A Google Cloud exec shares the two ways she evaluates creativity in job interviews

"The strongest candidates are "able to think outside the box," Ahmad, director of Google Cloud's data cloud, said. "They're able to think outside the frame of how we would have normally described a problem." The executive added that candidates who take a traditional approach to engineering aren't performing as well in her team's interviews."

"When you're interviewing them, they're naturally immediately talking about, 'oh, last week I had tried AI in this context, and this is how it made me better at doing my job in this way,' Ahmad said. These candidates aren't trying new tools because their boss told them to or because it's the new cool thing to try. They're the early adopters."

Google Cloud's director Yasmeen Ahmad is shifting hiring priorities away from traditional coding tests toward candidates with creative problem-solving abilities. She seeks engineers who can think outside conventional frameworks and use AI to reimagine industry processes. Ahmad identifies ideal candidates through two key indicators: those who constantly experiment with new tools and early adopters who independently explore AI applications. These candidates naturally discuss recent experiences using AI to improve their work, driven by genuine curiosity rather than external pressure. This approach reflects a broader industry trend where side projects and demonstrated innovation increasingly matter in technical hiring decisions.

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