There is some flexibility, but they are strict. Strict in weird ways. I'm actually a former Googler who can't get back in because my GPA. Go figure! :-/
This makes no sense. Surely Google believes GPA is a good predictor of performance, but isn't on the job performance the ultimate measurement? How long did you work there?
Really boggles my mind, but I think it has to do with how the recruiters get rated. I imagine the lower the percentage of successful applicants, the lower their performance.