Is this common for higher level positions at Google? I've gotten a similar kind of phone screen, but for an entry level software engineer position, and getting a few "wrong" was not a big deal. It's just so they can avoid setting up a real interview with someone who doesn't know the basics.
If the call actually went like this, it seems like you just hit a new/not very good recruiter.
"Is this common for higher level positions at Google?"
No, and in fact, it's so far outside the norm i'm not even sure what to make of it.
Like I said elsewhere, my best guess is that he was really being evaluated for a much lower level TL/M position in SRE or somewhere.
(The detailed linux questions are usually a giveaway that SRE is involved)
> It's just so they can avoid setting up a real interview with someone who doesn't know the basics.
They're (allegedly) interviewing for a Director of Engineering. If google can't even google the guy and look at his track record, code, whatever, they don't deserve to have competent people working for them.
I know, that's why I would be surprised if this is standard practice for high level positions. But even if it is, this is unusually bad execution. My recruiter had at least surface level knowledge of the concepts and was able to ask follow-up questions if I got something half right, he wasn't just looking for verbatim responses.
If the call actually went like this, it seems like you just hit a new/not very good recruiter.