Why does Amazon use behavior based interview questions?

Amazon uses behavior-based interview questions to evaluate how candidates align with the company's Leadership Principles and to predict how they will perform in real-world scenarios. The goal is to assess how applicants have handled situations in the past, as this can provide insight into how they might behave in the future.

Here’s why Amazon emphasizes behavior-based questions:

1. Alignment with Leadership Principles

Amazon’s interview process heavily focuses on its 14 Leadership Principles, such as "Customer Obsession," "Ownership," "Bias for Action," and "Dive Deep." Behavior-based questions help interviewers see how candidates demonstrate these principles in their past experiences.

• Example: A question like, “Tell me about a time when you had to make a difficult decision with incomplete information” aligns with the Bias for Action principle.

2. Assessing Cultural Fit

Amazon’s culture values ownership, high standards, and a bias for action. By asking behavior-based questions, interviewers can gauge whether the candidate’s working style and mindset fit with the company's culture and values.

• Example: “Give an example of a time you took ownership of a project” helps assess whether the candidate embodies Amazon’s Ownership principle.

3. Real-World Problem Solving

Behavior-based questions help Amazon assess a candidate’s ability to solve problems and handle challenges in practical, work-related scenarios. This approach allows interviewers to determine whether a candidate can thrive in Amazon’s fast-paced, customer-driven environment.

• Example: “Describe a time when you improved a process” helps evaluate a candidate’s ability to dive deep and continuously improve.

4. Predictive of Future Performance

Behavioral interviews follow the principle that past behavior is a strong predictor of future behavior. By understanding how candidates responded to specific situations in the past, interviewers can predict how they will handle similar situations at Amazon.

• Example: “Tell me about a time when you failed and how you handled it” reveals how candidates manage setbacks, showing their resilience and ability to learn from failures.

5. Consistency Across Roles

Behavior-based interviews provide a standardized way of assessing candidates, making it easier to compare candidates across different roles and teams. This is especially important in a large organization like Amazon, where thousands of people apply for similar roles.

• Example: All candidates are likely to face questions that probe their ability to handle ambiguity, take ownership, or dive deep, ensuring a fair assessment process across the board.

How to Prepare for Behavior-Based Interviews:

• Follow the STAR Method: Structure your answers by explaining the Situation, Task, Action, and Result. This makes your responses clear and organized.
• Relate Answers to Leadership Principles: Familiarize yourself with Amazon’s Leadership Principles and tailor your answers to demonstrate how you embody those values.

Helpful Resources:

• Grokking Modern Behavioral Interview offers excellent insights into how to approach behavioral questions effectively.
• Mastering the Amazon Interview blog helps break down how Amazon uses its Leadership Principles to evaluate candidates.

You can also check out the DesignGurus YouTube Channel for videos like How to Answer Any System Design Interview Question to help with system design and interview preparation.