This Google exec is hiring for a new engineering team. She evaluates creativity in 2 ways during interviews.
Business Insider
February 26, 2026
AI-Generated Deep Dive Summary
Google executive Yasmeen Ahmad is revolutionizing her hiring approach by prioritizing creativity and fresh ideas over traditional technical skills alone. As director of Google Cloud's data cloud, she emphasizes recruiting engineers who can reimagine industries using AI and think beyond conventional problem-solving frameworks. Ahmad has identified two key methods to evaluate creativity during interviews: constant experimentation and scenario testing.
Ahmad looks for candidates who are "early adopters" and naturally experiment with new tools to improve their work. These individuals aren't driven by external pressures but instead demonstrate a genuine curiosity and initiative in exploring innovative solutions. She values this mindset over traditional approaches, which have become less effective in her forward-deployed engineering team's context.
The second aspect of her evaluation involves scenario testing, where candidates are asked to address complex challenges in unfamiliar industries using AI. For example, in healthcare, Ahmad seeks solutions that go beyond simplistic AI-driven fixes. Instead of assuming the model can inherently understand clinical contexts, she looks for candidates who build robust frameworks to ensure accuracy and prevent failures. This approach tests their ability to foresee potential issues and design multi-step processes with continuous evaluation loops.
Ahmad's focus on creativity reflects the evolving role of engineers in an AI-driven world. Rather than just writing code, they must orchestrate systems and anticipate failures. This shift underscores the growing importance of hiring individuals who can innovate and adapt to rapidly changing technologies. For businesses, this means building teams that can drive transformative progress by reimagining traditional processes through creative, forward-thinking problem-solving.
In an era where AI is reshaping industries, Ahmad's approach highlights the need for engineers who are not only technically skilled but also visionary and adaptable. By prioritizing creativity and innovation in hiring, Google Cloud aims to foster a culture of continuous improvement and industry transformation, positioning it at the forefront of technological advancements.
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Originally published on Business Insider on 2/26/2026