The Amazon leadership interview is a longer then normal process, often consisting of several interviews with different members of the Amazon team. Including a hiring manager, a bar-raiser interviewer, and (job role) specialist.
This article will explain how to prepare and pass an Amazon leadership job interview.
Amazon is a successful company as they recruit leaders who fit in with the company culture. The Amazon recruitment process uses questions based on the 16 leadership principles.
What you need to know to prepare for an Amazon LP Interview.
- You will attend multiple online interviews
- Each interviewer will ask leadership principle job interview questions
- Questions will be structured as ‘behavioral’ job interview questions
Behavioral Job Interview Questions.
Amazon preference the behavioral job interview question format, believing that past behaviors can help predict future performance.
This means that the Amazon interviewers will frame the questions on previous experiences:
- Tell me about a time you did…
- Give me an example of when you have…
- What past achievements did you….
- When was the last time you….
- Have you ever….
Amazon Interviewers.
Who will interview you?
On average, applicants will attend 4-6 rounds of interviews, with each round lasting around 60 minutes. This seems a lot compared to other organizations, who only have two rounds of interviews.
Why so many?
Amazon only want to recruit the most suitable applicants, to create the best team they can.
In fact, amazon are happy to decline applicants and wait until a more suitable applicant comes along – someone who meets the leadership principle criteria and some one who can raise the bar. This is because the leadership principles are about the company culture.
Depending on the job role, the recruitment process varies between different departments. In the main, the interviewers will include:
- Amazon Bar Raiser
- Sector Expert
- Hiring Manager
What is an Amazon Bar Riser?
The ‘bar raiser’ is an objective third party interviewer who looks at the candidates potential for long-term success.
Bar raiser are experienced interviewers, trained by Amazon to evaluate applicants against the leadership principles (but all Amazon interviewers will ask leadership principle interview questions).
Amazon want to recruit leaders who will make a difference, they want someone who can raise the bar. An applicant with a high level of knowledge and experience may not gain a job offer if they don’t come across as someone who can raise the bar.
Sector Expert Interviewer.
The bar raiser isn’t from the department the job role is in, as this gives the bar-raiser interviewer as different perspective to evaluate the applicant against the leadership principles.
For technical roles, such as engineers, a internal sector expert will ask more sector related interview questions embedded within the leadership principle interview questions.
The sector expert will be reviewing:
- Industry experience
- Sector knowledge
- Transferable skills and knowledge for the Amazon role
As an example IT managers maybe asked about coding, whereas a sales managers might be asked about building demand.
Hiring Manager Interview.
The hiring manager interview is often the first interview round applicants will go through.
The initial interview is to check suitability. The interview will last around 60 minutes and the hiring manager will check suitability against a number of Amazon job roles.
During the interview the hiring manager will check:
- Duration of industry experience.
- Knowledge of Amazon leadership principles
- Skills, knowledge, abilities and qualities.
The interview is often a conversation, an informal job interview, to get to know the applicant.
What is Amazon Chime?
One if the interview stages is a telephone interview.
As Amazon is a technology company, they have decide not to reply on interviewees using a mobile phone and instead (in most cases) will ask candidates to use Amazon Chime.
Amazon Chime is pretty easy to use. To set up the app follow these steps: Amazon Chime Set Up.
Interviewees need to be prepared for a virtual interview.
Amazon Leadership Principles
It is important to understand all 16 Amazon leadership principles (previously 14 leadership principles) as it these principles that the job interview questions are based on.
One thing Amazon insist on is data specific information. Stay way from generalizations and instead, give detail.
As an example, don’t say “we increased profit” and instead state the monetary value earned.
Stay away from lines like “I thought we did really well.” Amazon would prefer “The customer said X and increased their orders by 25% that year, which was £X turnover.”
Words like “good”, “beautiful” or “positive” are all personal opinions. What Amazon look for is specific data, real evidence, something that can be measured.
Customer Obsession
Amazon are all about the customers, and say “Leaders start with the customer and work backwards.” Interview questions will question if the applicant has what it takes to “Work vigorously to earn and keep customer trust.”
Example questions:
- Tell me about a time you couldn’t achieve the customer expectations?
- Give me an example of how you turned around a negative customer interaction?
- Explain a time when you have dealt with a difficult customer?
Ownership
Amazon say that “Leaders are owners.” This is because Amazon look long-term, and expect their leaders to “think long term and don’t sacrifice long-term value for short-term results.”
Amazon leaders act on behalf of Amazon, not just their own team. In this sense an Amazon leader would never say “that’s not my job.”
Example Questions
- Give me an example of when you have made a decision that had a negative short term outcome but led to a positive long term outcome?
- Have you ever took on additional work that wasn’t part of your everyday duties/responsibilities?
- Tell me about a time when you pushed a new initiative that was challenging?
Invent and Simplify
Amazon is an innovative company, starting as an online book store they now have a wide range of technologies, services and products. One thing Amazon do well is to simply things, often making it easier for their customers. As ideas are presented they are not always understood by stakeholders, Amazon says “As we do new things, we accept that we may be misunderstood for long periods of time.”
Amazon are externally focused and expect innovation and invention from their teams. With innovation Amazon aim to simplify.
Example questions
- Tell me about a detailed process or procedure that you were able to simplify?
- Give me an example of when you learnt something by making a mistake?
- Explain a time when you invented something complete unique?
Are Right, A Lot
Amazon believe that leaders have strong judgement. They believe in their own ideas, and use their instinct to make the correct decision. In short, Amazon says “Leaders are right a lot.”
Example questions
- Give me an example of when you have made decision, while under pressure, that went against the opinion of others, as you were relying on your own judgement and experiences?
- Tell me about a time someone challenged what you were doing and what your response was to the critique?
- Have you ever made a a bad decision?
Learn and Be Curious
Innovation comes from a team of life long learners. Amazon say “Leaders are never done learning and always seek to improve themselves.” Amazons products and ideas come from being curious about new possibilities.
Example questions
- Give me an example of creating change in an idea, process or product?
- Tell me about an experience you had that made you change they way you thought?
- Tell me about a time when you experience and knowledge helped to improve something?
Hire and Develop the Best
The Amazon recruitment process, outlined above, shows the value Amazon put on hiring the best “Leaders raise the performance bar with every hire and promotion.” As a leader, Amazon will expect you to be able to recognize exceptional talent.
Leaders are coaches and take developing their staff seriously. Therefore, hiring and coaching are an important leadership task.
Example questions
- How have you coached other people to be successful?
- How do you ensure you recruit exceptional people?
- What makes a good member of staff?
Insist on the Highest Standards
High standards equal high quality, high quality improves customer satisfaction. Everything Amazon undertakes is of high quality. In the recruitment process Amazon use ‘bar-risers’ not just a hiring manager. This is an example, of how Amazon push the quality in everything that they do.
Example questions
- Share an experience when another team member wasn’t pulling their weight?
- When have you personally raised the bar?
- Give an example of when you have improved something that you felt wasn’t up to your high standards?
Think Big
Amazon believe on what you focus on you get. If you think small, small things happen, but if you think big…
Amazon says “Leaders create and communicate a bold direction that inspires results.”
Example questions
- Give an example of going above the scope of a project?
- Have you ever been disappointed because you didn’t think ‘big’ enough?
- Tell about a time that you were able to put your big vision into practice?
Bias for Action
Amazon knows that “Speed matters in business.” Therefore Amazon “value calculated risk taking.” This is because they know that “Many decisions and actions are reversible and do not need extensive study.”
Example questions
- Give an example of taking a calculated risk?
- Tell about a risk you took that didn’t work the way you wanted it to?
- Have you ever took the initiative to take action rather then waiting for support or advice?
Frugality
When needed humans are resourceful. Amazon believe that you can “Accomplish more with less.” Amazon leaders are paid to get a job done “There are no extra points for growing headcount, budget size, or fixed expense.”
Example questions
- Have you ever turned down resources when working on a project as you knew you could rely on yourself or your team to complete the tasks?
- Tell me about a time you achieved a big out on a small budget?
- Give me an example of using your own resources to achieve an objective?
Earn Trust
Open and honest leaders earn trust. Being self-critical can be awkward, but it allows a leader to benchmark themselves against others. “Leaders listen attentively, speak candidly, and treat others respectfully.”
Example questions
- What quality do you lease values about yourself?
- Give an example of when you knew someone else was out-performing you?
- Have you ever seen a colleague act unethically?
Dive Deep
Leaders understand the nitty gritty of all jobs in their department and beyond and will step in when required. Amazon says “Leaders operate at all levels, stay connected to the details, audit frequently, and are skeptical when metrics and anecdote differ.”
Example questions
- Give an example of when having an in-depth knowledge of various job roles in an organisation helped to solve a problem?
- Tell me about a time when auditing data changed how you approached a situation?
- How do you use data in decision-making?
Have Backbone; Disagree and Commit
Leaders aren’t followers, Amazon says “Leaders are obligated to respectfully challenge decisions when they disagree, even when doing so is uncomfortable or exhausting.” Amazon look for leaders who have conviction, who don’t comprise to fit in and who “Once a decision is determined, they commit wholly.”
- Give an example of when you have refused to go with business-as-usual?
- Have you ever made a decision that was, initially, highly unpopular?
- Tell me about a time you have challenged someone in a senior position?
Deliver Results
A good leader can rise to the occasion, Amazon says “Leaders focus on the key inputs for their business and deliver them with the right quality and in a timely fashion.” Even though setbacks happen, leaders need to be able to deliver good results.
Example questions
- How have you previously have to prioritized workload when working on multiple projects – how did you do this?
- Give me an example of working on a project that had a big change half way through – how did you manage the change?
- Tell me about a time that you worked towards a goal that others wanted to give up on?
Strive to be Earth’s Best Employer
Amazon says “Leaders work every day to create a safer, more productive, higher performing, more diverse, and more just work environment. ” Good leaders are empathetic, can create an enjoyable working environment and are skilled at developing their staff to be successful.
Example questions
- Give an example of developing a team to become a high-performing team
- Tell me about a time you were able to motivate a team to believe in the company vision?
- How do you mange projects and staff development at the same time?
Success and Scale Bring Broad Responsibility
Amazon started in a garage selling books, now they are a global business. Amazon know that they impact the world, but that they are far from perfect “We must be humble and thoughtful about even the secondary effects of our actions. Our local communities, planet, and future generations need us to be better every day. We must begin each day with a determination to make better, do better, and be better for our customers, our employees, our partners, and the world at large. “
Amazon says “Leaders create more than they consume and always leave things better than how they found them.”
Example questions
- How do you take the bigger picture into account when making decisions?
- Give an example of taking something which was ‘good’ and making it better?
- Tell me about a time when you thought about the affect of a decision on a stakeholder(s)?
How to answer Amazons leadership principle interview questions.
Amazon encourage applicants to use the STAR technique.
This is because an example shows a recruiter that you have experience of the required job criteria.
When answering the interview questions, think about:
- The reason for the question – what skill or experience is the hiring manager wanting to hear?
- Which of the leadership principles does the interview question relate to?
- What specific information, data or facts can I use to offer prove of my knowledge/experience
The perceived level of knowledge and experience is key to passing an Amazon job interview. Take the Interview Prediction Grid test to check how you are viewed by an employer.
STAR Technique
Situation, Task, Actions, Result.
This interview formula allows the applicant to create a detailed job interview answer.
Situation
Think about the situation part of the interview answer as story-telling.
Set the scene. explain the job role or project. Detail the situation you were in: what barriers did you face? What was the goal? What would happen if you couldn’t achieve the objective? Who was involved?
Make the story relevant to the Amazon interviewer
Task
Explain what your reasonability was. for big project gives an overview of the main steps, then focus in on your own tasks, what you personally had to do.
Action
Amazon wants to know what you did, the actions you took, to achieve the outcome. In this section use “I” instead of “we”. Be descriptive. Explain your thought process, how you generated ideas, why you disregarded one suggestion over another. Discuss how you planned your actions, why you prioritised one action over another.
Result
End, by sharing the positive outcome (short term) and then the longer term positive effect. Also add in any lessons learnt and how these lessons were used in new projects or could be used when working for Amazon.
