Is Google interview tough than Amazon?

The difficulty of interviews at Google and Amazon is often compared, and while both are known to be challenging, they focus on slightly different aspects. Here's a breakdown of how they differ and which might be perceived as tougher:

1. Focus of the Interview

• Google: Google's interview process is more focused on data structures, algorithms, and solving complex coding problems. They place heavy emphasis on algorithmic efficiency, and candidates are often expected to write code that is optimal in both time and space complexity. Google interviews also involve system design for more senior roles, but coding questions are the core focus, even for experienced candidates.

• Amazon: While Amazon also tests for technical abilities through coding challenges, a significant portion of the interview process is devoted to behavioral questions based on Amazon’s Leadership Principles. Amazon emphasizes cultural fit as much as technical skills. For senior roles, system design is highly important at Amazon.

2. Behavioral Interviews

• Amazon: Amazon places a strong focus on behavioral questions, where candidates are asked to demonstrate how they've embodied Amazon's Leadership Principles in past experiences. These questions are key to Amazon’s hiring process.

• Google: Google’s behavioral interviews are present, but they tend to be less focused on structured leadership principles like Amazon’s. Instead, Google emphasizes problem-solving and innovation.

3. System Design

• Google: For senior positions, Google places a high emphasis on system design interviews, where you need to demonstrate your ability to architect large-scale distributed systems. These interviews are highly technical and require a deep understanding of scalability, fault tolerance, and efficiency.

• Amazon: Amazon’s system design interviews are also challenging, especially for senior roles, but they place more focus on practical, real-world applications and trade-offs that align with Amazon’s scale and priorities.

4. Candidate Feedback

• Google: Many candidates report that Google’s coding interviews can feel more academic, as they sometimes require knowledge of advanced algorithms (e.g., dynamic programming, graph theory). The complexity of coding questions is often seen as higher.

• Amazon: Amazon’s interviews are often considered more balanced between technical skills and soft skills. While the technical portion can be difficult, it is typically considered less algorithmically complex than Google's.

5. Overall Comparison

• Google interviews are generally considered more difficult from a purely technical perspective due to the heavy emphasis on algorithmic challenges and the expectation of writing highly optimized solutions.
• Amazon interviews can be challenging due to the balance between technical and behavioral questions. Amazon is known for its rigorous testing of alignment with its company culture and leadership principles.

Conclusion:

• Google tends to have more difficult coding challenges, particularly for candidates who are not as experienced with algorithms and data structures.
• Amazon can be equally tough but is more focused on a holistic view of both technical abilities and how candidates fit within their leadership-driven culture.

Ultimately, which interview is tougher depends on the candidate’s strengths. Strong coders might find Amazon's Leadership Principles emphasis more challenging, while those less comfortable with complex algorithms might find Google interviews harder.