Amazon Phone Interview: What to Expect, Examples & Prep Tips

What Is the Amazon Phone Interview?

The first stage of your Amazon interviews is the phone interview. Amazon interviewers will question you regarding your experience and talents over the phone. Amazon phone interviews often last between 30 to 60 minutes.

Be prepared with a copy of your résumé, paper, pen, computer, and an active email account. Make sure your smartphone has a strong signal if you're using one, and have a list of questions you'd like to ask ready as well.

You might ask about the role specifically, business-related questions, specific projects or initiatives, cultural aptitude, or anything else you can think of. What three Amazon Leadership principles will be most important for this job? is a great question to ponder.

Does It Require Video?

Sometimes the interview can be done using Amazon Chime, which is the company's video conferencing platform. You will be notified ahead of time whether they want to use Chime, as they will send you a link.

However, you won't be told if you should expect an audio or video interview. If it's an audio phone interview, you want to be able to use your notes, but you can't if it's on video - or at least you can't let them see you using them.

How Hard Is Amazon's Phone Interview?

The Amazon phone interview is not considered to be a difficult interview. However, this does not mean that you should not prepare for it. You should still take the time to familiarize yourself with the company and the role you have applied for.

In addition, you should also practice answering common phone interview questions so that you are more comfortable when asked during the actual interview.

How Long Does It Take?

The interview itself will usually last around 30-45 minutes. For higher-level positions, it may take up to 60 minutes.

How to Prepare for the Amazon Phone Interview?

There are a few things you can do to prepare for the Amazon phone interview:

Get to Know Amazon's Unique Culture

Customer-centricity is at the forefront of Amazon's culture. Amazonians (Amazon's staff members) are committed to their jobs and sincere about providing consumers with outcomes. You must be able to demonstrate your love for your profession as well as your obsession with the needs of your customers if you want to work at Amazon.

Amazonians have extraordinarily high expectations for both themselves and the company. You must show that you are a high achiever who is constantly seeking methods to become better if you want to succeed in your Amazon interview.

The culture of collaboration and constant development is also present at Amazon. Teams collaborate to create and enhance various things, including goods and SOPs. Every Amazonian aspires to lift the bar even higher since it has been set so high. Do you think this would work well for you?

Amazon has a unique culture that is unlike any other company. You must familiarize yourself with this before your interview to answer any questions about it truthfully.

Learn About the Job You're Applying to

Make sure you know everything there is to know about the job you are applying for. This includes the job description, job requirements, duties, and responsibilities. The more you know about the role and Job description, the better you will be able to answer any questions that are asked about it during the interview.

Prepare for the Technical Portion (Tech Positions Only)

Interview preparation for technical roles (e.g., software development engineer, technical program manager). The technical portion of the interview will focus on your ability to solve problems. The interviewer will give you a problem to solve, usually involving code. You can find a list of the topics you might be asked about on this page.

Thoroughly Study Amazon's Leadership Principles

Amazon has 16 leadership principles that all employees are expected to uphold. These include customer obsession, ownership, invention, simplification, and thinking big.

Amazon prides itself on a set of principles that are at the core of everything they do. As they say, it's "just one of the things that makes Amazon peculiar." These Leadership Principles will be used to evaluate you throughout your interview.

Take the time to learn about each one so that you can be prepared to discuss them during the interview:

Customer Obsession

Leaders work backward, starting from the consumer. They put up a lot of effort to gain and maintain client trust. Although leaders are aware of their rivals, their primary focus is on the client.

Ownership

Owners are leaders. They adopt a long-term perspective and do not compromise long-term values for immediate gains. Beyond just their own team, they act on behalf of the entire organization. Never do they say, "That's not my job."

Invent and Simplify

Leaders continually look for ways to make things simpler while expecting and requiring innovation and inventiveness from their people. They are open to fresh ideas from wherever and are not constrained by the assumption that something wasn't invented here ". We acknowledge that we can be misunderstood for a very long time while we try new things.

Are right, A Lot

Many times, leaders are correct. They possess solid intuition and sound judgment. They look for different viewpoints and try to disprove their views.

Learn and Be Curious

Leaders never stop learning and strive to become better versions of themselves. They actively seek out new opportunities because they are curious about them.

Hire and Develop the Best

With each hire and promotion, leaders raise the bar for performance. They readily promote excellent talent within the organization when they spot it. Leaders develop other leaders and take their responsibility to mentor others seriously. We create development tools like Career Choice on behalf of our people.

Insist on the Highest Standards

Leaders hold themselves to incredibly high standards, which many may deem to be unreasonable. Leaders push their people to produce high-quality goods, services, and processes by constantly lifting the standard. Leaders ensure that errors are not passed through the chain of command and that issues are resolved, so they remain resolved.

Think Big

It is self-fulfilling to think small. A bold direction that motivates action is created and communicated by leaders. They have diverse ways of thinking and look for creative ways to assist clients.

Bias for Action

In business, speed is important. Many choices and acts can be reversed and don't require a lot of research. We value taking calculated risks.

Frugality

Make more progress with less. Constraints encourage creativity, independence, and resourcefulness. For increasing personnel, budget size, or fixed expense, there are no bonus points.

Earn trust

Leaders show respect for others, listen intently, and talk openly. They are vocally critical of themselves, even when it is uncomfortable or embarrassing to do so. Leaders do not believe their or their team's body odor smells of perfume. They compare their teams and themselves to the best.

Dive Deep

Leaders work at all levels, pay attention to the details, regularly evaluate their work, and exercise skepticism when metrics and anecdotal evidence differ. They are capable of any work.

Have Backbone, Disagree and Commit

Leaders must respectfully question decisions when they disagree, even if it is painful or draining to do so. Leaders are tenacious and possess conviction. They don't make concessions in the name of societal cohesion. Once a choice has been made, they fully commit.

Deliver Results

Leaders concentrate on providing the essential components of their organization with timely, high-quality service. Despite obstacles, they persevere and never give up.

These leadership principles may be "unusual," but they speak to a wide range of influential figures as well as common people in societies all around the world. They are essential to the company's strategy because of this. Take these tenets to heart if you wish to work for Amazon.

Strive to be Earth's Best Employer

There are many questions leaders must ask to ensure high performance and a safer workspace on every level. You must ask if employers have the tools they need to succeed, absorb new skill sets, and are ready to move up the ladder. Moreover, do you as a leader have the vision and commitment to ensure everyone's success.

Success and Scale Bring Broad Responsibility

Humility, and responsibility is the final piece of the puzzle. These attributes allow you to remember your humble beginnings while striding forward on behalf of your clientele, partners, employers, and the wider community.

What to Expect During the Phone Interview?

Introduction

During the Amazon phone interview, you can expect to be asked questions about your qualifications, skills, and experience. The interviewer will also be looking to gauge your motivation for applying to Amazon, as well as your ability to communicate and think on your feet.

Behavioral Interview Questions

They will be looking to see how you approach the problem and how you solve it. Be sure to take your time and think through the problem before starting to answer the question. It is also important that you explain your thought process as you are solving the problem. The interviewer wants to see how you think, not just if you can get the right answer.

Be prepared to respond to behavioral questions by using the STAR approach. Don't worry if you're unfamiliar with the STAR approach; we'll explain.

The STAR method is an organized approach to answering a behavioral-based interview question by going into detail about the particular circumstance, duty, course of action, and outcome of what you're expressing.

Essentially, you use storytelling to frame your response engagingly while checking all the interviewer's critical boxes — assessing a situation, outlining the work at hand, acting effectively, and achieving the desired result.

Avoid generalizations and be as explicit as you can while applying this technique. Don't omit or embellish specifics when you're sharing your narrative and giving instances.

Be forthright and sincere. Keep in mind that leaders uphold the highest standards and gain trust.

Some examples of behavioral phone interview questions are:

• Tell me about a time when you had to solve a difficult problem.
• Describe a time when you had to go above and beyond to deliver results.
• Tell me about a time when you dealt with a difficult customer or client.
  
  

Technical Questions (Tech Positions)

For tech positions, you can expect to be asked questions about your technical skills and experience. The interviewer will also be looking to gauge your ability to think through problems and communicate your thoughts clearly.

Be sure to take your time and think through the problem before starting answering the coding interview question. It is also important that you explain your thought process as you are solving the problem. The interviewer wants to see how you think, not just if you can get the right answer.

Questions to Ask the Interviewer at the End of Your Phone Interview

At the end of your phone interview, you will have the opportunity to ask the interviewer questions about Amazon. This is your chance to learn more about the company and the role you are interviewing for. Be sure to ask thoughtful, meaningful questions that show you have done your research.

Some examples of good questions to ask:

• What does a typical day look like for someone in this role?
• What are the most important qualities for success in this role?
• What challenges will I be facing in this role?
• What projects will I be working on?
• How will my performance be measured?
• What is the career path for this role?
• What are the next steps in the interview hiring process?
  
  

What Happens After the Phone Interview?

In better times, if the interviewer believes you are a good fit for the role, you could be invited to come in for an on-site interview. The on-site interview is usually a half-day or full-day event that includes multiple interviews with Amazon employees. However, since the start of Covid, remote interviews via Amazon Chime have become the default.

The on-site interview is your chance to really sell yourself and demonstrate why you are the best candidate for the job. Be sure to be prepared and practice your answers to commonly asked interview questions.

Ensure that the area around your virtual interview is as professional and quiet as possible, and check your microphone and internet connection before the start of the interview.

Response Time for the Results

Amazon strives to make the interview hiring process as efficient as possible for both candidates and hiring managers. You can expect to hear back from the interviewer within a week or two of your interview. If you are invited to come in for a sit down you will usually hear back within a few days.

What to Do if There's No Response for a Long Time?

If you don't hear back from the hiring managers after a long time, it is best to follow up with the interviewer. They may have forgotten to contact you, or there may have been a mix-up. Either way, it is best to reach out to them and express your continued interest in the role.

What to Do If You Got Rejected?

If you are not offered the job, it is important to stay positive and learn from the experience. Ask the interviewer for feedback on your performance and use that feedback to improve for next time. Also, be sure to thank the interviewer for their time and express your continued interest in working at Amazon.

What Does It Mean If You Got Invited for a Second Phone Interview?

If you are invited for a second phone interview, it means the interviewer was impressed with your performance and wants to learn more about you. Be sure to prepare just as thoroughly as you did for the first interview. Also, be sure to ask thoughtful, meaningful questions that show you have done your research.

Final Tips to Help You Pass Your Amazon Phone Interview

• Be prepared to answer questions about your technical skills and experience.
• Take your time and think through the problem before starting to code.
• Explain your thought process as you are solving the problem.
• Prove that you have done your homework by asking in-depth questions about the company, position, and Amazon work culture.
• Prepare just as thoroughly as you did for the first phone interview if you are invited for a second.
  
  

Conclusion

The Amazon interview process can be daunting for any candidate, but if you are prepared and confident, you will confidently answer every question your interviewer throws your way.

Be sure to do your research and practice your answers to commonly asked questions. If you are invited for a face-to-face interview (in-person or remote), that is a good sign that the interviewer believes you are a strong candidate.