Amazon is the world’s largest online retailer. Its leadership principles aim to create a passionate culture where employees are always pushing themselves to be their best. They’re based on the idea that a leader should be able to think outside the box and take risks.
Working at Amazon may be your dream job. But it’s important to understand the key Amazon leadership principles interview questions that their hiring managers use to filter top talent.
14 Amazon Leadership Principles and Interview Questions
Your answer to Amazon’s behavioral interview questions should be based on these leadership principles:
Customer Obsession
Amazon works on the principle that the customer is always right. Therefore, interviews have questions about customer obsession to judge how much importance you give to customers’ needs.
For example:
How can a company better connect with customers’ interests?
Tell me about a time you had to reconcile with an unhappy customer.
Ownership
Ownership means taking full responsibility for your work. This principle fosters a culture of autonomy and accountability to increase the productivity and profitability of the business.
Invent and Simplify
Amazon leaders believe in simplifying the lives of their customers and solving their potential problems. Employees are encouraged to take risks and come up with new ideas as well as execute them swiftly.
Are Right, a Lot
This principle means that leaders should do what’s right, even if it’s not popular. Leaders who follow this principle are usually successful because they have strong problem-solving capabilities and can make difficult decisions quickly.
Learn and Be Curious
The learn and be curious leadership principle is one of the most important principles that Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos believes in. According to him, it’s essential for anyone in a leadership role to learn constantly. This allows them to stay ahead of the competition and constantly improve their skills.
Hire and Develop the Best
One of Amazon’s most important principles is to hire the best talent in their field and polish their skills. Jeff Bezos says,
“Setting the bar high in our approach to hiring has been, and will continue to be, the single most important element of Amazon.com’s success.”
In an Amazon leadership principles interview, you might be asked:
How did you improve team mentorship and training?
How did you manage underperforming employees?
Insist on the Highest Standards
Amazon always works to set bars high. Amazon leaders will always push themselves and their teams to be the best — to provide the best quality.
You might get asked: How can one improve the quality of a service that is already getting good reviews?
Think Big
To start and support your career at Amazon, you must think outside the box and generate innovative ideas that can change how people shop. Did you ideate any new processes or brainstorm new services in your previous role? It would be a great idea to mention that during the interview.
Frugality
Frugality means being judicious with your resources and making sure that every dollar is put to good use.
In the leadership principles interview, you might get asked:
Tell me about the time you had to work with limited resources or time.
Earn Trust
The purpose of the Amazon leadership principles interview is to hire someone who can build long-term, trustworthy relationships with clients. Therefore, they may ask you about a time when you failed to keep a work-related promise.
Dive Deep
Leaders at Amazon demonstrate “dive deep” by exploring new areas of knowledge. One of the questions in the Amazon leadership principles interview might be about using market research, buyer analysis, or AI to make strategic decisions.
Have Backbone; Disagree and Commit
A question about this principle in the Amazon leadership principles interview judges your ability to accept and work with unpopular decisions. This is a great principle to have in place because it allows for creativity and disagreement while still maintaining a unified team goal.
Deliver Results
This principle means leaders should set goals, chalk out strategies, and work tirelessly to achieve them. You might be asked about your prior successes in the Amazon leadership principle interview. For instance:
What are your proudest professional achievements?
How do you ensure you achieve your targets/quarterly goals?
Wrapping Up
All the above-mentioned principles are important to know to successfully clear the Amazon leadership principles interview. Look closely at the job description to see which leadership principles are the most important for your target role. You can also get help from the recruiter. Moreover, the STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) interview method is a tried-and-tested method to highlight your accomplishments during the interview.
To stand out among hundreds of applications, it is vital to seek expert assistance.
Pathrise is an online program for tech professionals that provides one-on-one mentorship, training, and advice to help you land your next job. Pathrise experts can guide you thoroughly about the Amazon leadership key principles related to your field to crack any job interview. Try us for free today.
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