Leadership Principles Flashcards
Customer Obsession
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.
We all have heard a quote that says “customers are always right.” An entrepreneur aspires to tick all the boxes to achieve and maintain the customer’s trust in order to not slip away the client to competitors.
The customer obsession based business focuses more on the customers’ retention by enforcing brand loyalty to them in order to gain their trust.
It is highly important, especially when you are in a marketing business, where the customer lifestyle really matters.
Customer obsession stands on the principle of
- understanding clients and
- taking regular feedback from them on products.
How will you prioritize customer’s needs when you are working with a large number of customers and also when it’s tricky to deliver excellent service to all of them?
Tip – Focusing on the leadership principles customer obsession, taking ownership, and innovation. Remember that you aim to be hired by the world’s largest online retail company. Think big.
Sample Answer – “I believe in approaching each and every customer requirement with the same level of attention at first. Properly understanding the gap between importance and satisfaction is important when prioritizing each customer’s need. I would give priority for the important and expected features or demands first, and fulfill the requirements focusing satisfaction and delight after. It is all about recognizing the vital few from the trivial many.”
Give an example of an event when you did not meet a client’s demand, what happened then, and how did you deal with it.
Tip – Another question that requires you to be self-critical. When answering a question like this, be careful not to focus too much on the negativity. Elaborate on the positivity that comes with identifying your mistake and taking actions to make it right.
Sample Answer – “One time a client expressed that he is not fully satisfied with a web development project that my team and I delivered. We always made sure to involve the client in the design aspects from the beginning to the end. However, our User Interface designer had taken slight creative liberty when it comes to the layout to deliver a perfect outcome. I sat down with our designer and the client and explained the reasons for the few deviations of the design from what the client directly requested. In the end, the client decided not to change anything and admired the skills of the designer and thanked us for going an extra mile to make sure he gets a perfect outcome.”
Can you describe a difficult interaction you’ve had with a customer?
Tip – Pick a professional anecdote that shows a time you demonstrated both customer obsession and taking ownership of a situation. It should show your problem-solving skills and react quickly and successfully to a difficult situation.
Sample Answer – “A customer complained about a technical issue of a product and was clearly irritated since the product was brand new. It, however, turned out to be their lack of knowledge and practice in operating that product. I listened with understanding and took them through the process step by step with patience and care. I focused on making sure that the customer clearly understands and able to operate the product safely.”
Tell me about the last time you had to apologize to someone.
Tip – This question focused on your ability to be vocally self-critical, which is an important leadership trait, especially when working with teams. Pick a situation where you did not only apologize but also took measures to successfully correct the mistake that happened.
Sample Answer – “I like sticking to tried and true methods when it comes to handling projects that I have previous experiences in doing. During a recent project, I rejected a different method of operation suggested by a new member thinking it would lower the quality of the final product even though it would have saved us a lot of time. However, during the last minute rush, we resorted to the new method, which ended up being a great success. I apologized to the new member on not having confidence in their method at first.”
Can you remember a time when you obsessed over giving very high-quality service to a customer?
S: Kenny G / high prof talent @ intimate concert / flight risk, attitude, etc.
T: Ensure he goes on stage on time
A: Complete 1:1 service to him/TM
R: Job offer & personal cell
Explain Ownership.
The people who say “that’s not my job” are never the owners. Leaders are owners. They always think on a long-term basis and never rely on short term results. They not only act on behalf of their own team but for the entire company. Ownership strengthens the employee-employer relationship.
What does Ownership mean to you?
Because of the ownership, employees respect the phenomena of accountability and show commitment to their organization. It brings the desired positive outcomes for the development of the company.
Describe for me how you have demonstrated customer obsession?
Tip – As the very first Amazon Leadership Principle, Customer Obsession will surely be an on-going theme during your interview. Prepare with anecdotes that you can use to prove your customer-centric way of thinking.
Sample Answer – “In any given situation, I start with the customer and work backward. My sole intention is to provide an amazing customer experience, even if that means going out of my way to exceed their expectations on the service that I give them. I understand that it is not only about earning their trust, but also keeping their trust by consistently and continually providing great customer experience.”
Had to work on a project with unclear responsibilities?
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Had to leave a task incomplete?
Tip- Frugality is one of the most important leadership principles at Amazon. It is not only about tangible resources, but also the time and the energy of t he workers as well.
Sample Answer – “As an intern, I had to manually reorganize some of the written documents in a publishing company. Half way I realized the important parts of those documents have already been digital preserved, which means my time could have been used more effectively. I informed my supervisor and then left manual organization unfinished.”
Walk us through a time when you helped a customer through a difficult process and what that looked like.
Tip – Pick a professional anecdote that shows a time you demonstrated both customer obsession and taking ownership of a situation. It should show your problem-solving skills and react quickly and successfully to a difficult situation.
Sample Answer – “A customer complained about a technical issue of a product and was clearly irritated since the product was brand new. It, however, turned out to be their lack of knowledge and practice in operating that product. I listened with understanding and took them through the process step by step with patience and care. I focused on making sure that the customer clearly understands and able to operate the product safely.”
Took it upon yourself to work on a thought-provoking initiative.
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Explain Invent and simplify
Leaders expect innovation from their teams and always seek ways to streamline them. They look for new ideas from far and wide perspective. But having said that it’s also true that in the quest to implement new ideas, there is always a threat that it wouldn’t connect with the target audience.
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.
What does Invent and simply mean to you?
The only way to get over that roadblock is by introducing user-friendly innovations.
It’s true that modern innovative products are ‘The’ factor to stand out from the rest but one must always be cautious to always take into account that is handy for the users.
Tell the story of the last time you had to apologize to someone.
Tip – This question focused on your ability to be vocally self-critical, which is an important leadership trait, especially when working with teams. Pick a situation where you did not only apologize but also took measures to successfully correct the mistake that happened.
Sample Answer – “I like sticking to tried and true methods when it comes to handling projects that I have previous experiences in doing. During a recent project, I rejected a different method of operation suggested by a new member thinking it would lower the quality of the final product even though it would have saved us a lot of time. However, during the last minute rush, we resorted to the new method, which ended up being a great success. I apologized to the new member on not having confidence in their method at first.”
Most of us, at one time, have felt frustrated or impatient when dealing with customers. Can you tell me about a time when you felt this way and how you dealt with it?
Tip – This question covers your ability to be self-critical and your professionalism. Be honest. Amazon is a company that appreciates those who learn from their experiences and grows.
Sample Answer – “During my retail working days, I have had irritated customers with difficult expectations. During those times, I always remind myself that it is not a personal attack against me. I keep myself calm and collected, then try to be empathetic toward the customer. Being apologetic and actively sympathetic is important when handling such situations, and providing a solution as soon as possible.”
Changed a process at work through either an innovative new way or simplification.
S: Bag check was continuously getting poor ratings, bags were getting lost/stolen, long lines, chaos. Especially as we scaled into larger attendee counts (30,000) we needed a better process.
T: Improve bag check experience by incurring minimal additional cost to the event.
A: Restructured the entire process. I changed it to a self service with numbers and a simple security check as you left the area.
R: Zero stolen bags with no line queue needed. Scalable process that would work for any sized event.
Tell me about a time when you invented something.
S: Our racing events were scoring low on our water station line item because it was hard for volunteers to keep them filled, as the cups had to be lightweight (and sustainable) for runners to grab and run with.
T: Needed economical device that was lightweight/travel well and would decrease fill time during events
A: Drew out an idea and googled companies that would help me with a prototype. Priced that out and got approval for 1 prototype. Made some edits
R: Ended up using that (and seeing other races use similar items) for years later. Water stations no longer were a negative experience for our runners and it was easier for our volunteers to fill and let water wasted by spillage.
When you are working with a large number of customers, it is tricky to deliver excellent service to them all. How do you go about prioritizing your customers’ needs?
Tip – Focusing on the leadership principles customer obsession, taking ownership, and innovation. Remember that you aim to be hired by the world’s largest online retail company. Think big.
Sample Answer – “I believe in approaching each and every customer requirement with the same level of attention at first. Properly understanding the gap between importance and satisfaction is important when prioritizing each customer’s need. I would give priority for the important and expected features or demands first, and fulfill the requirements focusing satisfaction and delight after. It is all about recognizing the vital few from the trivial many.”
Explain “Are right, a lot”
Good leaders are often right in a number of areas.
They have definite decision making power and good instincts with proper markups for a business. They seek diverse viewpoints in light of giving innovative products to the target audience. They have the curiosity to learn more at every stage of the business.
In the amazon leadership principles, Jeff Bezos noted that leaders are right not because the employee always has to follow the leader, but because a leader has the potential to look for perspectives that an employee cannot.
Leaders are right a lot. They have strong judgment and good instincts. They seek diverse perspectives and work to disconfirm their beliefs.
Explain “Learn to be curious”
This is perhaps the most important Amazon leadership principle as it sets the foundation of the entire business structure.
Leaders are never satisfied with their product, the word, ‘perfect’ is not in their dictionary. It’s curiosity which helps them to achieve new feats. They are never done learning and always look to improve themselves.
They are curious to know all the possibilities and acts to explore them. They are never satisfied at any point in their business development which makes them interesting.
Leaders are never done learning and always seek to improve themselves. They are curious about new possibilities and act to explore them.
Explain “Hire and develop the best”
With every hiring and promotion, a good leader raises the performance bar and productivity. Leaders have a keen eye to recognize the exceptional talent in an employee or to put in other words they always seek the answer to the question in relation to every employee and that is whether they can move the company towards success or not. Leaders are always willing to coach others. They work on behalf of their people to keep inventing for development.
According to Jeff Bezos “I’d rather interview 50 people and not hire anyone than hire the wrong person.”
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.
Explain “Insisting highest standards”
Amazon leadership principles have its own high standards. It makes the point that leaders have relentlessly high standards in every aspect of the business. A majority may think these standards are excessively high, but, leaders are constantly raising the bar and aim to drive their teams to deliver high-quality products, services, and processes. Leaders ensure that defects do not let down the line, and they always try to fix the problems always on time.
Leaders have relentlessly high standards - many people may think these standards are unreasonably high. Leaders are continually raising the bar and driving 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.
Explain “Think big”
Thinking small is a self-fulfilling forecast. Leaders always take a bold direction that stimulates favorable outcomes. They think in their own way and look around corners for ways to serve customers with high standards. Leaders believe that there is no task difficult for them which is why they think big and create innovation. In interviews, the recruiters ask the employees some tricky questions to know their vision.
Leaders create and communicate a bold direction that inspires results. They think differently and look around corners for ways to serve customers.
Explain “Bias for action”
Timings matter a lot in business. Many decisions and actions are adjustable and do not need extensive study.
We value calculated risk-taking. Bias for action does not mean acting without consideration. Despite that, the inclination for action means having an idea or evidence, and understanding quickly what that market thinks of it. Amazon leadership principles emphasize on the bias for action prospect because sometimes some decisions are irreversible. In that case, it helps a leader to handle the situation.
Speed matters in business. Many decisions and actions are reversible and do not need extensive study. We value calculated risk taking.
Explain “Frugality”
“I think frugality drives innovation, just like other constraints do. One of the only ways to get out of a tight box is to invent your way out.”- Jeff Bezos.
Amazon leadership principles stress on achieving more with less. Restraints breed ingenuity, independence, and creation. There are no additional points for growing headcount, financial budget size or fixed expense. It can lead to wise decision making especially regarding financial concerns.
Accomplish more with less. Constraints breed resourcefulness, self-sufficiency and invention. Process Improvement
Explain “Earn trust”
Leaders are very attentive; they speak candid and listen to the advice of their subordinates. They are frank with their employees and don’t feel embarrassed about discussing matters which they feel lack knowledge of.
They set their goals against the best and motivates their team to do this as well. In this way, they earn the trust of their employees and also their customers. The applicants who apply for such a relevant position needs to be prepared for some tricky questions.
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.
Explain “Dive Deep”
Leaders function at all levels, stay associated with the details, audit frequently, and are skeptical when metrics and narratives differ. No task is below their standards. They always have an in-depth look into all the matters of the business and want to hire such employees who also enjoy supervision.
Leaders operate at all levels, stay connected to the details, audit frequently, and are skeptical when metrics and anecdote differ. No task is beneath them.
Explain “Disagree and Commit”
Leaders are obliged to their team members whenever they receive quality advice contrary to their perspective.
They don’t feel their authority being undermined when team members respectfully disagree with them while putting an alternative idea. Leaders have conviction and are tenacious with their plans. They do not settle for less for the sake of social solidity. Once a decision is taken collectively, they commit wholly to it.
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.
Explain “Deliver Results”
Leaders focus on the critical contributions and efforts for their business and deliver them with the right quality promptly. Despite holdups, they rise to the occasion and never settle for less.
“The keys to success are patience, persistence, and obsessive attention to detail.”– Jeff Bezos
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.
Give me an example of a time when you did not meet a client’s expectation. What happened, and how did you attempt to rectify the situation?
Tip – Another question that requires you to be self-critical. When answering a question like this, be careful not to focus too much on the negativity. Elaborate on the positivity that comes with identifying your mistake and taking actions to make it right.
Sample Answer – “One time a client expressed that he is not fully satisfied with a web development project that my team and I delivered. We always made sure to involve the client in the design aspects from the beginning to the end. However, our User Interface designer had taken slight creative liberty when it comes to the layout to deliver a perfect outcome. I sat down with our designer and the client and explained the reasons for the few deviations of the design from what the client directly requested. In the end, the client decided not to change anything and admired the skills of the designer and thanked us for going an extra mile to make sure he gets a perfect outcome.”
Tell me about a time you were wrong.
S. I made a mistake.
T.
A. Explained the error and presented possible solutions to my manager prior to executing the best solution to correct the issue.
R.
Tell me about a time when you changed your process to better align with customer needs.
Tip – This question also tackles your ability to take ownership of a situation and strategically make critical, and most importantly, customer-centric decisions.
Sample Answer – “A customer made an order related to their upcoming nuptials, and they needed it delivered on a particular date. While the delivery method that they selected did not offer close tracking to mention the exact date that they would receive the article, I put a little more effort and care during the logistics process to make sure that they receive the order on the day they specifically needed it. The client was extremely thankful.”
Tell me about a time you handled a difficult customer. What did you do? How did you manage the customer? What was her/his reaction? What was the outcome?
Tip – Amazon is not a company that simply uses “customer-centric” as a tagline for marketing. When they say that they are customer obsessed, they truly mean it. It is extremely important to not put the customer in too much of a bad spotlight when you answer this question.
Sample Answer – “I once had a graphic design customer just seemed virtually impossible to impress. He paid great attention to detail and seemed to find problems in places that we never imagined. My solution was to get him fully on board in the process of design. We truly listened to his suggestions and made immediate changes when he requested. He ended up being great friends with our team in the end, and became a frequent repeat customer.”
When do you think it is okay to push back or say no to an unreasonable customer request?
Tip – Amazon is a company that is extremely customer-centric and looks for employees who are resourceful enough to deliver results even during the most difficult times. Therefore, saying no to a customer should always be a very last resort.
Sample Answer – “I, personally, believe that there is always a solution to a problem. Regardless of how difficult it is, I will truly try my best to fulfill a request by a customer or at least meet them halfway. I would say no to a customer only if their request is simply not realistic, or expected me to directly break company policies.”
How do you develop client relationships?
Tip – This question covers the obvious customer obsession leadership principle as well as earning trust and delivering results.
Sample Answer – “I believe that when it comes to developing any kind of relationship, communication is the key. I will always be efficient with my communication in my client relationships with an attitude that shows them I truly value customer satisfaction. With my experience, I have learned that maintaining the integrity and being transparent with my objectives are also essential to developing good client relationships.
Tell me about a time you used customer feedback to change the way you worked.
Tip – When you answer interview questions, always show that you are confident about your expertise, and yet willing to learn and grow from your experiences. As a customer-centric company, the feedback from customers is extremely important at Amazon.
Sample Answer – “I tend to be a perfectionist in my work. The style of my work changed after a customer told me the details that I have to focus on vary from one customer to another and that I have to approach every project with a clear and open mind”.
How do you get to an understanding of what the customer’s needs are?
Tip – As an Amazonian, you need to always listen to your customer and fully understand their needs. This includes understanding not only what they say, but most importantly what they do, not say.
Sample Answer – ” As a web developer, I work with many clients without the technical knowledge of what they require and can only provide me with the details of the aesthetic that they expect in the final product. I believe that great customer service is not only about doing what they ask us to do but about anticipating what they truly require and exceeding their expectation.
How do you anticipate your customer’s needs ?
Tip – This question tap into both your customer obsession levels and also your innovation, thinking beyond the limits and delivering great results.
Sample Answer – ” Knowing your customer is the key. I believe in getting to know my customer not only on a professional but also a personal level. it is important to understand their lifestyle and the way they think in order to truly anticipate their needs. I am always updated and on the lookout for the problems to solve and trends to follow in order to give exactly what the customer needs.”
How do you honestly pursue customer feedback, not just solicit them for compliments?
Tips – The best customer feedback is not inherently positive feedback, but also neutral and honest feedback with constructive criticism.
Sample Answer – “I always start with making sure I provide a perfect service that encourages the customer to leave feedback on their own without having solicit. When I do pursue feedback, I always do it with clear intent and a purpose, explaining to my customer that what I require is constructive feedback and not simply a positive comment.”
How do you wow your customers ?
Tip – This question gives you the opportunity to prove to the interviewer that you would go that extra mile in order to meet their most important leadership principle – customer obsession.
Sample Answer – ” Giving the wow factor to a customer is all about pleasantly surprising them by providing a level of service that exceeds their expectations. This should be started with perfect delivery of service along with a positive addition that they do not usually get from the competitors. It could be anything from an incentive like a discount or an offer they were not expecting to a follow-up to ensure they are fully satisfied with the service.”
Tell me about a time you had to compromise in order to satisfy a customer.
Tip – Amazon explains in their leadership principles that they expect their employees to “work vigorously to earn and keep customer trust.” This includes many practical compromises. Be honest with your answer.
Sample Answer – “When you work in retail, the amount of work almost triples during the holidays. As a manager, I tend to pride myself on providing a great work-life balance to my team. One time, however, I had to compromise the generous holiday vacation time for myself and the team to make sure one of my biggest customers meets their year-end goal. The large profit we made from that project made it all worth it.”
Tell me about a time a customer wanted one thing, but you felt they needed something else.
Tip – While always giving the priority to understanding and delivering exactly what the customer asked and expected from you, make this an opportunity to show how your expertise on the task you are performing comes into play.
Sample Answer – “As a web developer, I have studied psychology and the behaviors of visit who come to a website. When clients specifically ask me to use plenty of colors and graphics on their websites, I know by my experience that they will not positively affect their user interface. It is always less is more when it comes to UIs.”
When was a time you had to balance the needs of the customer with the needs of the business?
Tip – This is a tricky question. At the end of the day, you are an employee of Amazon and you need to give priority to the best interests of the business. However, due to the customer-centric culture at Amazon, learn more toward benefiting the customer.
Sample Answer – “This is something that comes up mostly with product pricing and offering discounts and other incentives to the customer. My approach is always thinking about long-term benefits for the business and retention of the customer rather than making a short-term profit and losing the customer.”
Give me an example of when you took a risk and it failed.
Tip – Be careful when you pick a situation here. your aim should be to show that you are able to take the calculated risk even with the potential to fail and that you can self-critical and turn a failure into a learning moment.
Sample Answer – ” One time when the budget was tight I tried to lead my team to complete a task with fewer resources than it usually needs. What I believed was that if we work hard enough, we will be able to make up for the lack of resources. The project ended up being a failure. What I learned was to plan ahead for the budget and not be overconfident.”
Describe a project or idea (not necessarily your own that was implemented primarily because of your efforts. What was your role? What was the outcome?
Tip- Talk about a time that you took the lead and led a project into a success. Focus more on how your specific skills and efforts contributed to the success of that project or idea.
Sample Answer – “When I was in college, the students in my year started a monthly magazine to publish creative, social, and political expressions by the students. However, there was no theme or a focus for the project. I took the initiative to gather all the submissions under a theme and successfully publish the magazine, which is still active to this day.”
Tell me about a time when you had to leave a task unfinished.
Tip- Frugality is one of the most important leadership principles at Amazon. It is not only about tangible resources, but also the time and the energy of t he workers as well.
Sample Answer – “As an intern, I had to manually reorganize some of the written documents in a publishing company. Half way I realized the important parts of those documents have already been digital preserved, which means my time could have been used more effectively. I informed my supervisor and then left manual organization unfinished.”
tell me about a time when you had to work on a project with unclear responsibilities.
Tip- As a leader, there are tasks you have to undertake without any clear responsibilities which you have to take the ownership of.
Sample Answer – “In my first job, which was an entry-level position in a start-up company, I had a mix of seemingly unrelated tasks I had to complete every day. I eventually realized that they are usually done by a Public Relations professional. I took the initiative to fully perform my duties and I was soon promoted to be the Public Relations manager of the company.”
Give an example of when you saw a peer struggling and decided to step in and help. What was the situation and what action did you take? What was the outcome?
Tip – The tricky part of this question is making sure that you do not come off as a micro-manager, but as a helpful team worker who humbly offers help to strengthen a team.
Sample Answer- “While I can think of many situations I lend a helping hand, perhaps the most memorable would be helping one of the most experienced and senior members of my team to navigate through a new vertual management system. they were reluctant to ask for help, but was very thankful that I offered to take them through it until they fully got the hang of it.”
Give me an example of a decision you owned, which had a long-term focus.
Tip – This question covers the leadership principles of insisting on higher standards, diving deep, and delivering results. Decisions that have long-term focus prove your dedication and loyalty for your workplace.
Sample Answer – “I was in charge of setting up the website for one of the companies I worked for. Without simply getting a basic website online, I took my time to properly optimize the website for search engines and include great quality content. While it took me more time and the budget was higher, that website still holds the highest rank in search engines due to me thinking long-term many years ago.”
Provide an example of when you personally demonstrated ownership.
Tip- Ownership in the context of Amazon leadership principles is all about acting on behalf of the entire company. In a company with a scope as large as Amazon, they do not need employees that say,” that’s not my job”.
Sample Answer- “When I worked for an event management company, I made it my duty to always be proactive with networking with many individuals who attend events not because it was my job, but because the exposure was good for the company. I represented the company on many occasions and brought plenty of opportunities.
Tell us about a time when you had to make a bold and challenging decision?
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Tell me about a time when you took a calculated risk?
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Tell me about a time you wanted to get information from someone who wasn’t very responsive. What did you do?
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Describe a time when you noted some problems and took the initiative to correct it rather than waiting for someone else to do it?
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Tell us about a time when you had to decide with little data or information?
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Tell us about a time when you made a decision too quickly, and what you would have done differently?
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Tell us about a time when you had to work with limited time or resources.
Tell us about a time you had to rely on yourself to finish a task.
Tell us about a time where you turned down more resources to complete an assignment.
Tell us about a time when you beat out the competition with fewer resources.
Tell us about a time when you had to be frugal.
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Tell us about a time when you had to work with limited time or resources.
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Tell us about a time you had to rely on yourself to finish a task.
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Tell us about a time where you turned down more resources to complete an assignment.
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Tell us about a time when you beat out the competition with fewer resources.
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Tell us about a time when you had to be frugal.
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- Tell me a challenge you had where the best way forward was not clear-cut.
- Tell me about a time you had to work hard to please a client.
- Give me an example of something you tried to accomplish but failed.
- Give me an example of a time when you showed initiative.
- Give me an example of a time when you motivated others.
- Tell me about a time when you delegated a project effectively.
- Tell me about a time when you coached someone.
- When have you used your fact-finding skills to solve a problem?
- Walk us through a time when you helped a customer through a difficult process and what that looked like.
- Give me an example of when you took a risk and it failed.
- Tell me about a time when you observed two business opportunities to improve ROI, and how did you determine that they were connected.
- How do you find the time to stay inspired, acquire new knowledge, and innovate in your work?
- Tell me about a time when you had to deal with a poor performer on your team.
- Describe how you would handle a busy situation where three people are waiting for help from you.
- Tell me about a time where you thought of a clever new way to save money for the company.
- Tell me a time when you earned trust of a group.
- Tell me about the most difficult interaction you had at work.
- How do you resonate with our principle, ‘Are right, a lot’?
- Which Amazon leadership principle do you resonate most with?
- Tell me about a time where you overcame an obstacle and delivered results.
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Tell me about a time when you had to tell someone a harsh truth?
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What would you sort out if you come across that your closest friend at work was stealing?
S.- Friend submitted charges that violated company policy.
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A. - Reported the behavior to the appropriate source.
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What is the quality you value least about yourself?
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What do you do to gain the trust of your teammates?
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Tell us about something that you learned recently in your role?
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Give us two examples of when you did more than what was obligatory in any job experience?
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Tell us about the most complicated problem you’ve ever worked on?
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Tell us about a time when understanding the details of a situation helped you arrive at a solution?
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Tell us about a time you utilized in-depth data to come across a solution?
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Tell us about a time when you had to step up and disagree with a team member’s approach.
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If your direct manager was coaching you to do something you disagreed with, how would you handle it?
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Tell us about a time when you did not accept the status quo.
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Tell us about an unpopular decision of yours.
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What do you believe that no one else does?
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Give me an example of a time when you were 75% of the way through a project, and you had to pivot strategy–how were you able to make that into a success story?
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By providing an example, tell me when you have had to handle a variety of assignments. Describe the results.
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What is the most challenging situation you have ever faced in your life? How did you handle it?
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Tell me about a time you had too much on your plate to deal with and how you handled getting everything done.
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Tell me about a time when everyone else on your team gave up on something, but you pushed the team towards delivering a result.
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Tell me about a time when you invented something.
S: Our racing events were scoring low on our water station line item because it was hard for volunteers to keep them filled, as the cups had to be lightweight (and sustainable) for runners to grab and run with.
T: Needed economical device that was lightweight/travel well and would decrease fill time during events
A: Drew out an idea and googled companies that would help me with a prototype. Priced that out and got approval for 1 prototype. Made some edits
R: Ended up using that (and seeing other races use similar items) for years later. Water stations no longer were a negative experience for our runners and it was easier for our volunteers to fill and let water wasted by spillage.
Please walk me through a different scenario of a process you invented or improved.
.The interviewer wants to see if you can think out-of-the-box. Consider sharing a personal anecdote that shows how you came up with a creative solution to a customer problem, improved an internal process or made a sale via an innovative strategy.
S: Bag check was continuously getting poor ratings, bags were getting lost/stolen, long lines, chaos. Especially as we scaled into larger attendee counts (30,000) we needed a better process.
T: Improve bag check experience by incurring minimal additional cost to the event.
A: Restructured the entire process. I changed it to a self service with numbers and a simple security check as you left the area.
R: Zero stolen bags with no line queue needed. Scalable process that would work for any sized event.
What’s the most innovative new idea that you have implemented?
S: Worked for a lux beach picnic company that was having challenges scaling while keeping clients happy and controlling quality of product.
T: Needed a way to accommodate holiday business increase that was already booked by leadership.
A: Created ‘frog hop’ team approach. Event 1 would start load in at 1 - 1:30, then go right into loading in another event, etc. etc. instead of waiting for each event to finish.
R: Organization grew max events per day by 175% going from 12 events to 33 events. Profits skyrocketed and staff was more fulfilled not waiting around as much (and getting more hours on the clock)
3 questions which the hiring managers asks while conducting Amazon Interview Question and Answers sessions before selecting a new hire:
Will you admire this person?
Will this person raise the level of effectiveness?
Along what dimension might this person be a superstar?
