A Full Guide to How to Pass an Amazon Phone Interview

The Amazon phone interview is the first stage of the recruitment process to work at Amazon.

During the 45 to 60 minute phone interview, applicants can show hiring managers why they should be selected to work for the global giant.

All Amazon phone interview questions will focus on behavioral questions and relate to Amazon's 16 leadership principles.

Amazon is truly a global giant.

Employing over 1.5 million people worldwide (slightly down from its peak of 1.6 million employees in 2021), the company is notorious for its extensive hiring process.

Potential candidates are invited to participate in an in-depth telephone interview which will identify what you know about Amazon's working culture and whether you would fit in.

In this article, we'll look in depth at what you could expect from Amazon phone interview questions and give you some practical hints and tips to help you prepare.

What Is the Amazon Phone Interview?

The Amazon phone interview is a preliminary interview conducted over the phone by a recruiter or a hiring manager to assess a candidate's qualifications and suitability for a particular job at Amazon.

Amazon phone interviews are usually the first step in the Amazon hiring process. Individual phone interviews typically last between 30 and 60 minutes.

During the phone interview, the interviewer may ask various questions to evaluate your technical skills, experience and behavioral competencies.

In addition, you can expect to be asked questions to demonstrate your knowledge of Amazon's products, services and values.

The phone interview may also include discussing your resume, work history, career goals, and questions about your strengths, weaknesses and problem-solving skills.

If you successfully answer the Amazon phone interview questions, you may be invited to participate in additional rounds of interviews, such as an in-person interview.

What Are Amazon’s 16 Leadership Principles?

Amazon position itself as a very customer-centric company. Everything they aim to do is about ensuring that the customer has a good experience. Therefore, you must know the 16 leadership principles driving the working culture.

These leadership principles are used to judge every candidate.

Please pay close attention to these principles and think carefully about how they each relate to the job role you are applying for and how you have used the leadership principles in the past.

• Customer obsession – Leaders start with the customer and work backward. They work hard to gain and keep the trust of their clients. Leaders know their competitors, but their main focus is on the client.

• Ownership owners take charge – They think about the future and don't give up long-term values for short-term gains. They act on behalf of the whole organization, not just their own team.

• Invent and simplify – Leaders are always looking for ways to make things easier, and they expect and need their people to be creative and innovative. So they are open to new ideas from anywhere and don't assume that something couldn't have been made here.

• You are right, a lot – Leaders have strong intuition and good sense. They look for different points of view and are open to new ideas.

• Learn and be curious – Leaders never stop trying to improve themselves and learn new things. They go out of their way to find new opportunities.

• Hire and develop the best – Leaders raise the bar for performance with each new hire and promotion. When they see good people working for the company, they don't hesitate to promote them. In addition, leaders help others become leaders, taking their role as mentors seriously.

• Insist on the highest standards – Leaders have high expectations of themselves, which some people may think is unreasonable. However, leaders keep raising the bar to get their people to make high-quality goods, services, and processes. In addition, leaders ensure that mistakes don't get passed up the chain of command and that problems are fixed effectively.

• Think big – When you think small, you end up being small. Leaders set and communicate a bold direction that gets people to act. They think differently and are always looking for new ways to help clients.

• Bias for action – Speed is important in business. For this reason, Amazon likes taking risks when they make sense.

• Frugality – Use less to get more done. Limits make people more creative, independent, and resourceful.

• Earn trust – Leaders treat people with respect, listen carefully, and talk freely. They measure themselves and their teams against the best.

• Dive deep – Leaders work at all levels. They know how to pay attention to minor details and focus on evaluation. But, on the other hand, they have a healthy skepticism when numbers and anecdotes don't match up.

• Have backbone, disagree and commit – Leaders should respectfully question decisions with which they disagree. Leaders are persistent and have strong beliefs. They don't give up anything to keep society together. Once they've made a choice, they stick to it.

• Deliver results – Leaders focus on giving timely, high-quality service to the most important parts of their organization. So even if there are problems, they keep going and never give up.

• Strive to be Earth’s best employer – Leaders must ask many questions to ensure high performance and a safe workplace at every level. You must ask fellow employers if they have the tools to succeed, can learn new skills, and are ready to advance. Also, as a leader, you must ask yourself if you have the vision and dedication to ensure everyone succeeds.

• Success and scale bring broad responsibility – Amazon began in a garage. The company is big and affects the world. Everything that Amazon does should make us humble and careful. Every day, we need to work hard to be better for our local communities, the planet, and the people who will come after us. Leaders always leave things better than they found them.

Is the Amazon Phone Interview Hard to Pass?

The difficulty of passing the Amazon phone interview can vary depending on the specific role, the interviewer, and your qualifications and experience.

However, it's safe to say that the Amazon phone interview is a rigorous screening process that is designed to filter potential candidates quickly and easily.

To pass the Amazon phone interview, you should prepare well by researching the company and the specific role, reviewing your resume and work experience, and practicing your responses to common interview questions.

It's important to note that passing the phone interview is the first step in the Amazon hiring process. If you are invited to participate in the next round of interviews, you will face even more challenging assessments.

However, with the right preparation and mindset, candidates can increase their chances of success in the Amazon phone interview and throughout the hiring process.

If you are keen to succeed in your Amazon phone interview, you must fully prepare for the interview.

Your preparation must focus heavily on the company and the role you are applying for.

Recruiters want to find people who fit in with their corporate culture, so you must be prepared to showcase your understanding of who they are as a company and what they could be like as an employer.

Sample Amazon Phone Interview Questions

Now you know roughly how to prepare for the Amazon phone interview, here are a few types of interview questions that you may expect to be asked.

Of course, this list doesn’t include every question asked during Amazon interviews. There are many more questions that you could be asked, and they could differ depending on the job you are applying for.

But it's worth reading through these questions to ensure your expectations are set.

The interviews at Amazon are based on behavior-based questions, which inquire about past experiences or obstacles you've had and how you dealt with them.

Amazon's Leadership Principles drive the discussion and provide direction for the questions.

The following are some instances of questions that are based on behavior.

• Please tell me about a moment when you were confronted with a challenge with various potential answers available. Next, please explain the nature of the issue and the process you used to decide how to proceed. Finally, what were the consequences of making that decision?
• When did you take a risk, make a mistake, or fail? How did you react, and how did you find that event to be a learning opportunity for you?
• Please tell me about a time you were in charge of a project.
• When you needed to motivate a group of people or foster teamwork on a certain project, what steps did you take to accomplish this?
• What insights have you gained from utilizing data to formulate a strategy?

It would help if you remembered that Amazon is a data-driven organization. While responding to questions, you should direct your attention to the topic of the question, make sure that your response is well-structured, and provide examples supported by metrics or data if appropriate. When at all feasible, make references to more current events.

It would help if you tried to answer the questions using the STAR technique.

Other questions that could come up include

• How do you determine your objectives and the steps to reach them?
• What are the steps involved in firing an employee?
• How do you deal with the pressure at work?
• If your direct reports were asked about you, what would they say?
• Give us an example of when you disagreed with your manager.
• What are some things that keep you motivated? How do you keep the motivation up for your team?
• What are some things that make you feel uneasy?
• What aspects of working in this industry do you enjoy the most, and which do you dislike the most?

The Amazon Phone Interview Questions Related to the Amazon Leadership Principles

We've now identified that Amazon's leadership principles are essential to the company.

As a result, you will be guaranteed to be asked questions relating to these principles – further reiterating the importance of studying and understanding them.

Questions that you could be asked may include:

• What would you suggest as a new guiding principle for Amazon if there was room for one more in the company's culture?
• Give me an example of when you showed that you put the customer's needs first and went above and beyond what was expected.
• Please share a story about a time when you helped a customer who was very difficult to deal with to find a solution to their problem and tell me how it went.
• What does the principle 'Are Right, A Lot' mean to you?

How to Behave during an Amazon Phone Interview

Here are some useful guidance and tips to help you during your Amazon phone interview.

Be Sure to Look and Behave Professionally

Your confidence will increase throughout the interview if you dress professionally. Even if you are talking on the phone rather than via video conferencing, dressing appropriately will put you in a more professional mindset.

Maintaining a professional tone throughout the application process will help recruiters favor you when it comes time to decide. Try to maintain an appropriate smile while speaking and responding to questions. Even though interviewers cannot see your smile when you speak with them over the phone, they can often hear the enthusiasm in your voice.

Are You Actively Listening?

Listening isn't just about what is being said. It's also about what's NOT being said. Are you inferring things correctly or making valid assumptions as to the direction of the conversation?

Listen patiently, and don't answer questions before you've had a chance to process what was said fully. Jumping in quickly and interrupting could show that you struggle to listen to others or that you are missing the context of what the interview is asking you.

Notes Can Be Written Down and Used

Make sure to take notes and keep them close during the interview so that you may refer to them if there is anything in particular about the duties and responsibilities you held at your former company that you want to emphasize.

While describing your skill sets, you can do it clearly and concisely with this help. In addition, have a notebook on hand in case the recruiter provides you with additional information regarding your role. Note these specifics to better understand your potential job position and prepare for future rounds.

Prepare Yourself to Ask the Interviewer Questions

Recruiters will want you to ask them as many questions as you can. It helps to show your enthusiasm, interest, and general understanding of them as a company.

Try to ask questions deep in thought and meaningfully, demonstrating that you have done your homework.

These are some examples of questions that would be useful to ask:

• To be successful in this role, what do you consider to be the most important qualities?
• In this capacity, what difficulties might I anticipate encountering?
• What criteria will be used to evaluate my performance?
• Which projects will I be contributing to moving forward?
• How can one advance their career in this position?
• Where do we go from here regarding the interviewing and hiring process?

After the Amazon Phone Interview

You can expect to hear if you are successful within two business days of your Amazon phone interview. If you have not heard anything, you may wish to contact them to ask for feedback.

Frequently Asked Questions

Final Thoughts

The interview process for Amazon can be nerve-wracking for any candidate. Still, if you are well-prepared and confident, you can easily answer every interviewer's question.

Do your homework and practice responding satisfactorily to frequently posed questions.

Pay close attention to the 16 Amazon leadership principles and know why the company implements them and how they can focus on your job role. Most questions will relate to these principles, so your chances for success hinge on how well you've understood and interpreted them.