> In my opinion, they have rejected some of the greatest students I have ever taught, and accepted some idiots who know how to speak well.

This has been a source of angst for friends of mine at google for over 15 years, which is almost 3/4 of google’s existence. The hiring process is just random.

Part of it is due to measures put in to avoid certain unconscious biases (hire your friends, regardless of how good they are; hire only people like yourself, etc). So I have some sympathy.

But only some.