What is the Amazon interview rating?

The Amazon interview rating system is used to assess candidates during the interview process. While the exact details of Amazon’s internal rating system are not publicly disclosed, the process generally follows a structured evaluation that focuses on both technical skills and cultural fit based on Amazon’s Leadership Principles. Each interviewer scores a candidate on various criteria, and a collective decision is made during a debrief session after the interviews.

How Amazon Interview Rating Works:

1. Technical Rating

For technical roles, interviewers assess candidates based on their problem-solving abilities, coding skills, system design, and technical knowledge. Candidates are rated on their ability to:

• Solve Problems Efficiently: Ability to approach and solve algorithmic challenges.
• Optimize Solutions: Consideration of time and space complexity.
• Code Quality: Clean, structured, and readable code.
• System Design Skills (for mid-level or senior roles): Ability to design scalable, high-performance systems.

Each technical interview typically includes 1-2 coding questions or system design problems, and candidates are rated based on how well they perform. Ratings may vary depending on:

• How many test cases the candidate's solution passes.
• Whether the candidate was able to optimize their solution.
• The quality of their system design, including scalability, fault tolerance, and design decisions.

2. Behavioral Rating (Leadership Principles)

Amazon places a strong emphasis on their 14 Leadership Principles, and interviewers rate candidates based on how well they demonstrate alignment with these principles. Each interviewer asks behavioral questions to assess whether the candidate exemplifies qualities like Customer Obsession, Ownership, Bias for Action, and Invent and Simplify.

Key Leadership Principles Assessed:

• Customer Obsession: How focused are you on solving customer problems?
• Ownership: Do you take full responsibility for your work and outcomes?
• Bias for Action: Are you quick to make decisions and take action when needed?
• Dive Deep: How detail-oriented are you when solving problems?

Candidates are rated on how well they answer behavioral questions, using examples from their past experiences that reflect these principles. The use of the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to structure answers is often looked upon favorably.

3. Bar Raiser Evaluation

One interviewer in the process is designated as the Bar Raiser, an Amazon employee trained to uphold the company’s hiring standards. The Bar Raiser’s job is to ensure that only candidates who raise the performance bar for the team are hired.

Key Criteria Evaluated by the Bar Raiser:

• Long-term Fit: Does the candidate align with Amazon’s long-term goals and culture?
• Leadership and Ownership: Does the candidate show strong leadership qualities and take ownership of their work?
• Cultural Fit: Is the candidate a good fit for Amazon’s leadership principles and company culture?

The Bar Raiser’s opinion holds significant weight in the final hiring decision. They focus on ensuring that the candidate is not only technically strong but also a cultural fit for the company.

4. Scoring System

Although exact scoring is not publicly disclosed, Amazon likely uses a scale (e.g., 1-5 or "strong hire" to "no hire") for interviewers to rate candidates based on both technical performance and cultural fit.

• Technical Skills: Rated based on problem-solving ability, coding efficiency, system design, and understanding of algorithms.
• Leadership Principles: Rated based on how well the candidate demonstrates alignment with Amazon’s core values.
• Overall Recommendation: Each interviewer typically gives an overall rating of "Hire" or "No Hire", or sometimes a more nuanced rating like "Strong Hire", "Lean Hire", or "No Hire".

5. Debrief Session

After all the interviews are completed, interviewers meet for a debrief session to discuss the candidate’s performance. During the debrief:

• Each interviewer shares their ratings and feedback.
• The Bar Raiser plays a key role in guiding the final decision.
• The hiring decision is made based on a combination of technical performance and alignment with Leadership Principles.

Conclusion:

The Amazon interview rating system is a holistic evaluation of both technical ability and cultural fit based on the company’s leadership principles. Each interviewer rates candidates on these criteria, and the Bar Raiser ensures that only candidates who meet Amazon’s high standards are hired.

To increase your chances of a high rating, make sure to:

• Practice coding problems and optimize your solutions (use resources like Grokking the Coding Interview).
• Prepare strong behavioral answers using the STAR method that reflect Amazon’s Leadership Principles.
• Show ownership, leadership, and customer focus in your examples, especially in the Bar Raiser interview.

By excelling in both technical and behavioral interviews, you’ll be well-positioned to receive a favorable rating in Amazon’s interview process.