This article has the best answers to questions that get asked in Amazon job interviews. You can also take an Amazon free practice mock interview and get insightful results from artificial intelligence about your personality and skills.
Amazon is among the popular and sought-after names in the tech world. It ranks among the top technology companies to work for. Landing an interview at Amazon is extremely hard as one of the giants of the tech industry.
Companies such as Amazon, Facebook, Google, Apple, etc. are a top choice for aspiring employees in the tech industry because they have so many great things to offer. These companies have exceptional employee benefits, modern offices, great compensation packages, work flexibility, etc.
After looking at the employee perks Amazon offers, it is no surprise that people want to work there.
Amazon’s Hiring Process
Amazon is a huge company so they are constantly hiring. Apart from internships and graduate roles, there are hundreds of corporate jobs available. There are plenty of opportunities for willing employees to get their foot in the front door.
The makeup and length of the hiring process depend on the role you are applying for and the location. For engineering roles, the first step is mostly a technical screen that can last for about an hour. There are often two or three rounds of engagement with the talent team and then finally the candidate moves to the final round consisting of shorter interviews.
Amazon is a huge company and the interview experiences can have different steps, lengths, and difficulty levels. Amazon is known for having fair and efficient interview processes. To make the best of the interview opportunity, it is important to go in well-prepared.
Tip: Amazon seeks candidates that have the “x-factor” so make sure you identify the thing that makes you best for the role you are applying for.
Seven Common Amazon Interview Practice Questions
Amazon interview practice
What are their leadership principles?
Amazon values its leadership principles and their interview questions mostly revolve around these principles. It’s not easy to maintain consistency when a company is constantly hiring new people across the organization.
Amazon has distributed hiring teams and they use the principles as a collective compass. It allows the hiring team to internally embrace the principles and effortlessly integrate new hires into the roles they are hired for. It makes it easier for new hires to adjust to the corporate culture of the company. Amazon hopes to hire people that have leadership qualities as well.
The principles are as follows:
- Customer obsession
- Ownership
- Invent and simplify
- Are right a lot
- Learn and be curious
- Hire and develop only the best
- Always think big
- Bias for action
- Frugality
- Earn trust
- Commit, disagree, and have a backbone
- Provide results
Approach for addressing the challenges faced by our team?
It seems like an easy question but it’s not. If you are not aware of the specific challenges faced by the Amazon team you are applying for then you will not be able to give a satisfactory answer. The challenges of an engineering manager are different from the ones faced by program managers. A vague answer is not a good one so it is essential to understand why the role you are applying for exists.
What is the importance of the customer in your eyes?
Amazon is obsessed with customers and its first leadership principle is about the customers. Before making any decision they want to ask whether the users will obtain value from it or not. Make sure that you focus on the customers during an interview because they prefer people that know how to centralize their decisions on customer needs.
Is there a time you have made a mistake at work?
One of the leadership principles of Amazon is being right a lot. But no one is perfect, and recognizing one’s mistakes is essential. While mentioning the mistakes it is essential to share the steps you took to fix the mistake. Share details of all the steps you took and the processes you used to ensure that the same mistake is not repeated. Think about the principle that states “Deliver the results” and consider how it leads you to deliver better results. Formulate your answer to this question using the STAR method.
Tip: Practicing mock interview questions for an interview at Amazon is always a good idea.
Are you good at working autonomously?
Amazon is popular for having a unique hiring approach. It is known for preferring doers because it gets things done. The approach is effective if you are looking to operate with autonomy during decision-making processes. Amazon does get some heat for having a challenging, intense, and cutthroat work environment.
At Amazon, the individual contributor mentality is common. It is not easy to get away with doing less because there is no way of hiding behind collective outputs. Amazon is particular about leadership principles as it helps in matching up with people that can adjust and thrive in such a work environment.
How did you handle a low performer on your team?
One of the key aspects of Amazon’s leadership principles is that each member of the team is expected to possess leadership qualities. It prefers people that do not just hold each other accountable but also play a role in building each other up. They like people who are ready to give a helping hand whenever required. Behavioral interview questions are focused on teamwork and conflict resolution.
Do you like to influence the team or defer while handling team disagreements?
No matter how hard you try there is going to be some friction between the teams. The best way of handling team conflict is to have members that can step up and stick to their plan and also know when to defer to something that the team member is offering. Amazon avoids hiring people that easily mold to the status quo. In the interview, it’s important to showcase your ability to challenge decisions and be decisive.
Amazon Interview Practice Summary
Amazon is a popular choice for job seekers in the tech industry. Landing an interview at such a competitive and industry-leading company is a big achievement. To make the best of the opportunity, it’s important to practice common interview questions asked by Amazon.
Sam Najar, MBA
MBA from the Australian Institute of business. Over a decade working for IBM Australia and Oracle Europe and the Middle East. Worked on Artificial Intelligence technology for many years and believes that technology can help everyone better understand his/her personality and find the job they deserve.
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