Acing The Amazon Behavioral Interview: The Ultimate LinkedIn Guide

Introduction

Preparing for a behavioral interview at Amazon can be daunting. As former Amazon Hiring Managers, Senior Leaders, and Interviewers, we at Day One Careers understand the intricacies of this process better than most. Since establishing Day One Careers after our tenure at Amazon, we’ve helped over 3,000 candidates prepare for their behavioral interviews and have personally coached hundreds of individuals. This extensive experience has given us unique insights into what truly works in Amazon interviews.

This guide provides insider knowledge and practical tips to help you excel in your Amazon behavioral interview. We’ve distilled our years of experience on both sides of the interview table into actionable advice that has proven successful for thousands of candidates.

Amazon’s interview process is known for its rigorous nature and unique focus on Leadership Principles. Successfully navigating this process requires more than just technical skills or industry experience. It demands a deep understanding of Amazon’s culture, values, and expectations.

In this comprehensive guide, we’ll walk you through the critical aspects of Amazon’s behavioral interview process, share strategies for adequate preparation, and highlight common pitfalls to avoid. Our insights come from our time as Amazon insiders and our extensive experience coaching candidates, giving you a valuable perspective on what Amazon interviewers seek.

For candidates seeking an even deeper level of preparation, our Amazon Interview Success System offers a more comprehensive approach. This system combines our expert knowledge with cutting-edge AI tools to provide unparalleled interview preparation resources.

Whether you’re applying for an entry-level or senior leadership role, this guide will equip you with the knowledge and strategies to present your best self during the Amazon interview process. Let’s begin your journey to interview success.

Understanding Amazon’s Behavioral Interview Process

Overview of the Amazon Hiring Process

Amazon’s hiring process is comprehensive and typically consists of several stages:

Application Submission: Candidates apply online through Amazon’s careers website or via an employee referral. Ensure your resume is tailored to the role and highlights experiences relevant to Amazon’s Leadership Principles.
Resume Screening: Amazon recruiters review applications to determine if candidates meet the basic qualifications for the role. This stage emphasizes the importance of a well-crafted, clear, concise resume.
Phone Screening: If your application passes the initial review, you’ll likely have a phone interview with a recruiter or hiring manager. This conversation typically lasts 30-45 minutes and covers your background, interest in the role, and basic behavioral questions.
Online Assessments: Depending on the position, you may be required to complete online assessments. These can include cognitive ability tests, work style assessments, or technical coding exercises for engineering roles.
Behavioral Interviews (The Loop): This is the core of Amazon’s interview process. You’ll typically face 4-6 interviews, each lasting 45-60 minutes. These interviews focus heavily on behavioral questions based on Amazon’s Leadership Principles.
Bar Raiser Interview: One of your interviewers will be a “Bar Raiser” - a specially trained Amazon employee from outside the hiring team. They ensure that hiring standards remain high across the company.
Hiring Decision: The team meets to discuss each candidate after the interviews. The hiring decision is made collectively, with the Bar Raiser having veto power to maintain Amazon’s hiring standards.
Offer and Negotiation: If successful, you’ll receive a verbal offer followed by a written offer. There’s usually room for negotiation at this stage.

Understanding this process is crucial for adequate preparation. Remember, while the process can seem lengthy, Amazon aims to move quickly. The process typically takes 2-4 weeks, although senior positions can take longer.

Importance of Behavioral Interviews at Amazon

Behavioral interviews are a cornerstone of Amazon’s hiring process and crucial in candidate evaluation. Here’s why they’re so important:

Assessing Past Performance: Amazon believes that past behavior best predicts future performance. Behavioral interviews allow interviewers to understand how you’ve handled real situations in the past, giving them insight into how you might perform at Amazon.
Evaluating Leadership Principles: Each behavioral question assesses one or more of Amazon’s Leadership Principles. These principles are fundamental to Amazon’s culture and decision-making processes, so demonstrating alignment with them is crucial.
Gauging Cultural Fit: Amazon has a unique culture, and behavioral interviews help determine whether a candidate will thrive in this environment. Your responses give interviewers a sense of your work style, values, and approach to problem-solving.
Revealing Soft Skills: Technical skills can be gleaned from resumes and technical interviews, but behavioral interviews reveal critical soft skills like communication, teamwork, and adaptability.
Understanding Decision-Making Processes: Your stories give interviewers insight into how you approach challenges, make decisions, and drive results.
Assessing Impact and Ownership: Amazon values employees who take ownership and drive significant impact. Behavioral questions allow you to showcase times when you’ve done precisely that.
Identifying Innovation and Customer Focus: Many behavioral questions are designed to uncover your capacity for innovation and your focus on customer needs, both key aspects of Amazon’s ethos.

Given the weight Amazon places on these interviews, thorough preparation is essential. This means not just having a few canned responses but developing a broad range of detailed, impactful stories that demonstrate your alignment with Amazon’s values and expectations.

Remember, specificity is key in these interviews. Vague or general answers won’t suffice. Be prepared to dive deep into the details of your experiences, explaining your thought processes, the challenges you faced, and the measurable impacts of your actions.

Amazon’s Leadership Principles

Brief Explanation of the 16 Leadership Principles

At the heart of Amazon’s culture and decision-making process lie its 16 Leadership Principles. These principles are not just corporate jargon; they are the fundamental beliefs that guide every Amazonian’s actions and decisions. From the newest hire to Jeff Bezos himself, these principles shape how work gets done, how teams collaborate, and how the company innovates.

The principles start with Customer Obsession, reflecting Amazon’s unwavering focus on the customer in everything it does. Principles like Ownership complement this customer-centric approach, where leaders think long-term and don’t sacrifice long-term value for short-term results, and Invent and Simplify, which push Amazonians to find ways to simplify complex processes.

Leadership principles like Learn and Be Curious and Hire and Develop the Best underscore Amazon’s commitment to continuous improvement and maintaining high standards. These principles encourage employees never to stop learning and to always be on the lookout for top talent.

Amazon’s focus on execution is evident in Deliver Results, Bias for Action, and Frugality principles. These principles drive Amazonians to move quickly, do more with less, and focus on key business inputs.

The Have Backbone, Disagree, and Commit principle emphasizes the importance of constructive disagreement and total commitment once a decision is made. This principle, along with Earn Trust, fosters an environment of open communication and mutual respect.

Some of the newer additions, like Strive to be Earth’s Best Employer and Success and Scale Bring Broad Responsibility, reflect Amazon’s evolving focus on employee satisfaction and its acknowledgment of the company's broader impact as it grows.

The complete list of Amazon’s Leadership Principles is as follows:

Customer Obsession
Ownership
Invent and Simplify
Are Right, A Lot
Learn and Be Curious
Hire and Develop the Best
Insist on the Highest Standards
Think Big
Bias for Action
Frugality
Earn Trust
Dive Deep
Have Backbone; Disagree and Commit
Deliver Results
Strive to be Earth’s Best Employer
Success and Scale Bring Broad Responsibility

Understanding these principles is crucial for anyone preparing for an Amazon interview. They are not just concepts to memorize but ideals to internalize and demonstrate through your past experiences and future aspirations.

Why Leadership Principles matter in interviews

Amazon’s Leadership Principles are not just corporate values hanging on office walls but the cornerstone of Amazon’s interview process. Understanding why these principles matter in interviews is crucial for your success as a candidate.

Behavioral assessment: Amazon uses these principles to assess your past behavior and potential future performance. Each interview question is carefully crafted to evaluate your alignment with one or more of these principles. Interviewers are trained to probe deeply into your responses, looking for concrete examples demonstrating your embodiment of these principles.

Cultural fit: The Leadership Principles are the bedrock of Amazon’s unique culture. Interviewers gauge how well you’ll integrate into and thrive within Amazon’s fast-paced, customer-centric environment by assessing your alignment with these principles. They want to ensure you’ll perform well and contribute to and enhance Amazon’s culture.

Decision-making lens: At Amazon, these principles guide all decision-making processes. Interviewers want to see how you apply these principles in your decision-making. They’re looking for evidence that you can make tough choices, prioritize effectively, and drive results while staying true to these core values.

Future potential: The Leadership Principles aren’t just about your past experiences and future capabilities. Interviewers use these principles to assess your potential for growth and leadership within Amazon. They want to see that you have the mindset and skills to adapt, learn, and lead in Amazon’s dynamic environment.

Differentiation: Your understanding and application of the Leadership Principles can set you apart in a pool of highly qualified candidates. Demonstrating a deep understanding of these principles and how they align with your values and experiences can make you a more compelling candidate.

Interview structure: Each interviewer is typically assigned specific Leadership Principles to assess. This means that even if you're asked similar-sounding questions by different interviewers, they probe for different Leadership Principles. Understanding this structure can help you prepare more effectively and tailor your responses appropriately.

Remember, it’s not enough to merely memorize these principles. Amazon interviewers are skilled at distinguishing between superficial knowledge and genuine alignment. They’re looking for candidates who can articulate how these principles have manifested in their professional lives and how they will continue to apply them at Amazon.

By internalizing these principles and preparing concrete examples demonstrating your alignment with them, you’ll be well-equipped to navigate Amazon’s rigorous interview process. This preparation will help you in the interview and give you a head start in understanding the culture and expectations if you join the company.

Preparing for Behavioral Questions

Researching Amazon and the Role

Thorough research is the foundation of successful interview preparation, especially for a company as unique as Amazon. Here’s how to approach your research effectively:

Understand Amazon’s business: Start by gaining a comprehensive understanding of Amazon’s various business lines. While most people know Amazon for e-commerce, the company has significant operations in cloud computing (AWS), artificial intelligence, streaming services, and more. Familiarize yourself with Amazon’s key products and services relevant to the role you’re applying for.

Study recent news and developments: Stay up-to-date with Amazon’s announcements, product launches, and strategic initiatives. This knowledge demonstrates your genuine interest in the company and can provide talking points during your interview. Focus on developments that relate to your potential role or department.

Analyze the job description: Carefully review the job posting, paying close attention to the required skills, experiences, and qualifications. Identify keywords and phrases that align with Amazon’s Leadership Principles. This will help you tailor your responses to showcase relevant experiences.

Research your potential team: Learn about the specific team or department you’re applying to join. Look for information about their recent projects, challenges they might be facing, and how they contribute to Amazon’s overall mission. LinkedIn can be a valuable resource for this kind of research.

Understand Amazon’s culture: Beyond the Leadership Principles, try to understand what working at Amazon is like. Read employee reviews on sites like Glassdoor, but remember to maintain a balanced perspective. Look for patterns in what employees say about the work environment, expectations, and company culture.

Study Amazon’s competitors: Understand Amazon’s main competitors in various business areas. This knowledge can help you discuss market trends and challenges that Amazon might be facing.

Leverage Amazon’s resources: Explore Amazon’s corporate website, particularly the sections on company culture, leadership, and innovation. The company’s annual shareholder letters, especially those by Jeff Bezos, offer valuable insights into Amazon’s philosophy and strategic thinking.

Connect with current or former Amazonians: Reach out to people in your network who have experience with Amazon. Their insights can provide valuable context and help you prepare more effectively for the interview process.

Remember, this research aims to accumulate facts and develop informed opinions and ideas about Amazon and your potential role within it. This knowledge will help you ask thoughtful questions during the interview and show enthusiasm for joining the company.

Understanding Amazon’s Leadership Principles in Depth

A critical step in preparing for Amazon’s behavioral interviews is a deep understanding of the company’s Leadership Principles. Many candidates treat these principles superficially, leading to significant gaps in their interview preparation.

Surface-level understanding is not enough: It’s common for candidates to assume they grasp Amazon’s Leadership Principles based on their face value or how they might be interpreted at other companies. This superficial understanding often results in candidates being unable to identify the right situations from their experience to share during interviews.

The uniqueness of Amazon’s interpretation: While many Fortune 500 companies claim to be customer-obsessed or innovative, Amazon’s understanding of these concepts is often unique and more nuanced.

Take Customer Obsession, for example. At first glance, this principle might seem straightforward – put the customer first. However, Amazon’s interpretation is much more profound:

Amazon expects its employees to anticipate customer needs, often knowing better than the customers themselves what they want.
This principle involves being willing to have difficult conversations with customers, especially when they’re asking for products or solutions that aren’t what they need.
It’s about making decisions that might be unpopular in the short term but serve the customer’s best interests in the long run.

This depth applies to all of Amazon’s Leadership Principles. For instance, Ownership isn’t just about taking responsibility for your work; it’s about thinking long-term and acting on behalf of the entire company, not just your team.

The importance of nuanced understanding: Without grasping these nuances, candidates often struggle to:

Identify relevant experiences from their career that truly demonstrate these principles.
Articulate their experiences in a way that resonates with Amazon’s unique culture.
Ask insightful questions that demonstrate their understanding of Amazon’s values.

Preparing effectively: To truly prepare for Amazon’s behavioral interviews, dive deep into each Leadership Principle. This means going beyond the brief descriptions provided on Amazon’s website. Research how these principles play out in real Amazon scenarios, read accounts from Amazon employees, and try to understand the reasoning behind each principle.

Later in this guide, we’ll provide a brief overview of each Leadership Principle. However, it’s crucial to understand that this overview should be a starting point for your in-depth research and reflection. The more thoroughly you understand these principles, the better you’ll be able to navigate Amazon’s rigorous interview process.

Creating a Story Bank

Creating a comprehensive story bank is one of the most effective strategies for preparing for Amazon’s behavioral interviews. This collection of detailed anecdotes from your professional experience demonstrates your alignment with Amazon’s Leadership Principles.

Why a story bank is crucial:

Readiness: A prepared set of stories allows you to respond quickly and confidently to behavioral questions.
Relevance: A well-prepared story bank ensures you have relevant examples for each Leadership Principle.
Depth: Preparing stories in advance allows you to include specific details, data, and outcomes that strengthen your responses.

How to build your story bank:

Reflect on your experiences: Start by reviewing your career history. Consider projects, challenges, successes, and even failures that have shaped your professional growth.
Map stories to Leadership Principles: For each anecdote, identify which Leadership Principles it best demonstrates. Remember, a single story might illustrate multiple principles.
Use the STAR method: Structure each story using the STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) method. This ensures your stories are concise, relevant, and impactful.
Include quantifiable results: Wherever possible, include specific, measurable outcomes. Amazon values data-driven decision-making, so quantifying your impact is crucial.
Please prepare multiple stories for each principle: You should aim to have at least 2-3 stories for each Leadership Principle. This gives you flexibility during the interview and prevents repetition.
Focus on recent experiences: While you can draw from your entire career, emphasize recent experiences (within the last 3-5 years) as they’re often more relevant.
Include stories at different scales: Include a mix of stories that show your impact at various levels—individual, team, department, and organization-wide.
Practice articulating your stories: Rehearse, telling these stories out loud. This helps you refine your delivery and identify areas needing more detail or clarity.

Tips for compelling storytelling:

Be concise but detailed. Aim for stories that can be told in 5-6 minutes (depending on the seniority level), with room for follow-up questions.
Focus on your contributions, even in team settings. Use “I” statements to clarify your specific role and actions.
Be prepared to go deeper. Interviewers may ask probing questions about any aspect of your story.
Please make sure your stories are truthful and can be verified if needed.

Remember, your story bank is a living document. Continuously refine and update it as you gain new experiences or insights. A well-prepared story bank helps you in Amazon interviews and can be a valuable resource for any behavioral interview in your career.

The STAR method and Amazon’s unique expectations

The STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) method is a widely recognized framework for structuring responses to behavioral interview questions. While it’s not unique to Amazon, and numerous guides about STAR can be found online, Amazon’s application of this method has some distinct characteristics that candidates must understand.

STAR basics:

Situation: Set the context for your story.
Task: Describe the challenge or responsibility you faced.
Action: Explain the specific steps you took to address the task.
Result: Share the outcomes of your actions.

Amazon’s unique focus: Tangible, measurable impact

What sets Amazon apart is not the format they expect candidates to use but the level of impact they want to see demonstrated in these stories. Amazon places a premium on tangible, measurable results showing a candidate’s ability to drive significant change and deliver concrete outcomes.

Key aspects of Amazon’s STAR expectations:

Quantifiable results: Whenever possible, provide specific metrics that illustrate the impact of your actions. This could include percentages, dollar amounts, time saved, or other relevant KPIs.
The scale of impact: Amazon wants to see that you can effect change beyond your immediate responsibilities. Stories demonstrating impact at a team, department, or company-wide level are precious.
Innovation and problem-solving: Your stories should highlight what you did and how you approached challenges in novel or efficient ways.
Customer impact: Even if your role wasn’t customer-facing, try to draw a line between your actions and the ultimate benefit to the customer.
Long-term thinking: Amazon values leaders who balance short-term gains with long-term strategy. Stories that demonstrate this perspective are highly regarded.
Ownership beyond your role: Stories that show you taking the initiative beyond your job description align well with Amazon’s Leadership Principles.
Learning from failure: Don’t shy away from stories where things didn’t go as planned. Amazon values resilience and the ability to learn from setbacks.

Tips for delivering high-impact STAR responses:

Be prepared to dive deep into any aspect of your story. Amazon interviewers often ask probing follow-up questions.
Practice articulating the direct link between your actions and the results achieved.
When discussing team efforts, be clear about your contributions while giving credit where it’s due.
Be ready to discuss what you learned from the experience and how you’ve applied those lessons since.

Remember, while the STAR format provides a helpful structure, the content of your stories - particularly the tangible impact you’ve driven - will set you apart in Amazon’s interview process. Focus on preparing examples demonstrating your ability to deliver significant, measurable results aligned with Amazon’s Leadership Principles.

How Day One Careers can enhance your preparation

While this guide provides a solid foundation for your Amazon interview preparation, candidates seeking a comprehensive, in-depth approach may benefit from the Amazon Interview Success System offered by Day One Careers. This system is designed to give you an edge in the highly competitive Amazon interview process.

Comprehensive theoretical foundation: The system provides an extensive overview of Amazon’s hiring philosophy, culture, and interview process. This deep dive helps you understand what Amazon is looking for and why, allowing you to align your responses more effectively with the company’s expectations.

In-depth understanding of Amazon: Gain insights into Amazon’s unique culture, decision-making processes, and operational philosophy. This knowledge helps you demonstrate the cultural fit and genuine interest in the company during your interview.

Deep dive into Leadership Principles: The system offers a detailed exploration of each Leadership Principle, going far beyond the surface-level descriptions available publicly. This in-depth understanding helps you:

Identify the right situations from your experience that genuinely demonstrate each principle
Understand the nuances and sub-themes within each principle
Articulate your experiences in a way that resonates with Amazon’s specific interpretation of these principles

Proprietary storytelling framework: While STAR is a helpful starting point, our system introduces a more sophisticated, Amazon-tuned framework for structuring your responses. This proprietary method helps you:

Provide more granular and impactful responses
Ensure you’re including all the elements Amazon interviewers are looking for
Effectively demonstrate your alignment with multiple Leadership Principles in a single-story

AI-powered tools: Our system incorporates cutting-edge AI tools to enhance your preparation:

AI Coach: Available 24/7 to answer your questions about the Amazon interview process, providing expert guidance whenever needed.
AI Story Review: Get detailed feedback on your prepared stories, ensuring they meet Amazon’s high standards before your interview.
AI Story Bank: Store, edit, and organize your stories efficiently. The tool provides an interview-ready summary for a quick reference during your interview.

Real-world application: We offer deconstructed mock interviews with real Amazon candidates for Ultimate package subscribers. These sessions provide invaluable insights into how best practices play out in actual interview scenarios.

Salary negotiation insights: The Ultimate package also includes comprehensive guidance on Amazon’s compensation model, helping you navigate the offer negotiation process effectively.

Continuous support: With lifetime access to video content and optional ongoing access to AI tools, the Amazon Interview Success System supports you for your immediate interview and throughout your career journey.

By leveraging the Amazon Interview Success System, you’re not just preparing for an interview – you’re gaining a deep understanding of Amazon’s culture and expectations, developing a skill set that will serve you throughout your career, and maximizing your chances of success in the Amazon interview process.

Learn more about the Amazon Interview Success System

Deep Dive into Amazon’s Leadership Principles

Customer Obsession

Definition: Leaders start with the customer and work backwards. They work vigorously to earn and keep customer trust. Although leaders pay attention to competitors, they obsess over customers.

Key aspects:

Starting with the customer: This means considering the customer’s needs first in every decision, product development, and service offering. It’s about anticipating customer needs, often before they realize them.
Long-term focus: Customer Obsession at Amazon isn’t about short-term customer satisfaction. It’s about building lasting relationships and earning long-term trust, even if it means making decisions that might be unpopular or less profitable in the short term.
Working backwards: This concept involves imagining the ideal customer experience and then figuring out how to make it a reality rather than starting with what’s easy or convenient for the company.
Balancing customer needs with business realities: While the customer comes first, Amazon also recognizes the need to make sound business decisions. The key is finding solutions that serve the customer and the company’s long-term interests.
Gathering and using customer data: Amazon places a high value on collecting and analyzing customer data to inform decisions and improve experiences.
Saying “no” when necessary: Being customer-obsessed doesn’t mean always saying yes. Sometimes, it means having difficult conversations with customers when their requests don’t align with what’s best for them or other customers.

Common misconceptions:

Customer Obsession doesn’t mean the customer is always right. It means always doing what’s right for the customer, which sometimes involves pushing back or offering alternatives.
It’s not just about customer service roles. Every position at Amazon, from software development to finance, is expected to consider the customer impact.

How to demonstrate Customer Obsession in interviews:

Prepare stories showing how you’ve advocated for customers, even when challenging or unpopular.
Discuss when you’ve used customer feedback or data to drive improvements or innovations.
Share examples of how you’ve balanced customer needs with business objectives.
Demonstrate your ability to think long-term about customer relationships and trust.

Remember, at Amazon, Customer Obsession isn’t just a principle—it’s a way of thinking that should permeate every aspect of your work. In your interview, you must show that you understand this principle and have lived it in your professional experiences.

Ownership

Definition: Leaders are owners. They think long term and don’t sacrifice long-term value for short-term results. They act on behalf of the entire company, beyond just their own team. They never say “that’s not my job.”

Key aspects:

Long-term thinking: Ownership at Amazon means considering the long-term implications of decisions and actions, even if they come at the expense of short-term gains.
Whole company perspective: True owners think beyond their immediate team or department. They consider how their actions impact the entire organization and its ecosystem.
Initiative and proactivity: Owners don’t wait to be told what to do. They identify problems or opportunities and take action, even if it’s outside their formal job description.
Responsibility and accountability: Owners take full responsibility for good and bad outcomes. They don’t make excuses or blame others when things go wrong.
Resource stewardship: A key aspect of ownership is treating company resources (time, money, personnel) as your own.
Continuous improvement: Owners always look for ways to improve processes, products, and services, even when things are going well.

Common misconceptions:

Ownership doesn’t mean doing everything yourself. It means ensuring things get done, often delegating and empowering others.
It’s not about being a workaholic. It’s about being fully invested in and responsible for outcomes.

How to demonstrate Ownership in interviews:

Share stories of times when you’ve taken on responsibilities beyond your job description for the good of the company.
Discuss instances where you’ve made difficult decisions prioritizing long-term benefits over short-term gains.
Provide examples of how you’ve identified and solved problems proactively.
Talk about when you’ve taken accountability for failures and what you learned from them.
Describe situations where you’ve championed initiatives that benefited the wider organization, not just your immediate team.

Key behaviors to highlight:

Taking the initiative without being asked
Following through on commitments
Thinking about the company’s overall success, not just your team’s
Being willing to step in and help in areas outside your expertise
Making decisions and acting as if you own the company

Remember, at Amazon, Ownership isn’t just about taking responsibility for your assigned tasks. It’s about treating the entire company’s mission as your mission. In your interview, aim to demonstrate that you’re the kind who will not just own your role but contribute to Amazon’s overall success in whatever way is needed.

Invent and Simplify

Definition: Leaders expect and require innovation and invention from their teams and always find ways to simplify. They are externally aware, look for new ideas from everywhere, and are not limited by “not invented here.” As we do new things, we accept that we may be misunderstood for long periods of time.

Key aspects:

Innovation mindset: At Amazon, innovation isn’t just for R&D teams. Every employee is expected to think creatively and challenge the status quo.
Simplification: This principle emphasizes making things easier, more efficient, and more user-friendly. It’s about reducing complexity wherever possible.
External awareness: Leaders must look beyond their immediate environment for inspiration and ideas. This could mean looking at other industries, academic research, or customer behaviors.
Overcoming “not invented here” syndrome: Amazon values good ideas regardless of their source. This principle encourages openness to external solutions and adaptations.
Comfort with ambiguity: Inventing often means venturing into unknown territory. This principle acknowledges that new ideas might be misunderstood or criticized initially.
Continuous improvement: Even when things are working well, there’s always room for innovation and simplification.

Common misconceptions:

Innovation doesn’t always mean creating something entirely new. It can also mean finding novel applications for existing ideas or technologies.
Simplification isn’t about making things basic. It’s about making complex things easier to understand and use.

How to demonstrate Invent and Simplify in interviews:

Share examples of how you’ve improved a process or product through innovation or simplification.
Discuss when you’ve adapted ideas from other contexts to solve problems in your work.
Provide instances where you’ve championed a new idea despite initial skepticism or misunderstanding.
Talk about how you stay informed about developments in your field and beyond.
Describe situations where you’ve taken calculated risks to drive innovation.

Key behaviors to highlight:

Questioning established processes and looking for better ways
Being curious about new technologies and methodologies
Willingness to experiment and learn from failures
Ability to explain complex ideas in simple terms
Persistence in pursuing ideas that you believe will bring value, even in the face of skepticism

Remember, Invent and Simplify at Amazon is about more than being creative. It’s about relentlessly pursuing better ways of doing things through groundbreaking innovations or minor, impactful simplifications. In your interview, aim to show that you can come up with new ideas and actively seek opportunities to innovate and simplify in everything you do.

Are Right, A Lot

Definition: Leaders are right a lot. They have strong judgment and good instincts. They seek diverse perspectives and work to disconfirm their beliefs.

Key aspects:

Strong judgment: This principle emphasizes the ability to make sound decisions, especially in ambiguous situations where complete information isn’t available.
Good instincts: While data is crucial, Amazon also values leaders with well-honed instincts based on experience and a deep understanding of their domain.
Seeking diverse perspectives: Being right isn’t about always having the answer yourself. It’s about actively seeking and considering different viewpoints to inform your decisions.
Intellectual humility: Leaders who are right a lot know they can be wrong. They actively try to disprove their beliefs and are open to changing their minds when presented with new information.
Data-driven decision making: While instincts are valued, Amazon places a high premium on using data to inform and validate decisions.
Balancing speed and accuracy: It is important to be right and make timely decisions. This principle involves finding the right balance between gathering information and taking action.

Common misconceptions:

This principle doesn’t mean always being right. It’s about having a track record of good decisions and the humility to admit and learn from mistakes.
It’s not about being the smartest person in the room. It’s about making good judgments and leveraging your team's collective intelligence.

How to demonstrate Are Right, A Lot in interviews:

Share examples of difficult decisions you’ve made that were correct, explaining your decision-making process.
Discuss times when you’ve changed your mind based on new information or perspectives from others.
Provide instances where you’ve used data to inform a decision, especially when it contradicted your initial instincts.
Talk about how you balance the need for speed with the need for accuracy in decision-making.
Describe your approach to gathering diverse viewpoints before making important decisions.

Key behaviors to highlight:

Actively seeking out information and perspectives that might challenge your viewpoint
Being able to make decisions with incomplete information
Demonstrating curiosity and a desire to learn continuously
Showing humility and willingness to admit when you’re wrong
Using a combination of data, experience, and instinct to guide decisions

Remember, at Amazon, being right a lot isn’t about perfection—it’s about consistently making good decisions, being open to new information, and always striving to improve your judgment. In your interview, aim to show that you’re thoughtful in your decision-making, open to diverse perspectives, and committed to continuous learning and improvement.

Learn and Be Curious

Definition: Leaders are never done learning and always seek to improve themselves. They are curious about new possibilities and act to explore them.

Key aspects:

Continuous learning: This principle emphasizes the importance of ongoing personal and professional development. At Amazon, learning is not a one-time event but a continuous process.
Intellectual curiosity: Leaders are expected to be naturally inquisitive, always asking questions and seeking to understand more deeply.
Embracing new challenges: This principle encourages stepping out of comfort zones and taking on unfamiliar tasks or projects as opportunities for growth.
Adaptability: In a rapidly changing business environment, learning quickly and adapting to new situations is crucial.
Broad interests: While deep expertise in one’s field is valued, Amazon also appreciates individuals with a wide range of interests and knowledge.
Action-oriented learning: It’s about acquiring knowledge and applying what you’ve learned to drive improvements and innovations.

Common misconceptions:

This principle isn’t just about formal education or training. It encompasses all forms of learning, including from experiences, colleagues, and even failures.
Being curious doesn’t mean being unfocused. It’s about channeling curiosity productively to drive personal growth and business results.

How to demonstrate Learn and Be Curious in interviews:

Share examples of how you’ve proactively sought learning opportunities within and outside your primary field.
Discuss times when you’ve taken on new challenges specifically for the learning experience they offered.
Provide instances where your curiosity led to innovations or improvements in your work.
Talk about how you stay updated with the latest developments in your field and beyond.
Describe your approach to learning from failures or setbacks.

Key behaviors to highlight:

Regularly seeking feedback and acting on it to improve
Demonstrating a growth mindset
Being open to and actively seeking new ideas and perspectives
Showing enthusiasm for learning about areas outside your expertise
Applying learnings from one context to solve problems in another

Remember, at Amazon, Learn and Be Curious is about more than just acquiring knowledge—it’s about fostering a mindset of continuous improvement and innovation. In your interview, aim to show that you’re not just willing to learn but are passionate about it and actively seek out and create opportunities for growth and discovery. Demonstrate how your curiosity and love for learning have positively impacted your work and those around you.

Hire and Develop the Best

Definition: Leaders raise the performance bar with every hire and promotion. They recognize exceptional talent, and willingly move them throughout the organization. Leaders develop leaders and take seriously their role in coaching others. We work on behalf of our people to invent mechanisms for development like Career Choice.

Key aspects:

High standards in hiring: This principle emphasizes the importance of bringing in top talent and continuously raising the bar with each new hire.
Talent development: Leaders are expected to actively invest in developing their team members, helping them grow their skills and advance their careers.
Recognizing and rewarding talent involves identifying high performers and ensuring they are given opportunities to grow and contribute more broadly to the organization.
Internal mobility: Amazon encourages the movement of talented individuals across different parts of the organization to spread expertise and foster innovation.
Leadership development: There’s a strong focus on developing future leaders, not just managing current teams.
Coaching and mentoring: Leaders are expected to guide and support their team members’ growth actively.

Common misconceptions:

This principle applies to hiring external talent, developing internal talent, and promoting from within.
It’s not about creating a cutthroat, competitive environment. The focus is on raising standards while fostering a collaborative, growth-oriented culture.

How to demonstrate Hire and Develop the Best in interviews:

Share examples of how you’ve identified and nurtured talent in your teams.
Discuss your approach to hiring and what you look for in candidates.
Provide instances where you’ve helped team members grow into more significant roles or take on new challenges.
Talk about how you’ve developed your skills and how you approach your personal growth.
Describe situations where you’ve had to make tough decisions about talent (e.g., performance management).

Key behaviors to highlight:

Setting high standards for yourself and your team
Providing constructive feedback and coaching to team members
Encouraging and facilitating learning and development opportunities
Demonstrating the ability to identify strengths in others
Showing a track record of developing future leaders

Remember, at Amazon, Hire and Develop the Best is about creating a continuous improvement cycle in the organization’s talent pool. It’s not just about having a great team today but about consistently developing the leaders of tomorrow. In your interview, aim to show that you understand the importance of talent development, both for individuals and for the organization as a whole. Demonstrate your commitment to raising the bar and your ability to bring out the best in others.

Insist on the Highest Standards

Definition: Leaders have relentlessly high standards — many people may think these standards are unreasonably high. Leaders are continually raising the bar and drive their teams to deliver high quality products, services, and processes. Leaders ensure that defects do not get sent down the line and that problems are fixed so they stay fixed.

Key aspects:

Relentless pursuit of excellence: This principle is about never settling for “good enough” and always striving for better.
Continuous improvement: Leaders must constantly look for ways to improve products, services, and processes, even when already performing well.
Attention to detail: High standards apply to every aspect of work, whether small or insignificant.
Problem-solving mindset: When issues arise, the focus is on finding permanent solutions, not just quick fixes.
Leading by example: Leaders must embody these high standards to drive their teams effectively.
Balancing speed and quality: While Amazon values moving quickly, this should never come at the expense of quality.

Common misconceptions:

This principle isn’t about perfectionism, which leads to paralysis. It’s about consistently striving for better while still delivering results.
High standards don’t mean unrealistic expectations. They should be challenging but achievable with effort and innovation.

How to demonstrate Insist on the Highest Standards in interviews:

Share examples of times when you’ve raised the bar for quality in your or your team’s work.
Discuss how you’ve implemented or improved quality control processes.
Provide instances where you’ve had to make tough decisions to maintain high standards (e.g., delaying a launch to fix issues).
Talk about balancing high standards with meeting deadlines and other constraints.
Describe your approach to continuous improvement and how you encourage it in your team.

Key behaviors to highlight:

Regularly challenging yourself and others to do better
Paying attention to details without losing sight of the big picture
Being willing to disagree or push back to maintain quality respectfully
Showing resilience in the face of setbacks when pursuing high standards
Demonstrating the ability to elevate the work of those around you

Remember, at Amazon, Insisting on the Highest Standards isn’t just about personal excellence — it’s about creating a culture where everyone is motivated to deliver their best work. In your interview, aim to show that you hold yourself to high standards and have the leadership skills to inspire and drive others to reach excellence. Demonstrate your commitment to quality and ability to continuously raise the bar in all aspects of your work.

Think Big

Definition: Thinking small is a self-fulfilling prophecy. Leaders create and communicate a bold direction that inspires results. They think differently and look around corners for ways to serve customers.

Key aspects:

Visionary thinking: This principle encourages leaders to envision ambitious, long-term goals beyond current limitations.
Innovation at scale: Thinking big often means considering how ideas can be implemented on a massive scale to create a significant impact.
Challenging conventional wisdom: Leaders must question existing paradigms and imagine new possibilities.
Customer-centric innovation: Big thinking at Amazon is permanently anchored in finding new ways to create customer value.
Inspiring others: Leaders must articulate their big ideas in a way that motivates and aligns their teams.
Balancing vision with execution: While thinking big is crucial, it must be coupled with the ability to break down grand visions into actionable steps.

Common misconceptions:

Thinking big doesn’t mean being unrealistic. It’s about setting ambitious yet achievable goals that push boundaries.
It’s not just about coming up with big ideas but also about having the tenacity to pursue them in the face of obstacles.

How to demonstrate Think Big in interviews:

Share examples of times when you’ve proposed or implemented ideas that significantly expanded the scope or impact of a project or business.
Discuss how you’ve challenged status-quo thinking to drive innovation.
Provide instances where your forward-thinking approach anticipated and addressed future customer needs.
Talk about how you balance big-picture thinking with practical execution.
Describe how you’ve inspired and aligned teams around a bold vision.

Key behaviors to highlight:

Demonstrating the ability to envision and articulate ambitious goals
Showing a track record of turning big ideas into reality
Exhibiting curiosity about emerging trends and technologies
Displaying comfort with taking calculated risks
Demonstrating the ability to inspire and motivate others with your vision

Remember, at Amazon, Thinking Big is not just about having grand ideas — it’s about having the courage to pursue them and the skills to bring them to life. In your interview, aim to show you can think beyond current constraints and envision breakthrough innovations. At the same time, demonstrate that you understand how to translate these big ideas into concrete plans and results. Your examples should illustrate your capacity for visionary thinking and your ability to inspire others and drive meaningful change on a large scale.

Bias for Action

Definition: Speed matters in business. Many decisions and actions are reversible and do not need extensive study. We value calculated risk-taking.

Key aspects:

Quick decision-making: This principle emphasizes the importance of making timely decisions, even with incomplete information.
Calculated risk-taking: Leaders are encouraged to take smart risks, understanding that not all decisions will lead to success.
Learning through doing: There’s a strong emphasis on learning through action rather than prolonged analysis.
Reversible vs. irreversible decisions: Understanding the difference between easily reversible decisions (which can be made quickly) and irreversible ones (which may require more consideration).
Avoiding analysis paralysis: While data is essential, this principle warns against letting the quest for perfect information impede progress.
Iterative approach: Embracing an iterative process of acting, learning, and adjusting rather than striving for perfection from the outset.

Common misconceptions:

Bias for Action doesn’t mean recklessness. It’s about taking calculated risks, not blind leaps.
It’s not about always choosing speed over quality. The key is finding the right balance for each situation.

How to demonstrate Bias for Action in interviews:

Share examples of when you’ve made quick decisions that led to positive outcomes.
Discuss how you’ve balanced the need for speed with thorough analysis.
Provide instances where you’ve advocated for moving forward despite uncertainty.
Talk about how you’ve learned from and adjusted course after quick actions that didn’t pan out as expected.
Describe your approach to encouraging decisive action in your team.

Key behaviors to highlight:

Demonstrating the ability to make decisions with limited information
Showing a track record of initiating projects or changes proactively
Exhibiting comfort with ambiguity and calculated risk-taking
Displaying the ability to learn and adjust quickly based on results
Demonstrating how you’ve fostered a culture of action in your teams

Remember, at Amazon, Bias for Action is about recognizing that, in many cases, the cost of delay is greater than the cost of making a reversible mistake. In your interview, aim to show that you understand the value of speed in business and that you’re comfortable making decisions and taking action in uncertain environments. Your examples should illustrate not just your ability to act quickly but also your capacity to learn from your actions' results and take smart, calculated risks. Demonstrate that you can balance the need for speed with appropriate levels of analysis, always to drive results and create value.

Frugality

Definition: Accomplish more with less. Constraints breed resourcefulness, self-sufficiency, and invention. There are no extra points for growing headcount, budget size, or fixed expense.

Key aspects:

Resource efficiency: This principle emphasizes doing more with less, maximizing output while minimizing input.
Resourcefulness: Leaders are expected to find creative solutions to challenges, often working within tight constraints.
Cost-consciousness: There’s a strong focus on being mindful of expenses at all levels of the organization.
Value creation: The goal is to save money and create maximum value for customers and the company.
Self-sufficiency: This principle encourages finding ways to accomplish goals without always requiring additional resources.
Innovation through constraint: The belief that limitations can drive creative problem-solving and invention.

Common misconceptions:

Frugality doesn’t mean cheapness. It’s about maximizing value, not minimizing cost at all costs.
It’s not about never spending money, but about spending wisely and efficiently.

How to demonstrate Frugality in interviews:

Share examples of times when you’ve accomplished significant results with limited resources.
Discuss how you’ve optimized processes or reduced costs without sacrificing quality.
Provide instances where constraints led you to innovative solutions.
Talk about how you balance frugality with the need for strategic investments.
Describe your approach to resource allocation and prioritization.

Key behaviors to highlight:

Demonstrating the ability to optimize resource use
Showing a track record of finding creative solutions to problems
Exhibiting a mindset of continuous improvement and efficiency
Displaying the ability to distinguish between necessary and unnecessary expenses
Demonstrating how you’ve fostered a culture of frugality in your teams

Remember, at Amazon, Frugality is about more than saving money—a mindset that drives innovation and efficiency. In your interview, aim to show that you understand the value of resourcefulness and can operate effectively within constraints. Your examples should illustrate not just your ability to cut costs but your capacity to create more value with fewer resources. Demonstrate that you can make intelligent decisions about resource allocation to maximize impact and drive innovation. Show how you’ve turned limitations into opportunities for creativity and problem-solving.

Earn Trust

Definition: Leaders listen attentively, speak candidly, and treat others respectfully. They are vocally self-critical, even when doing so is awkward or embarrassing. Leaders do not believe their or their team’s body odor smells of perfume. They benchmark themselves and their teams against the best.

Key aspects:

Active listening: Leaders are expected to truly hear and understand others, not just wait their turn to speak.
Candor and transparency: This principle values honest, direct communication, even when complicated.
Respectful interactions: Treating everyone respectfully, regardless of position or status, is crucial.
Self-awareness and humility: Leaders should be able to recognize and openly admit their own mistakes and weaknesses.
Continuous improvement: There’s an emphasis on constantly benchmarking against the best and striving to improve.
Building credibility: Trust is earned through consistent actions that align with one’s words.

Common misconceptions:

Earning trust isn’t about being liked by everyone. It’s about being respected for your integrity and competence.
Being vocally self-critical doesn’t mean constant self-deprecation. It’s about honest self-reflection and a commitment to growth.

How to demonstrate Earn Trust in interviews:

Share examples of times when you’ve had to deliver difficult feedback or have challenging conversations.
Discuss how you’ve built trust within teams, especially in challenging situations.
Provide instances where you’ve admitted to mistakes and what you learned from them.
Talk about how you ensure open and honest communication in your team.
Describe your approach to receiving and acting on feedback.

Key behaviors to highlight:

Demonstrating active listening skills and the ability to understand different perspectives
Showing a track record of following through on commitments
Exhibiting comfort with admitting mistakes and limitations
Displaying the ability to build and maintain strong, trust-based relationships
Demonstrating how you’ve created a culture of trust and open communication in your teams

Remember, at Amazon, Earning Trust is fundamental to effective leadership and collaboration. In your interview, aim to show that you understand the importance of trust in professional relationships and actively work to build and maintain it. Your examples should show your integrity and reliability and your ability to create an environment where others feel heard, respected, and can speak candidly. Demonstrate your capacity for self-reflection and your commitment to continuous improvement. Show how you’ve used trust as a foundation for driving results and fostering a positive team culture.

Dive Deep

Definition: Leaders operate at all levels, stay connected to the details, audit frequently, and are skeptical when metrics and anecdotes differ. No task is beneath them.

Key aspects:

Attention to detail: This principle emphasizes the importance of understanding the fine details of one’s business or project.
Hands-on approach: Leaders are expected to be willing and able to work at all levels, including tasks that might be seen as “beneath” their position.
Data-driven decision-making: There’s a strong emphasis on using metrics and data to inform decisions and strategies.
Healthy skepticism: Leaders are encouraged to question inconsistencies between data and anecdotal evidence.
Regular auditing: This involves frequently checking processes, results, and metrics to ensure accuracy and identify areas for improvement.
Root cause analysis: When problems arise, leaders must dig deep to understand and address the underlying causes.

Common misconceptions:

Diving deep doesn’t mean micromanaging. It’s about having a thorough understanding to make informed decisions.
It’s not about doing everyone else’s job, but being willing and able to engage at any level when necessary.

How to demonstrate Dive Deep in interviews:

Share examples of when your attention to detail uncovered important insights or solved complex problems.
Discuss how you’ve used data analysis to drive decision-making or improve processes.
Provide instances where you’ve identified discrepancies between reported metrics and actual performance.
Talk about how you balance staying connected to details with maintaining a big-picture perspective.
Describe your approach to problem-solving, mainly how you identify and address root causes.

Key behaviors to highlight:

Demonstrating the ability to grasp and analyze complex information quickly
Showing a track record of using data to drive improvements
Exhibiting curiosity and a willingness to ask probing questions
Displaying comfort with both high-level strategy and ground-level execution
Demonstrating how you’ve fostered a culture of analytical thinking in your teams

Remember, at Amazon, Diving Deep is more than being detail-oriented—it’s about combining a thorough understanding of the details with the ability to see the bigger picture. In your interview, aim to show you’re comfortable operating at all levels, from high-level strategy to hands-on execution. Your examples should illustrate your analytical skills and willingness to roll up your sleeves and get involved when necessary. Demonstrate your ability to use data effectively, your capacity for critical thinking, and your commitment to understanding the root causes of issues. Show how your deep understanding of details has led to better decision-making and improved outcomes.

Have Backbone; Disagree and Commit

Definition: Leaders are obligated to respectfully challenge decisions when they disagree, even when doing so is uncomfortable or exhausting. Leaders have conviction and are tenacious. They do not compromise for the sake of social cohesion. Once a decision is determined, they commit wholly.

Key aspects:

Respectful challenging: This principle encourages leaders to voice their disagreements constructively, even with superiors.
Conviction: Leaders must stand firm in their well-reasoned beliefs, even when complex.
Avoiding groupthink: There’s an emphasis on not compromising one’s views to maintain harmony or prevent conflict.
Commitment post-decision: Once a decision is made, leaders are expected to support it, even if they initially disagree entirely.
Balancing assertiveness and respect: The key is to challenge ideas firmly but respectfully, focusing on the issue, not the person.
Intellectual honesty: This involves being open to changing your mind when presented with compelling evidence or arguments.

Common misconceptions:

Having a backbone doesn’t mean being argumentative or stubborn. It’s about respectfully standing up for what you believe is right.
Disagreeing and committing doesn’t mean passive acceptance. It means actively supporting the decision once it’s made, despite initial disagreement.

How to demonstrate Have Backbone; Disagree and Commit in interviews:

Share examples of times when you’ve respectfully challenged a decision or popular opinion.
Discuss how you’ve handled situations where your view wasn’t adopted and how you committed to the chosen direction.
Provide instances where your willingness to disagree led to better outcomes for your team or company.
Talk about how you balance expressing your views with being open to others’ perspectives.
Describe your approach to building consensus and moving forward after disagreements.

Key behaviors to highlight:

Demonstrating the ability to articulate and defend your views professionally
Showing a track record of making principled stands on important issues
Exhibiting the capacity to support team decisions, even when you initially disagreed fully
Displaying comfort with constructive conflict and difficult conversations
Demonstrating how you’ve fostered a culture where differing opinions are valued and openly expressed

Remember, at Amazon, Having Backbone; Disagree and Commit is about creating an environment where the best ideas win, regardless of where they come from. In your interview, aim to show that you can respectfully challenge ideas when necessary but also fully commit to decisions once they’re made. Your examples should illustrate not just your courage in standing up for your beliefs but also your ability to do so constructively that ultimately benefits the team or organization. Demonstrate your capacity for having difficult conversations, your commitment to intellectual honesty, and your ability to put the team’s goals above your personal views once a decision is made.

Deliver Results

Definition: Leaders focus on the key inputs for their business and deliver them with the right quality and in a timely fashion. Despite setbacks, they rise to the occasion and never settle.

Key aspects:

Outcome orientation: This principle emphasizes achieving tangible results rather than just putting in effort.
Prioritization: Leaders must identify and focus on the most critical inputs that drive business success.
Quality and timeliness: There’s a dual focus on delivering high-quality work and meeting deadlines.
Resilience: The ability to overcome obstacles and persevere in facing challenges is crucial.
Continuous improvement: Even when goals are met, there’s an expectation to keep raising the bar.
Accountability: Leaders take ownership of their results, whether positive or negative.

Common misconceptions:

Delivering results doesn’t mean achieving success at any cost. It’s about delivering quality outcomes sustainably.
It’s not just about short-term wins. Long-term, sustainable results are equally important.

How to demonstrate Deliver Results in interviews:

Share examples of significant projects or initiatives you’ve successfully delivered, highlighting both the process and the outcomes.
Discuss how you’ve handled setbacks or unexpected challenges while achieving your goals.
Provide instances where you’ve had to make tough decisions to ensure timely delivery of results.
Talk about how you measure success and track progress towards goals.
Describe your approach to balancing multiple priorities and ensuring consistent delivery across various responsibilities.

Key behaviors to highlight:

Demonstrating a track record of achieving measurable results
Showing the ability to adapt and persevere in the face of obstacles
Exhibiting strong project management and prioritization skills
Displaying a commitment to continuous improvement and raising standards
Demonstrating how you’ve fostered a results-oriented culture in your teams

Remember, at Amazon, Delivering Results is about more than just meeting targets—it’s about consistently exceeding expectations and driving business success. In your interview, aim to show that you have a history of setting and achieving and surpassing goals. Your examples should illustrate not just your ability to get things done but your capacity to do so in a way that creates significant value for the organization. Demonstrate your ability to identify critical priorities, rally resources, overcome challenges, and drive meaningful outcomes. Show how you’ve maintained high standards of quality while ensuring timely delivery and inspired others to adopt a similar results-driven approach.

Strive to be Earth’s Best Employer

Definition: Leaders work every day to create a safer, more productive, higher performing, more diverse, and more just work environment. They lead with empathy, have fun at work, and make it easy for others to have fun. Leaders ask themselves: Are my fellow employees growing? Are they empowered? Are they ready for what’s next? Leaders have a vision for and commitment to their employees’ personal success, whether that be at Amazon or elsewhere.

Key aspects:

Employee-centric approach: This principle strongly emphasizes creating an optimal work environment for all employees.
Diversity and inclusion: There’s a focus on fostering a diverse workforce and an inclusive culture where all employees can thrive.
Employee growth and development: Leaders are expected to support their team members’ personal and professional growth actively.
Empowerment: This involves giving employees the tools, resources, and authority to make decisions and drive their work.
Work-life harmony: While maintaining high standards, enjoyment and balance at work are recognized.
Long-term vision for employees: Leaders are encouraged to support their employees’ career aspirations, even if that means eventually leaving Amazon.

Common misconceptions:

This principle doesn’t mean prioritizing employee happiness over business results. It’s about recognizing that engaged, empowered employees drive better business outcomes.
“Fun at work” doesn’t imply a lack of seriousness or lower standards. It’s about creating an environment where people enjoy their work while maintaining high performance.

How to demonstrate Strive to be Earth’s Best Employer in interviews:

Share examples of how you’ve created a positive work environment in your current or previous roles.
Discuss initiatives you’ve led or participated in to promote diversity, inclusion, and employee well-being.
Provide instances where you’ve supported an employee’s growth, even when it meant them moving on to a different role or company.
Talk about how you balance maintaining high-performance standards with ensuring employee satisfaction and growth.
Describe your approach to empowering team members and fostering a culture of autonomy and accountability.

Key behaviors to highlight:

Demonstrating empathy and concern for employee well-being
Showing a track record of developing and promoting talent
Exhibiting a commitment to diversity and inclusion in the workplace
Displaying the ability to create a positive, high-performing team culture
Demonstrating how you’ve balanced business needs with employee needs

Remember, at Amazon, Striving to be Earth’s Best Employer is about creating an environment where employees can do their best work, grow professionally, and enjoy their jobs. In your interview, aim to show that you understand the connection between employee satisfaction and business success. Your examples should illustrate your ability to drive results and your capacity to do so while fostering a positive, inclusive, and growth-oriented work environment. Demonstrate your commitment to developing others, your ability to create a culture of empowerment and fun and your vision for long-term employee success.

Success and Scale Bring Broad Responsibility

Definition: We started in a garage, but we’re not there anymore. We are big, we impact the world, and we 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. And we must end every day knowing we can do even more tomorrow. Leaders create more than they consume and always leave things better than how they found them.

Key aspects:

Awareness of impact: This principle emphasizes understanding the far-reaching effects of Amazon’s intended and unintended actions.
Continuous improvement: There’s a focus on constantly striving to improve for the company and all stakeholders.
Sustainability: Leaders must consider the long-term environmental and social impacts of their decisions.
Community responsibility: This involves recognizing and acting on the responsibility that comes with Amazon’s scale and influence.
Humility: Despite Amazon’s success, there’s an emphasis on remaining humble and acknowledging areas for improvement.
Creating value: Leaders are encouraged to create more value than they consume, leaving a positive net impact.

Common misconceptions:

This principle isn’t about PR or image management. It’s about genuinely acknowledging and acting on the responsibilities that come with Amazon’s scale.
It doesn’t mean slowing down growth or innovation. Instead, it’s about growing and innovating responsibly.

How to demonstrate Success and Scale Bring Broad Responsibility in interviews:

Share examples of how you’ve considered broader impacts in your decision-making processes.
Discuss initiatives you’ve been involved with that focused on sustainability or community benefit.
Provide instances where you’ve identified and addressed unintended negative consequences of your team’s or company’s actions.
Talk about how you balance business objectives with social and environmental responsibilities.
Describe your approach to creating long-term value for multiple stakeholders, not just shareholders.

Key behaviors to highlight:

Demonstrating awareness of the broader implications of business decisions
Showing a track record of initiatives that create a positive impact beyond immediate business goals
Exhibiting a commitment to sustainability and responsible business practices
Displaying the ability to think long-term and consider future generations
Demonstrating how you’ve fostered a culture of responsibility and ethical decision-making in your teams

Remember, at Amazon, Success and Scale Bring Broad Responsibility is about recognizing the company’s potential to impact the world and using that potential responsibly and positively. In your interview, aim to show that you understand the broader context in which large companies operate and the responsibilities that come with that. Your examples should illustrate your ability to drive business results and your capacity to do so in a way that considers and benefits all stakeholders. Demonstrate your commitment to continuous improvement, your ability to think critically about the broader impacts of your actions, and your vision for how business can be a force for good in the world.

The “Why Amazon?” Question

Importance of this question

The “Why Amazon?” question is a cornerstone of the Amazon interview process, serving as a crucial tool for interviewers to evaluate candidates beyond their technical skills and experience. This question delves into the heart of a candidate’s motivations, aspirations, and cultural fit within the Amazon ecosystem.

At its core, this question allows interviewers to gauge a candidate’s genuine enthusiasm for joining Amazon. It’s not just about wanting a job; it’s about demonstrating a desire to be part of Amazon’s unique culture and mission. Interviewers are looking for candidates who have taken the time to understand what makes Amazon distinctive in the business world and can articulate how their goals and values align with the company’s ethos.

The response to this question also provides valuable insights into a candidate’s level of preparation and seriousness about the opportunity. A well-thought-out answer indicates that the candidate has done their homework, researching Amazon’s business model, innovations, and challenges. This level of preparation is highly valued, as it suggests a proactive approach and genuine interest in the company.

Moreover, the “Why Amazon?” question provides a window into a candidate’s long-term career aspirations. Amazon is invested in hiring individuals who are likely to grow with the company, and this question helps assess whether a candidate’s career trajectory aligns with what Amazon can offer. It’s an opportunity for candidates to demonstrate how they see themselves contributing to and evolving within the Amazon framework over time.

In the competitive landscape of Amazon interviews, where many candidates may have similar qualifications, the response to this question can be a significant differentiating factor. It’s a chance for candidates to showcase their unique perspectives and articulate the specific value they can bring to Amazon. A standout answer demonstrates alignment with Amazon’s culture and highlights how the candidate’s strengths and experiences can contribute to the company’s mission.

Ultimately, the “Why Amazon?” question concerns more than expressing interest in a job. It’s an opportunity for candidates to show that they understand and are excited about Amazon’s culture of innovation, customer obsession, and long-term thinking. By asking this question, Amazon interviewers seek to identify candidates who are not just qualified for the role but also likely to thrive in Amazon’s unique environment and contribute meaningfully to the company’s ongoing success and growth.

How to craft a compelling answer

Answering the “Why Amazon?” question effectively is an art that combines personal introspection with strategic communication. It’s not merely about reciting facts or showering praise on the company; it’s an opportunity to weave a narrative connecting your professional journey with Amazon’s mission and culture.

You can start with introspection. What indeed draws you to Amazon? Is it the innovative spirit that has revolutionized multiple industries? Perhaps it’s the customer-centric approach that resonates with your values. Or maybe the global scale of impact appeals to your ambitions? Identifying these genuine motivations forms the core of your response.

Now, immerse yourself in Amazon’s world. Dive deep into the company’s history, recent innovations, and future projections. Pay particular attention to the specific role or department you’re eyeing. This research isn’t just about accumulating facts but understanding what makes Amazon tick.

With this foundation, begin crafting your narrative. Open with a hook – a concise statement encapsulating your primary attraction to Amazon. Follow this with specific examples demonstrating your understanding of Amazon’s unique position in the industry. Perhaps you’re fascinated by a particular project or initiative. Explain why it captures your imagination and how you envision contributing to similar endeavors.

As you think about your response, consider it a bridge. On one side stands your professional background, skills, and aspirations. On the other, Amazon’s culture, needs, and future direction. Your answer should seamlessly connect these two sides, illustrating why this juncture in your career aligns perfectly with what Amazon offers and seeks.

Authenticity is key. While it’s crucial to align your response with Amazon’s ethos, it’s equally important that your answer rings true to your own experiences and goals. Incorporate relevant anecdotes from your professional life that echo Amazon’s leadership principles. These stories indicate your cultural fit and readiness to thrive in Amazon’s unique environment.

Balance is crucial. Express enthusiasm, certainly, but temper it with a realistic acknowledgment of the challenges of working at a pioneer like Amazon. This nuanced approach demonstrates maturity and a genuine understanding of what lies ahead.

In crafting your response, consider the power of concision. Aim for an impactful two- to three-minute answer, yet leave room for dialogue. Practice your delivery until it flows naturally, conveying confidence without sounding rehearsed.

The most compelling answers to “Why Amazon?” are those that resonate on multiple levels. They demonstrate a deep understanding of the company, articulate a clear vision of one’s career trajectory, and make a persuasive case for the synergy between them. In essence, your answer should not just respond to the question. Still, it should set the stage for a broader conversation about your potential contribution to Amazon’s ongoing story of innovation and growth.

Post-Interview Process

What happens after your interviews

Once the flurry of your Amazon interviews subsides, you might find yourself in anticipation, wondering about the next steps. While less intense than the interviews themselves, the post-interview phase is crucial in its own right.

Typically, the process unfolds as follows: Your interviewers will convene for a debrief session, usually within 48 hours of your final interview. During this meeting, they’ll discuss their impressions, review your responses, and evaluate your fit against the role requirements and Amazon’s Leadership Principles.

The hiring manager and the bar raiser play pivotal roles in this discussion. They’ll lead the conversation, ensuring the assessment is thorough and unbiased. If there’s consensus that you’re a strong candidate, they’ll move forward with the hiring process. However, if there are significant concerns or disagreements, they may decide not to proceed.

Should the team decide to move forward, the next step often involves reference checks. Amazon may contact the professional references you’ve provided to gain additional insights into your work style, achievements, and character.

Simultaneously, the hiring team will be putting together an offer. This process can take anywhere from a few days to a couple of weeks, depending on various factors such as the seniority of the role, the urgency of filling the position, and the internal approvals required.

It’s worth noting that Amazon’s hiring process is designed to be relatively swift. In many cases, candidates receive a response within five business days after their final interview. However, this timeline can vary, especially for more senior positions or during busy hiring periods.

Don't be discouraged if you haven’t heard back within a week. The silence doesn’t necessarily indicate a negative outcome. Sometimes, internal discussions or approvals may take longer than anticipated. In such cases, contacting your recruiter for an update is perfectly acceptable.

Remember, the post-interview phase is also an opportunity to reflect on your experience. Consider whether the role and Amazon’s culture align with your career goals and work preferences. This reflection will prove valuable if you receive an offer and need to decide.

While waiting can be challenging, use this time productively. Continue your research on Amazon, reflect on your interviews, and consider any questions or concerns you might want to address if you receive an offer. This proactive approach will ensure you’re well-prepared for any outcome and ready to decide your potential future with Amazon.

Follow-up etiquette

In the wake of your Amazon interviews, striking the right balance in your follow-up communication is crucial. It’s an art form that requires finesse, timing, and a keen understanding of professional courtesy.

Immediately following your interviews, it is customary to send a brief thank-you note to your interviewers. This gesture, while simple, can leave a lasting impression. Craft a concise, personalized message for each interviewer, referencing specific points from your conversation. This demonstrates your attentiveness and reinforces your interest in the role.

As days turn into weeks, you might feel an urge to check in with the hiring team frequently. Resist this temptation. Amazon’s recruitment process is well-structured, and excessive follow-ups can be perceived as impatience or desperation. Instead, exercise restraint and respect the timeline provided by your recruiter.

That said, if the specified timeframe has elapsed without a word, it’s perfectly acceptable to sync up. Compose a polite inquiry reaffirming your enthusiasm for the position and requesting an update on the process. Keep your message succinct and professional, avoiding any hint of frustration or urgency.

If you receive another job offer while waiting to hear back from Amazon, transparency is key. Inform your Amazon recruiter promptly, providing a general timeline for your decision-making process. This information could potentially expedite Amazon’s decision, and it’s a professional courtesy that recruiters appreciate.

Should you withdraw your application, communicate this decision respectfully and promptly. Express gratitude for the opportunity and provide a brief, professional explanation for your withdrawal.

Throughout this waiting period, maintain a positive online presence. While it’s unlikely that Amazon will scrutinize your social media activity post-interview, ensuring that your professional profiles remain up-to-date and aligned with the image you presented during the interviews is wise.

If weeks have passed with no response despite your follow-up, it may be time to consider moving on. However, do so gracefully. The tech industry is surprisingly small, and maintaining professional relationships is always beneficial. A courteous final check-in, expressing your continued interest but understanding if they’ve moved in a different direction, can open the door for future opportunities.

Remember, your conduct during this period extends your interview performance. Professionalism, patience, and politeness in your follow-up communications can reinforce the positive impression you’ve made and potentially tip the scales in your favor in a close decision.

Introduction

Understanding Amazon’s Behavioral Interview Process

Overview of the Amazon Hiring Process

Importance of Behavioral Interviews at Amazon

Amazon’s Leadership Principles

Brief Explanation of the 16 Leadership Principles

Why Leadership Principles matter in interviews

Preparing for Behavioral Questions

Researching Amazon and the Role

Understanding Amazon’s Leadership Principles in Depth

Creating a Story Bank

The STAR method and Amazon’s unique expectations

How Day One Careers can enhance your preparation

Deep Dive into Amazon’s Leadership Principles

Customer Obsession

Ownership

Invent and Simplify

Are Right, A Lot

Learn and Be Curious

Hire and Develop the Best

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Insist on the Highest Standards

Think Big

Bias for Action

Frugality

Earn Trust

Dive Deep

Have Backbone; Disagree and Commit

Deliver Results

Strive to be Earth’s Best Employer

Success and Scale Bring Broad Responsibility

The “Why Amazon?” Question

Importance of this question

How to craft a compelling answer

Post-Interview Process

What happens after your interviews

Follow-up etiquette

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