Very well rounded process & good candidate experience
Interview process consisted of:
- 1 Frist HR screening call (about 30 min)
- 1 interview with hiring manager (45 min / 1hr)
- 1 online SHL numerical assessment
- Panel interviews (4 interview of 45 min each)
From the start, the process is very clear: each step is clearly explained, with the timeline you'd have to wait before an update (which is always respected, and updated is given within these deadlines). Already from the first HR interview, the salary is discussed + it is mentioned that regardless of the stage you reach, no feedback will be provided - which is good info in order to manage expectations.
Also, a lot of resources are provided in order to help the candidate prepare the interviews in the best possible way (leadership principles, explanation on STAR method, various links such as "What to expect during the interview). Such transparency allows the candidate to prepare as well a possible (so no regrets if there is no offer - you have done your best :) )
The interview with hiring manager / Panel interviews are pretty tough in my opinion. Only situational questions - to will have to answer using the STAR method. To me, the difficulty came from the fact that some of the questions are VERY specific - so can be hard to find an answer that fits the requested situation.
Even with good preparation (ex: checking & preparing some questions asked in Glassdoor) - they will ask something a bit different, so it is difficult to anticipate and prepare accordingly. For every situational questions they ask and answer you provide, they will challenge you on that, so make sure you are comfortable deep diving in your chosen situation.
Each of the interviewer I have met were very professional: they explain once again how the next 45 min will go, remind you of STAR etc..
Again, very professional but... absolutely no warmth or emotion coming from the interviewers. Not even a 30 sec chat at the beginning, some of them barely introduced themselves. Overall, not a very welcoming environment in my opinion. Only 1 of the interviewer seemed a bit more enthusiastic and nice - it felt like a breath of fresh air !!! Not sure if the "tight up" (for lack of better word) is something that is part of the process and that is asked to the interviewer - or if it was simply the personality of the people I had in front of me. Whether it is one or the other - prepare yourself to getting right into business within the first 45 sec of the interview, and be ready to have people who are VERYHARD TO READ in front of you.
This however did not affected the experience at all. Again, everything was very polite, professional and respectful. Just not my cup of tea. As a more "bubbly" personality - it made me question if I would fit in a crowd that, based short impression I had of the people I met, was quite different from me. I might be mistaken, but I had the feeling they only care about the "employee/professional" I was, and not the person I was. They did not ask anything about my ambitions, what I like in my role, what I feel my strength are, the qualities I appreciate in people I work with etc.... basically nothing that could give them a hint about who I was. Just professional experience & situations. As someone who value a nice, warm working environment, and who likes to connect with people I work with not just about work - it made me question if I could see myself at Amazon.
Overall, very good candidate experience: very clear process from the very beginning, a lot o transparency, update on a timely manner, they provide you with all the resources you need to prepare as well as you can, interviewers are polite and respectful, and expectations are perfectly managed. Super super professional. Even though I was not made an offer, this did not affect at all what I though about the recruiting process: one of the best candidate experience I had.
All the steps I went through were very valuable, both for Amazon and for me. I feel it gave them all the info they needed to know if I would fit this role. But as important as this, it gave me all the info I needed to answer the question "would I like to work at Amazon / would I fit in Amazon" - which based on the quick glimps I had would answer no. It reminded me that the interview process is not just for the employer to know if they want you in the company / role, but also for you to know if YOU want like to be in the company / role.
One small regret is this experience: no feedback from Amazon are provided. Again, this is mentioned in the first interview with HR - so you know exactly what to expect (+ can be understandable - I amazing this is not manageable for the volume of candidates). BUT: each interviewer tells you at the beginning of the 45 min that they will take notes during the interview. So notes ARE available, which ultimately I feel could be provided to the candidate.