That's interesting. When did you join, and where? There was no such option in 2011; you just ended up wherever you ended up, and were expected to make the best of it.
For example, if you didn't go to a top tier school you could be hired on only to find out that a single team wants you. It's in bumfuck nowhere 2000 miles away and its primary purpose is to program the road sign outside google HQ.
It could lead to very different googles for different people, and makes me wonder if applying to work there would really be worthwhile for someone like me.