What is an Amazon bar raiser?

If you’ve ever applied for a job at Amazon or heard others rave (or tremble) about their interview process, you might have come across a pivotal term: “Bar Raiser.” This unique role is often shrouded in mystery—candidates aren’t always certain who the Bar Raiser is, what they’re evaluating, or why their assessment can make or break an offer. Yet, to Amazon, the Bar Raiser is the linchpin of its talent strategy.

In this blog post, we’ll peel back the layers of the Bar Raiser process, revealing why it’s such a defining element of Amazon’s high-performance culture. Whether you’re a job seeker preparing for your next big interview or simply curious about how leading companies elevate their standards, read on to discover what a Bar Raiser is, why the role exists, and how it shapes both Amazon and the broader tech industry.

1. The Origin of the “Bar Raiser”

Amazon’s success is often attributed to a combination of customer obsession, operational efficiency, and relentless pursuit of innovation. But behind these public-facing achievements is a systematic approach to hiring and talent management.

• Rooted in Customer Obsession: Amazon recognized early on that acquiring top talent is the key to delivering for its customers. Each interview is viewed through the lens of whether the candidate can uphold and enhance this customer-focused ethos.

• Maintaining High Standards: As Amazon grew from an online bookstore to a global tech titan, it needed a failsafe mechanism to keep hiring standards consistently high. Enter the Bar Raiser—an individual dedicated to ensuring Amazon’s famous “Leadership Principles” are thoroughly evaluated.

2. Defining the Bar Raiser Role

A Bar Raiser is a specially trained interviewer who takes part in Amazon’s hiring panels. They typically come from a different department or team than the one conducting the immediate hire, which brings an external, unbiased perspective to the process.

• Neutral Advocate for Quality: A Bar Raiser’s job is to focus solely on the quality of the hire without the influence of immediate team pressures or biases. They hold no direct stake in filling that specific role quickly; their commitment is to safeguarding company-wide hiring standards.

• Power to Veto: Perhaps the most influential aspect of the Bar Raiser role is that they can veto a hiring decision—even if every other panel member disagrees. This ensures that only candidates meeting or exceeding the “bar” get through.

• Leadership Principles Alignment: Amazon’s 16 Leadership Principles are more than buzzwords—they are the DNA of the company. Bar Raisers ensure each candidate’s skills, behaviors, and mindset reflect these principles like “Customer Obsession,” “Dive Deep,” and “Deliver Results.”

3. The Bar Raiser’s Impact on Hiring

From a candidate’s perspective, having a Bar Raiser in the room can be nerve-wracking—like an “auditor” of the interview. However, their role is much more constructive than punitive.

• Structured Interviews: Bar Raisers keep the interview process consistent and objective. By guiding the conversation around predetermined competencies and documented Leadership Principles, they limit the influence of biases or off-track questioning.

• Holistic Candidate Assessment: Bar Raisers evaluate the candidate’s experiences, achievements, and soft skills, testing alignment with Amazon’s culture. This ensures that decision-making isn’t purely based on technical ability but also includes a cultural and long-term fit perspective.

• Long-Term Value: By selecting candidates who not only meet today’s requirements but can adapt, grow, and innovate, Bar Raisers help future-proof Amazon’s talent pipeline.

4. How Amazon Trains Its Bar Raisers

You might wonder who gets chosen to be a Bar Raiser and how they’re trained. Amazon invests significant time and resources to develop these interview gurus.

• Rigorous Selection: Employees showing strong leadership acumen, a knack for objective decision-making, and the ability to uphold Amazon’s talent bar are invited to become Bar Raisers.

• Ongoing Education: Bar Raisers undergo specialized training in interviewing techniques, removing biases, and deeply understanding Amazon’s Leadership Principles. They also regularly calibrate with one another to ensure consistent standards across different teams and geographies.

• Continuous Feedback Loop: Bar Raisers receive feedback on their decisions and performance, continually refining their skills and staying current with best practices in interviewing.

5. What This Means for Candidates

If you’re preparing for an Amazon interview, understanding the Bar Raiser’s role can significantly improve your approach and mindset:

1. Expect Behavioral Questions Tied to Leadership Principles: For example, you might be asked to describe a time you took a risk for the sake of a customer or when you showed deep ownership of a project. The Bar Raiser is highly attuned to these narratives.

2. Provide Concise, Impactful Examples: Bar Raisers look for evidence of success metrics and measurable results. Use the STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) method to structure your responses, highlighting your tangible achievements.

3. Demonstrate Cultural Alignment: While Amazon values diverse perspectives, it strongly aligns around its Leadership Principles. Show that you understand and can champion these ideals.

4. Embrace Intellectual Curiosity: The best Bar Raisers appreciate candidates who keep digging deeper, challenging assumptions, and proactively addressing problems. Don’t be shy about showcasing your intellectual curiosity or “Dive Deep” inclinations.

5. Stay Confident but Humble: Amazon admires those who deliver real results and take ownership but also remain open to feedback and learning. The sweet spot is demonstrating leadership without coming across as arrogant.

6. The Bar Raiser Legacy

Amazon’s Bar Raiser program has become the gold standard in the tech industry. Companies outside Amazon have taken notice and even adapted similar hiring practices with their own spin. While the specific title “Bar Raiser” is proprietary to Amazon, the concept of having a neutral gatekeeper whose mission is to uphold and continuously elevate hiring standards is now a recognized best practice.

• Quality Over Quantity: Despite needing to fill thousands of roles, Amazon has maintained stringent hiring benchmarks. This stance on uncompromised quality has contributed to its reputation for hiring high-caliber talent.

• Cultural Cohesion: A strong hiring process ensures that all new hires share a foundational set of values and mindsets. This accelerates team alignment and fosters a cohesive, innovative culture.

• Future-Proof Talent Pipeline: With Bar Raisers focusing on long-term compatibility, Amazon primes its workforce to tackle tomorrow’s challenges, not just today’s tasks.

7. Final Thoughts: Why the Bar Raiser Matters

In an era of rapid growth and even faster technological shifts, finding—and keeping—the right people is crucial for sustained success. Amazon’s Bar Raisers are an embodiment of a principle we can all learn from: a deliberate, values-centered approach to hiring. By ensuring each candidate raises the bar, Amazon maintains a disciplined standard that helps drive its iconic innovation and customer-centric focus.

If you’re aspiring to join Amazon or simply refining your own hiring strategies, there’s no better lesson than this: Never settle for mediocrity. Whether you call it a “Bar Raiser” or something else, having an impartial guardian of excellence can spell the difference between building an ordinary workforce and cultivating one that’s built to lead.

Ready to Raise the Bar in Your Own Career?

• Study the Leadership Principles: Understand what they mean and how they manifest in day-to-day work.
• Refine Your Stories: Identify the moments in your career that showcase resilience, innovation, ownership, and a customer-first mindset.
• Practice Behavioral Interviewing: Use the STAR method to hone your clarity of thought.
• Embrace Curiosity: Above all, show that you never stop learning and striving to make things better.

A role at Amazon may or may not be in your future, but the underlying lesson is universal: if you focus on continuous improvement and high standards, you’ll always be raising the bar—no matter where you land.