1. Online Application / Recruiter Screen
Apply online or get contacted by a recruiter. For technical roles, this often includes an initial phone screen covering background and basic fit.
2. Online Assessment (OA)
Common for SDE and many other roles — includes coding problems (usually on platforms like HackerRank), work-style/behavioral questionnaires, and sometimes a "work simulation" assessment.
3. Phone/Video Interview
1-2 rounds with an engineer or hiring manager, mixing technical questions (coding, system design depending on level) with behavioral questions based on Amazon's Leadership Principles.
4. Virtual/Onsite Loop ("The Loop")
Typically 4-6 back-to-back interviews (45-60 min each), usually including:
Coding/technical rounds — data structures, algorithms, problem-solving
System design (for mid-to-senior roles)
Bar Raiser interview — a specially trained interviewer from outside the immediate team, focused on ensuring candidates raise the overall talent bar; carries significant weight in the decision
Behavioral rounds — heavily structured around the Leadership Principles (e.g., "Customer Obsession," "Ownership," "Deliver Results"), typically using the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result)
5. Debrief
All interviewers meet (or submit written feedback) to discuss the candidate, with the Bar Raiser often having veto power regardless of role level.
6. Offer
If approved, HR extends the offer, followed by negotiation.
Key things Amazon emphasizes:
The 16 Leadership Principles are central to almost every interview — expect to be asked to give specific past examples for several of them.
For technical roles, strong DS&A fundamentals plus (at senior levels) system design are essential.
Answers should be structured, quantified, and specific — vague answers tend to score poorly with Bar Raisers