What is the Amazon interview process?

The Amazon interview process typically follows a structured format designed to assess both your technical skills and your alignment with Amazon’s Leadership Principles. It usually consists of multiple stages, each serving a specific purpose. Let’s break down the key stages of the Amazon interview process.

1. Application and Initial Screening

After submitting your application, Amazon’s recruiting team reviews your resume to determine if your background aligns with the role. If selected, you’ll move on to an initial screening phase.

What to Expect:

• Recruiter Call: A recruiter may reach out to discuss your background, experience, and why you're interested in Amazon. This is also a chance for you to ask questions about the role and process.
• Basic Fit Questions: The recruiter might ask about your familiarity with Amazon’s Leadership Principles and ensure that your experience aligns with the role.

2. Online Assessment (for some roles)

In some cases, especially for software engineering roles, Amazon may ask you to complete an online coding assessment.

What to Expect:

• Coding Challenges: You’ll be asked to solve algorithmic problems that test your problem-solving skills. Topics could include arrays, strings, sorting, or searching.
• Multiple Choice Questions: Some assessments may also include conceptual questions about data structures, algorithms, and system design.

3. Technical Phone Screen

If you pass the initial assessment or if an online assessment isn’t required, you’ll move on to a technical phone screen. This round tests your coding abilities in more detail.

What to Expect:

• Live Coding: You’ll solve problems in a live coding environment while explaining your thought process. The interviewer will assess how well you can break down problems and write efficient code.
• Behavioral Questions: There may be a few behavioral questions to assess your alignment with the Leadership Principles.

Example:

• Implement an algorithm to find the longest common prefix among an array of strings.
• Describe a time when you disagreed with a team decision and how you handled it.

4. Onsite Interviews (Virtual for Some Roles)

If you pass the technical phone screen, you’ll be invited for a more extensive interview, traditionally onsite but often virtual nowadays. This round typically consists of 4-5 back-to-back interviews.

What to Expect:

• Coding Interviews: Expect 2-3 rounds of coding interviews, focusing on data structures, algorithms, and problem-solving. These could be similar to what you’ve experienced in the phone screen but often at a deeper level.
• System Design Interview: For mid to senior-level roles, you’ll be asked to design a scalable and efficient system. This tests your ability to think about architecture and large-scale system designs.
• Behavioral Interviews: Throughout the onsite interviews, you’ll be asked behavioral questions that focus on Amazon’s Leadership Principles. Every interviewer will want to see how well you embody principles like ownership, customer obsession, and bias for action.

5. Bar Raiser Interview

One of the interviews during the onsite process will be conducted by a Bar Raiser. The Bar Raiser is an Amazon employee from a different team who is trained to ensure that hiring standards remain high.

What to Expect:

• Focus on Leadership Principles: The Bar Raiser interview often places extra emphasis on your alignment with Amazon’s Leadership Principles.
• Tougher Standards: The Bar Raiser has the final say in whether you move forward, so it's crucial to be prepared to demonstrate leadership and cultural fit.

6. Offer and Final Steps

If you successfully pass all rounds, the hiring team will review your performance and make a decision.

What to Expect:

• Offer Call: The recruiter will call to extend an offer. Amazon is known for being straightforward in this stage, and there’s usually room for negotiation.
• Background Check: A standard background check will follow to finalize the offer.

Preparation Tips:

• Technical Skills: Focus on data structures and algorithms. The Grokking the Coding Interview course from DesignGurus.io can help you master the coding patterns commonly tested.
• System Design: For higher-level roles, strong system design skills are crucial. Check out Grokking the System Design Interview by DesignGurus.io to sharpen your design skills.
• Behavioral Interviews: Amazon’s Leadership Principles play a key role in every stage. Use the Grokking Modern Behavioral Interview course to help you prepare strong, STAR-formatted answers to behavioral questions.

By understanding the process and focusing on both technical skills and cultural alignment, you can set yourself up for success in Amazon’s interview process.