deepmind.com/

7/25/2019 The Skills It Takes to Get Hired at Google, Facebook, Amazon,

3/4

However, Apple isnt pushing for higher education among all of its workforce.

Only 71% of its 100,000 employees earned bachelors degrees, and 28% report

not having a degree at all. This is due, in part, to the fact that not every employee

is working on development in its Cupertino headquarters. This can also be seen

in the most prevalent skill among Apples ranks, software development (28%),

with Java coming in second at 27%.

Rounding out the LinkedIn top five is Amazon. The e-commerce juggernaut

draws many of its staffers from nearby University of Washington in Seattle, and

83% of its employees hold bachelors degrees. More than half (57%) know Java,

and 45% are skilled in software development. Surprisingly for the company that

powers so many websites with AWS, less than a quarter (21%) are

knowledgeable in web services.

Despite the focus on technical prowess, those in charge of hiring at both

Facebook and Google are looking for more than just hard skills.

In a , Laszlo Bock, Google's head of people operations, told

Fast Companythat Alphabet is looking for some very specific traits.

This is particularly important for candidates new to the job market. Hiring

managers are looking for applicants who have developed soft skills such as

communication, teamwork, and leadership, according to a .

As may as 60% of employers found critical thinking and problem solving lacking

in entry-level job seekers.

Dan Schawbel, research director at Future Workplace, a cosponsor of the

PayScale study, told Fast Companyin a , "No working day will

be complete without writing an email or tackling a new challenge, so the sooner

you develop these skills, the more employable you will become."

Photo: courtesy of Amazon

previous interviewprevious interviewprevious interviewprevious interviewprevious interviewprevious interviewprevious interview

Four things: General cognitive ability . . . Not just raw [intelligence] but the ability

to absorb information. Emergent leadership: The idea there being that when you

see a problem, you step in and try to address it. Then you step out when you're no

longer needed. That willingness to give up power is really important. Cultural fit:

We call it Googleyness, but it boils down to intellectual humility. You don't have to

be warm or fuzzy. You just have to be somebody who, when the facts show you're

wrong, can say that. Expertise in the job we're gonna hire you for.

survey by PayScalesurvey by PayScalesurvey by PayScalesurvey by PayScalesurvey by PayScalesurvey by PayScalesurvey by PayScale

previous interviewprevious interviewprevious interviewprevious interviewprevious interviewprevious interviewprevious interview

Y O U R @ E M A I L . C O M

NEWSLETTER

Get the latest Leadership stories delivered to your inbox daily.

S E N D

I'd also like to receive special Fast Company offers

http://www.fastcompany.com/3059940/the-future-of-work/these-are-the-biggest-skills-that-new-graduates-lackhttp://www.fastcompany.com/3059940/the-future-of-work/these-are-the-biggest-skills-that-new-graduates-lackhttp://www.fastcompany.com/3058065/the-future-of-work/tips-for-getting-a-job-at-facebook-google-snapchat-and-more

7/25/2019 The Skills It Takes to Get Hired at Google, Facebook, Amazon,

4/4

Advertise | Privacy Policy | Terms | About Us Fast Company & Inc 2016 Mansueto Ventures, LLC

http://www.aboutads.info/http://www.fastcompany.com/about-ushttp://www.fastcompany.com/terms-and-conditionshttp://www.fastcompany.com/privacy-policyhttp://mediakit.fastcompany.com/mailto:?body=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fastcompany.com%2F3061237%2Fthe-skills-it-takes-to-get-hired-at-google-facebook-amazon-and-more&subject=The%20Skills%20It%20Takes%20To%20Get%20Hired%20At%20Google%2C%20Facebook%2C%20Amazon%2C%20And%20Morehttp://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fastcompany.com%2F3061237%2Fthe-skills-it-takes-to-get-hired-at-google-facebook-amazon-and-more&media=The%20Skills%20It%20Takes%20To%20Get%20Hired%20At%20Google%2C%20Facebook%2C%20Amazon%2C%20And%20Morehttp://twitter.com/share?url=%2F&text=Which%20skills%20do%20employees%20of%20Google%2C%20Facebook%2C%20and%20Amazon%20have%3F%20http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fastcompany.com%2F3061237%2Fhow-to-get-a-job-at-one-of-linkedins-top-attractor-companies%20by%20%40lydiabreakfast%20via%20%40FastCompanyhttp://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fastcompany.com%2F3061237%2Fthe-skills-it-takes-to-get-hired-at-google-facebook-amazon-and-more&app_id=178479832213933&display=popup