Amazon Leadership Principles Questions

Amazon is a world-renowned company known for its innovation, customer obsession, and leadership principles.

The company’s leadership principles guide how Amazonians think, act and make decisions. The principles are intended to promote the company’s vision and culture, and they are used in Amazon’s recruitment process to determine whether an applicant would fit into the company’s culture.

One crucial aspect of the Amazon recruitment process is using Amazon Leadership Principles (ALP) questions. These questions test whether an applicant aligns with Amazon’s leadership principles.

In this article, we’ll look at what Amazon Leadership Principles questions are, how to answer them, and provide examples of some of the most common ALP questions you might encounter in an interview.

What are Amazon Leadership Principles questions?

Amazon Leadership Principles questions are behavioral interview questions designed to test whether an applicant’s experiences align with the company’s leadership principles. The questions focus on an applicant’s past behavior and experiences, and they seek to determine how an applicant would handle situations if Amazon hired them.

Different types of ALP questions

There are various Amazon Leadership Principles questions. Here are some of the most common types you might encounter in an interview:

• “Tell me about a time when you…” questions: These questions begin with the phrase “Tell me about a time when you…” and are designed to prompt an applicant to provide an example of how they handled a particular situation.

Example: “Tell me about a time when you had to deal with a difficult customer.”

• “Give me an example of…” questions: These questions prompt an applicant to provide an example of a situation in which they demonstrated a particular skill or characteristic.

Example: “Can you give me an example of how you have shown customer obsession in a previous role?”

• “How did you handle…” questions ask applicants to explain how they dealt with a specific situation or challenge.

Example: “How did you handle a project that didn’t go as planned?”

Sample Amazon Leadership Principles questions

Tell me about a time when you had to work with a difficult team member.

• Situation: Explain the context of the situation and the project you were working on.
• Task: Describe the task or goal you were working towards.
• Action: Describe your actions to resolve the issue with the difficult team member.
• Result: Describe the situation’s outcome and what you learned from the experience.

Give me an example of how you have demonstrated customer obsession in a previous role.

• Situation: Explain the context of the situation and the customer you were working with.
• Task: Describe the task or goal you were working towards.
• Action: Describe your actions to prioritize customer needs and ensure satisfaction.

• Result: Describe the situation’s outcome and how your customer obsession impacted the customer’s experience.

How did you handle a project that didn’t go as planned?

• Situation: Explain the context of the project and what happened when things didn’t go as planned.
• Task: Describe the task or goal you worked towards and the obstacles you encountered.
• Action: Describe your actions to adjust the project and get it back on track.
• Result: Describe the situation’s outcome and what you learned from the experience.

Tell me about a time when you had to make a difficult decision.

• Situation: Explain the context of the situation and the decision you had to make.
• Task: Describe the task or goal you were working towards and why the decision was difficult.
• Action: Describe the actions you took to gather information and make the decision.
• Result: Describe the situation’s outcome and how your decision impacted the project or team.

Give me an example of a time when you took a calculated risk.

• Situation: Explain the context of the situation and the risk you took.
• Task: Describe the task or goal you were working towards and why the risk was necessary.
• Action: Describe your actions to evaluate the risk and decide to take it.
• Result: Describe the situation’s outcome and what you learned from taking the risk.

While all of Amazon’s leadership principles are essential to the company’s culture, one often considered the most important is “Customer Obsession.” This principle reflects Amazon’s commitment to putting the customer at the center of everything the company does.

Here’s the full description of the “Customer Obsession” leadership principle:

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. They are dedicated to meeting customers’ needs, even if doing so requires unconventional approaches. They are attentive to customers’ needs and continually seek ways to improve their experiences.

This leadership principle emphasizes Amazon’s focus on customer satisfaction, which drives the company’s success. It highlights the importance of understanding customers’ needs and working tirelessly to exceed their expectations.

Leaders who embody this principle prioritize customer satisfaction, whether it means developing new products, improving existing services, or taking other innovative approaches to meet customer needs.

In summary, while all of Amazon’s leadership principles are essential, “Customer Obsession” is often considered the most important because it reflects the company’s focus on customer satisfaction, which is at the core of its success.

Answering interview questions about the Amazon leadership principle “Earn Trust” requires demonstrating your ability to build trust with others and show integrity in your actions. Here are some tips for answering questions related to the “Earn Trust” principle:

1. Provide a specific example: When answering interview questions about “Earn Trust,” provide a specific example of when you had to earn someone’s trust. Describe the situation, your actions to build trust, and the outcome.
2. Explain why trust was essential: Explain why earning trust was essential in your describing situation. For example, you may have had to earn the trust of a difficult colleague to complete a project successfully.
3. Emphasize integrity: When earning someone’s trust, acting with integrity is essential. Explain how you demonstrated honesty, transparency, and ethical behavior.
4. Highlight the impact: Finally, describe the impact of earning trust. For example, you may have built a stronger relationship with a colleague or completed a project successfully by earning someone’s trust.

Here’s an example of how to answer an interview question about the “Earn Trust” principle:

Question: Tell me about a time when you had to earn someone’s trust.

Answer: In my previous role, a challenging team member hesitated to work with me on a project. Building trust was essential to complete the project successfully, so I took steps to earn their trust. First, I made sure to listen to their concerns and show empathy for their point of view. I also ensured transparency about my intentions and informed them about the project’s progress. Finally, I followed through on my commitments and delivered high-quality work.

By earning this team member’s trust, I was able to build a stronger relationship with them and complete the project successfully. It was a challenging experience, but it taught me the importance of building trust with others and acting with integrity in all situations.

Final remarks

Amazon Leadership Principles questions are an essential part of the company’s recruitment process. They allow Amazon to assess an applicant’s alignment with the company’s culture and leadership principles.

When answering these questions, it’s important to use the STAR method and provide specific examples to illustrate your experiences.

By following these tips and preparing for common ALP questions, applicants can increase their chances of success in Amazon’s recruitment process.