This test also filed is based on a conversation with Sai Chiligireddy, an engineering director at the Amazon office in Seattle. It was published for duration and clarity. Business Insider has checked its employment history.
I joined Amazon almost eight years ago as a software engineer and, after five years in the company, increased to an engineering management position.
During my stay at the Vancouver and Seattle of the company offices, I conducted more than 100 technical interviews. I was also a job manager and I made the final call for new hires in my team after having followed the complete process of telephone screenings, on -site assessments and technical rounds.
According to my experience, Amazon assesses candidates in two main areas: basic technical skills and Amazon leadership principles, a set of 16 important values for the company, such as “bias for action” and “In disagreement and engage.“”
There are four questions that I ask myself whenever I am in the room with a candidate:
1. Can I collaborate with them if they join my team?
The essential question that I always keep in mind is whether it is someone I can collaborate with. I try to assess if someone is a good communicator – they do Clearly share their ideas And justify their choices?
In Technical interviewsI like when people explain why they chose a certain solution and why they think it is a good adjustment for what we resolve. When the solution or the approach that a candidate takes is under -optimal – but they are able to justify their choice – we agree.
2. Do they understand the situation as a whole?
The second thing I am looking for is someone who clearly understands why his solution is part of the problem or the overall organization.
I once interviewed a candidate who had only one year of experience but who had a clear understanding of the company’s product and how their work is part of the objectives of the global organization. He could clearly explain what their product is used and what a commercial value there was.
It boasted me and made me rethink the way I see my own daily tasks. I started looking at my purely technical tasks and thinking about the value that my work offers for customers.
3. Are they perfectionist?
Another value that the candidates I like have in common is that they do not immediately target a perfect solution. They focus on starting and active improvement in the solution and avoiding unnecessary complexities. They are also open to comments and are willing to modify their approach in the event of use or constraints of new uses.
I tend to be a perfectionist, and this is another value that I learned by conducting interviews.
4. Are they prepared?
The candidates who stand out for me are prepared. They crossed a lot Interview simulations and have recreated an interview environment for themselves. This helps them get used to the pressure to solve a problem in 30 to 45 minutes.
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It is easy to say when a The candidate did not practice for a technical interviewWhether writing code in a document without any automatic filling functionality or code writing on a card as we used for pre-Pandemic. If you have not touched a marker for a few years, it is difficult to write on a whiteboard.
They too Prepare to talk about leadership skills. Many people who have done their homework well. They prepare notes in terms of our leadership principles and one to two examples of the way they have perfected these principles in the past.
They also ask questions for the recruitment manager. I like when people ask On what kind of projects we workWhat challenges we face and what their career course can look like once they join the company.