For those who think that there is a skills shortage, let me tell you about my Google job interview

[CreekDog]

126. These big tech companies are very American companies, at least the Bay Area ones

I've known (or know) plenty of people in the tech industry.

These companies, Google included, are part of the Bay Area culture --annoyingly competitive, even being mellow is kind of an annoying competition...but I digress...

Anyway, the thing about Google or Apple or any of the biggies, people want to work at those places not merely because of the names but because the reputation is that they are awesome places to work (hard work, to be sure, but rewarding and with opportunity).

What the OP is describing probably does exist, at other companies nobody has heard of. There are tech firms, small ones that hire visiting workers to do all kinds of short term programming projects for big companies --but they are subcontracted. These are not the people Google is interviewing for.

But the company that has subcontracted to a small firm to program one of its manufacturing operations, yes that's where this story would not surprise me.

But Google, no. Google is here they want a certain mind, they want the kind of minds that Apple is hiring in Cupertino. They aren't weeding out white people, or Americans, etc.

I don't buy it, not only that, I don't see it.