How important is behavioural interview?

The behavioral interview is critically important in Amazon's hiring process, as well as in other large companies like Google, Facebook, and Microsoft. Behavioral interviews assess how well a candidate's past experiences and actions align with the company's values and culture. At Amazon, for example, the Leadership Principles play a major role in evaluating candidates. Here’s why behavioral interviews are so important:

1. Evaluating Cultural Fit

Behavioral interviews help determine whether a candidate’s working style and values align with the company’s culture. Companies like Amazon place a strong emphasis on cultural fit to ensure that employees not only have the right technical skills but also the right mindset to thrive in their environment.

• Example: Amazon emphasizes Customer Obsession and Ownership. Behavioral questions can reveal if a candidate demonstrates these qualities by asking about specific instances where they took responsibility for a project or went above and beyond for a customer.

2. Assessing Leadership and Problem-Solving Skills

Behavioral interviews are designed to test leadership, teamwork, and problem-solving abilities. By asking how candidates handled certain situations in the past, interviewers can predict how they’ll approach challenges in the future.

• Example: A question like, “Tell me about a time when you had to make a decision with incomplete information,” tests the candidate’s Bias for Action, one of Amazon’s key leadership principles.

3. Predicting Future Performance

The premise of behavioral interviews is that past behavior is the best predictor of future behavior. By understanding how candidates approached past challenges, worked with teams, or handled conflicts, companies can gauge how they will perform in similar situations in the future.

• Example: A candidate who shares a clear example of handling a difficult deadline or resolving a team conflict demonstrates that they can thrive in high-pressure or collaborative environments.

4. Emphasizing Leadership Principles

At Amazon, behavioral interviews are crucial for assessing a candidate’s alignment with the company’s 14 Leadership Principles, such as Deliver Results, Invent and Simplify, and Frugality. These principles guide daily decision-making at Amazon, and a candidate’s ability to demonstrate these traits through their past experiences is key to their success in the interview.

• Example: A candidate might be asked, “Tell me about a time when you simplified a complex process,” to evaluate their ability to Invent and Simplify.

5. Balanced Evaluation

While technical skills are important, companies recognize that technical expertise alone is not enough for long-term success. Behavioral interviews allow them to assess soft skills such as communication, teamwork, adaptability, and leadership, which are just as critical for excelling in fast-paced, collaborative environments.

6. Bar Raiser’s Role

At Amazon, one of the interviewers is often a Bar Raiser, whose role is to ensure that the candidate meets Amazon’s high standards, not just in terms of technical skills but also behavioral traits. The Bar Raiser focuses heavily on how well the candidate exemplifies the Leadership Principles.

Why Behavioral Interviews are Essential for Success:

1. Cultural Fit: They determine if you align with the company’s values and working style.
2. Leadership Assessment: Behavioral interviews reveal your leadership, teamwork, and problem-solving skills.
3. Future Performance: Your past behavior helps predict your future performance.
4. Principle Alignment: At Amazon, the ability to demonstrate Leadership Principles is critical.
5. Balanced Evaluation: They ensure that candidates possess not only technical expertise but also the necessary soft skills.

For Amazon and similar companies, the behavioral interview is as important as the technical interview. If you want to prepare for such interviews, Grokking Modern Behavioral Interview is a great resource to help you align your answers with the company's culture and expectations. You can also explore the DesignGurus YouTube Channel for tips on preparing for behavioral and system design interviews.