Amazon behavioral interview questions and answers 2024

Today, one of every 153 American workers is an Amazon employee. With that, you may assume that getting hired is a breeze. However, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos once said: “I’d rather interview 50 people and not hire anyone than hire the wrong person.” If you’re about to face off against Amazon interview questions, that might legitimately be the most intimidating statement ever.

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AMAZON BEHAVIORAL INTERVIEW QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS! | (How to PASS your Amazon Job Interview!)

The 10 Amazon Behavioral Interview Questions with Answers

Tell me about your most challenging customer. How did you resolve their issues and make them satisfied?

Amazon is committed to customer service. Dealing with demanding customers is a part of the job, and you need to be prepared. This question is an opportunity to show that you can deal with customers who are being difficult. If you have not had the experience of dealing with difficult customers, you can use this as an opportunity to draw on other areas in your life where you may have had to deal with difficult people.

Answer:
In my current role, I had to deal with a customer who thought he was being lied to. The customer was expecting a payment to be made to him and felt he had been lied to about the timeframe for receiving that payment. While I could see that we had given him the correct information, I knew I had to find a way to keep the customer happy and not overtly tell him he was wrong. I first listened to his concern, repeating back what I was hearing, and asking questions to clarify anything that was unclear. I wanted to reassure him that I would find a solution. While the customer had not been lied to about the timeframe for receiving the payment, I was able to find a way to make the payment to him sooner without costing the company anything.

Tell me about your most challenging customer. How did you resolve their issues and make them satisfied?

Describe a time when you had to make a decision without having all the data or information you needed.

This question helps show the interviewer how you analyze a situation and approach problem-solving. It shows whether you can make quick decisions. Your answer should focus on your interpersonal skills. Don’t be inclined to focus on the negative points. Instead, take the opportunity to highlight the positives. It can be easy to turn this question into an opportunity to blame others for forcing you to make a decision without making sure you have all the information, but make sure to avoid doing that.

Answer:
In my last role, when I was still new to the job, I met with a new prospective supplier. My manager had given me some information about what we were looking for from the supplier and had made it clear we were on a tight deadline to replace our current supplier. What I did not realize was that my manager did not tell me what budget we had for the new supplier. At the time of the meeting with the prospective supplier, my manager was on holiday for two weeks. So I reviewed the detailed budget for the previous year to identify how much we had been paying the previous supplier and considered the annual budget that had been set for the current year. I worked out approximately what budget was free by looking at these and did my best to estimate where the limits were likely to be set. Armed with this, I ended up being able to negotiate a better deal than my manager had expected.

Which Amazon leadership principle resonates with you most?

Amazon has 14 leadership principles. You should be familiar with each of them before your interview. Think about any situations you have been involved in that would demonstrate how you resonate with that principle. For example, if you choose customer obsession, explain why. If you opt to learn and be curious, talk about how you are always looking for new things to learn, perhaps by taking classes.

Answer:
The principle that resonates most with me is customer obsession. My previous roles have all been customer-facing sales roles, and I appreciate that customers are at the heart of what we do to succeed. I know that an unhappy customer will be very vocal about the poor service they have had. I also know that a satisfied customer may share their recommendation if asked, but a customer who has had excellent service is more likely to talk unprompted about their experience.

Tell me about a time when you were working on a project, and you realized that you needed to make changes to what you were doing. How did you feel about the work you had already completed?

This question is designed to show your adaptability and how you cope with changing priorities. It is also an opportunity to show how you deal under pressure.

Answer:
In my last role, we had acquired a competitor business. It was part of my role to ensure that all its products were input into our sales system. To do so, I had been given a list of all its current products, descriptions, and pricing by my manager. I prioritized my workload to allow this to take precedence, as I knew it was important to have a smooth integration. I had spent almost two days inputting the data into our system when I noticed that there was an error in the data that I had been provided. The data I had been provided was out of date, and a large proportion of the items that I had been inputting into the system were items that the competitor business had stopped selling. I immediately stopped inputting data and contacted my manager to discuss the next steps. Together we obtained the correct data, and I then spent additional time removing the incorrect data from the system. While it was frustrating to have spent so much time inputting the wrong data, I didn’t let myself become distracted from the task and focused on solving the problem.

Can you give me an example of a time when you exceeded expectations?

The answer you give to this question does not have to be specific to the role for which you are interviewing. It is designed to allow the interviewer to gain an understanding of whether you are the type of person to go above and beyond, or whether you are the type of person who follows instructions and does what they are told without considering whether you can do better. To ensure you impress the interviewer, describe a situation where you were given a very clear goal. Then, explain the opportunity that you spotted to go above and beyond what was expected and what the outcome was. Make it clear why exceeding what was required of you was the right thing to do.

Answer:
In my last role, we implemented a new part of our process where we would ask each customer to review our service after a transaction. My instructions were to email every customer immediately after the transaction with a link to the internet page with our review. Personally, when I receive these kinds of unexpected emails, I ignore them, so I decided to ask customers at the end of our calls if they would mind if I emailed them a link to our review site to allow us to gain feedback about our service. Most customers agreed to this, and by asking the customer about the review on the phone, my return rate was over double that of my co-workers, who simply sent the email with no prior warning as they were instructed. My thought process was that giving the customer a choice in receiving the email or not engaged them in the process. I also thought that by completing the review, they were upholding their word to me, and the review was humanized. I did seek the permission of my manager in advance, as I was aware that if a customer refused to allow me to send the email I would be breaching my manager’s specific instructions to send the email to every customer. My manager was happy to allow me to modify the process, and I was pleased with the favorable outcome.

Amazon Behavioral Interview Questions

Tell us about a time when you faced a problem that had multiple solutions. How did you go about the situation?
Tell us about a time when you took a calculated risk and failed. What were your learnings from it?
Tell us about a time when you had to take the lead in a project. How did you fulfill your role?
Tell us about a time when you had to work with an uncooperative colleague. How did you go about it?
Tell us about a time when you leveraged massive chunks of data to build a strategy. How did you execute it?
Tell us about a time when you had to learn new things in a short time to satisfy the requirements of a project?
Why do you want to work at Amazon? How do you think Amazon will impact your life in the coming years?
What would be your stand if your supervisor asked you to do something outside the purview of the company’s policy?
Tell us about a time when you didn’t get along with your superior.
Tell us about a time when you imparted your learnings from a project to the entire team.
Tell us about a time when you dealt with a particularly challenging customer. How did you navigate the project?
Describe a time when you had to make an important decision without adequate data or information. How did you handle it?
Are you aware of the 14 Amazon Leadership principles? Which of the principles resonates most with you?
Have you applied any of Amazon’s 14 leadership principles at your workplace before?
Tell us about a time when you had to take the lead in a project? What were the things you did to make it a successful attempt?
Tell us about a time when you didn’t receive the feedback you’d expected from a superior. How did you deal with it?
Have you ever witnessed a coworker stealing a workplace item in the past? What was your reaction to it?
Have you been in a situation where a coworker needed help but was hesitant to ask for it? What was your approach to the situation? Did you help the coworker out?
What do you do to keep up your energy and excitement at work?
Have you been burnt out in the past due to a hectic project? How did you deal with situations that have caused work fatigue?
Have you missed a deadline for an important and challenging project? How did you go about coping with that?
Have you faced a situation where your superior or manager was unreasonable and overly demanding? How did you deal with the situation?
Tell us about how you leverage data to make sound decisions.
What was the most recent thing that you learned pertaining to your role?
How do you manage to stay updated with the latest trends and technologies relating to your area of expertise?
Tell us about a time when you had to apologize to a coworker to make things right. How did that turn out?
Tell us about a time when you faced a complex, challenging problem but came up with a simple solution.
Have you ever had to ask for help at work? Tell us how you went about the situation.
Tell us about a time when your prompt actions considerably impacted customer satisfaction.
What behavioral characteristics, according to you, will help you succeed at Amazon?
Tell us about a time when you made short-term sacrifices to achieve long-term results.
How do you motivate members of your team as a manager?
Have you gotten involved with a project that had multiple solutions? How did you decide and arrive at the most optimal solution?
Tell us about a time when you had to make a significantly tough decision without consulting anybody. How did you go about it?
Has your manager/superior asked you to do something that you disagree with in the past? How did you handle that?

What is a behavioral interview at Amazon?

Amazon uses behavioral interviews to assess job candidates based on their past experiences. These questions typically start with “Tell me about a time you…” and focus on soft skills such as: leadership, communication, teamwork, problem solving, etc. In Amazon’s case, there will be an emphasis on the 16 leadership principles, which we’ll dive into a bit later.

To round out your preparation, we’ve also included some resume, HR, and hypothetical questions such as “what are your strengths and weaknesses?” or “how would you…?” in this article. As these are real questions that have been reported by past candidates, we want to make sure you’re ready for anything.

These questions will appear at every step of the interview process at Amazon and at AWS, from the initial recruiter screen all the way through to the onsite interviews. They may even appear as icebreaker or transition questions during technical screens. The frequency and type of behavioral questions will vary per role, but be prepared to answer many.

Amazon behavioral questions: Customer obsession

“Leaders start with the customer and work backwards. They work vigorously to earn and keep customer trust. Although leaders pay attention to competitors, they obsess over customers.”

These questions are all about empathy. Interviewers want to see that you understand the consequences that every decision has on customer experience. You need to know who the customer is as well as their underlying needs.

Example behavioral questions asked at Amazon: Customer obsession

Tell me about one of your projects where you put the customer first
Tell me about a time you had to deal with a difficult customer
Which company has the best customer service and why?
Describe a time when a customer asked you for one thing, but you knew that they needed something else

Amazon behavioral questions: Ownership

“Leaders are owners. They think long term and don’t sacrifice long-term value for short-term results. They act on behalf of the entire company, beyond just their own team. They never say ‘that’s not my job.'”

To work at Amazon, you can’t be a person who thinks, “That’s not my job!” when facing a task that needs to get done. When answering ownership questions, you’ll want to prove that you take initiative, can make tough decisions, and accept responsibility for your mistakes.

Example behavioral questions asked at Amazon: Ownership

Tell me about a time you did something at work that wasn’t your responsibility / in your job description
Tell me about a time when you went over and above your job responsibility in order to help the company
Tell me about a time when you had to make an important decision without approval from your boss
How would you make Amazon.com better?

Amazon behavioral questions: Bias for action

“Bias for Action — Speed matters in business. Many decisions and actions are reversible and do not need extensive study. We value calculated risk taking.”

Amazon likes to learn by doing, with an eye on results over user projections and research. This is part of what helps them act quickly and ship their products to customers as fast as they do. So your interviewer will want to see that you can take calculated risks and move things forward.

Example behavioral questions asked at Amazon: Bias for action

Tell me about a time you had to change your approach because you were going to miss a deadline
Tell me about a time you had to make an urgent decision without data. What was the impact and would you do anything differently?
Tell me about a time when you launched a feature with known risks
Did you come across a scenario where the deadline given to you for a project was earlier than expected? How did you deal with it and what was the result?

Amazon behavioral questions: Have backbone; disagree and commit

“Leaders are obligated to respectfully challenge decisions when they disagree, even when doing so is uncomfortable or exhausting. Leaders have conviction and are tenacious. They do not compromise for the sake of social cohesion. Once a decision is determined, they commit wholly.”

Any group of smart leaders will disagree at some point. Your interviewer will want to see that you know when to challenge ideas and escalate problems to senior leadership if necessary. At the same time, they want to know that you can sense the right time to move forward regardless of your disagreement. Show that you’re capable of striking that balance.

Example behavioral questions asked at Amazon: Have backbone; disagree and commit

Tell me about a time you had a conflict with a coworker or manager and how you approached it
Tell me about a time you had a conflict with your team but decided to go ahead with their proposal
Tell me about a time your work was criticized

Amazon behavioral questions: Invent and simplify

“Leaders expect and require innovation and invention from their teams and always find ways to simplify. They are externally aware, look for new ideas from everywhere, and are not limited by “not invented here.” Because we do new things, we accept that we may be misunderstood for long periods of time.”

In everything it does, Amazon aims to foster a culture of innovation. Answering invent and simplify questions is an opportunity to show your ability to create solutions when there is no obvious answer. You’ll also want to show that you know how to execute big ideas as simply and as cheaply as possible.

Example behavioral questions asked at Amazon: Invent and simplify

Tell me about a time you solved a big problem in your company
Tell me about a time when you had a plan but ran into some obstacles. What did you do about it?
Tell me about at time you re-designed a process and why
What is the most innovative idea you’ve ever had?

Amazon behavioral questions: Dive deep

“Leaders operate at all levels, stay connected to the details, audit frequently, and are skeptical when metrics and anecdote differ. No task is beneath them.”

When something isn’t working, Amazon employees need to be able to find solutions quickly. Interviewers want to see that you are excited to dive deep and work out a durable response when problems arise.

Example behavioral questions asked at Amazon: Dive deep

Tell me about a time when you used a lot of data in a short period of time
Tell me about a project in which you had to deep dive into analysis
Tell me about the most complex problem you have worked on

What Type of Questions Should You Prepare Answers For?

In the behavioral interview, you can expect a lot of questions about your past experiences with projects, coworkers, and companies. As a rule of thumb, you should ideally prepare answers to the following types of questions:

Challenging situations at work, like demanding projects
Learnings accrued from difficult projects
Working with cross-functional teams
Difficult work situations, including conflicts with superiors or colleagues
Creative approaches that you adopted in the past

Remember that questions like these are asked to gauge if and how you practice Amazon’s leadership principles. So make sure you stitch your answers around them.

Structuring Your Answers for the Amazon Behavioral Interview

Thoroughly preparing for the behavioral interview is an absolute necessity to confidently answer questions and stand out amid the competition. Your answer and the “manner” in which you answer influence your interview’s outcome. What does that mean?

It means that you should structure your answer in a way that the interviewers get all the required details from your answer. You must also make it a point not to overshare! How can you strike the right balance?

Follow the STAR or CAR method — these will help you tackle behavioral interview questions by breaking down the answering format. Let’s look at what each of these methods signifies.

The STAR Method

STAR stands for Situation, Task, Action, and Result. Recruiters recommend that candidates use this method to correctly answer questions around past projects, skills, and experience in general.

Amazon’s behavioral interviews can have a good number of questions around how you dealt with challenging situations in the past and how you overcame them. Deploying the STAR method to answer such questions gives recruiters the right context and understanding of the situation, and most importantly, your learnings and takeaways from it.

Let’s break it down:

Situation: This part should essentially answer the “When, Where, and Why” of the situation. It should focus on giving recruiters a fair idea of the premise of your answer.
Task: This part should answer what your role in the situation/circumstance was.
Action: The “Action” component should describe what the primary action items were and what actions you took. It should aim to give recruiters context about the “What, Who, and How” of the situation. You should also aim to provide the rationale for your actions and what prompted you to take a particular course of action.
Result: End by talking about what results were delivered by your actions. Also, specify learnings that the project/situation imparted.

The CAR Method

Another method to answer behavioral questions is the CAR method. CAR here stands for Context, Action, and Result.

This method is very similar to the STAR method. In the CAR method, the “Situation” and “Task” aspects of STAR are clubbed to form the “Context.” The CAR method focuses on citing relevant examples from your past experiences and using them as learnings for future experiences.

FAQ

How do I prepare for Amazon behavioral interview?

Behavioral interview questions popular at Amazon

Tell me a challenge you had where the best way forward was not clear cut. …
Give me an example of something you tried to accomplish but failed.
Give me an example of a time when you showed initiative.
Give me an example of a time when you motivated others.

How do you answer behavioral questions at Amazon interview?

Example behavioral questions asked at Amazon: Top 5

Why Amazon?
Tell me about a time you failed at work. …
Tell me about a challenge you faced. …
Tell me about a time you disagreed with a coworker / manager / decision.
Tell me about a time you had to work or make a decision quickly / under a tight deadline.

What kind of behavioral questions does Amazon ask?

Behavioral Interviews at Amazon and the 14 Leadership Principles

Ownership.
Customer obsession.
Leaders are right, a lot.
Invent and simplify.
Be curious.
Employ the highest standards.
Hire the best and develop them.
Build trust.

What behavioral characteristics according to you will help you succeed at Amazon?