Amazon “Hire and Develop the Best” Interview Prep
“Leaders raise the performance bar with every hire and promotion. They recognise exceptional talent, and willingly move them throughout the organisation. Leaders develop leaders and take seriously their role in coaching others.”
What Amazon Interviewers Look For
Stories where you raised the hiring bar, developed talent on your team, or made difficult decisions about underperformers. Evidence that you invest meaningfully in coaching and mentoring.
Signal Areas Assessed
Example Interview Question Themes
Amazon interviewers will typically use variations of these question themes to assess Hire and Develop the Best. Prepare specific stories for each one.
Tell me about a time you hired someone who raised the bar for your team
Describe how you developed a high-potential team member
Tell me about a difficult conversation you had with an underperformer
How do you ensure your hiring process identifies the best candidates?
Tips for Answering Hire and Develop the Best Questions
Include specifics about your evaluation criteria and how you raised the bar
Show you invest significant time in developing your team members
Be honest about difficult talent decisions you have made
Demonstrate a structured approach to coaching and mentoring
General Amazon Interview Tips
Prepare at least one story per Leadership Principle - Amazon interviewers will ask about specific LPs
Use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) - Amazon interviewers are trained to look for clear structure
Quantify everything - Amazon is extremely data-driven and expects specific metrics in your answers
Research which LPs your target team values most and prepare stronger stories for those
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Using 'we' throughout without clarifying your specific contribution
Stories that lack quantified results - Amazon expects numbers
Not connecting your actions to customer impact
Choosing stories that are too small in scope for your target level
All Amazon Leadership Principles
Not interviewing at Amazon? Check out our company-specific prep guides for Meta, Google, Apple, Anthropic, and OpenAI.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Amazon's "Hire and Develop the Best" Leadership Principle?
Leaders raise the performance bar with every hire and promotion. They recognise exceptional talent, and willingly move them throughout the organisation. Leaders develop leaders and take seriously their role in coaching others.
What questions do Amazon interviewers ask about Hire and Develop the Best?
Amazon interviewers assess Hire and Develop the Best through targeted behavioral questions. Common themes include: Tell me about a time you hired someone who raised the bar for your team; Describe how you developed a high-potential team member; Tell me about a difficult conversation you had with an underperformer. Expect deep follow-up questions that probe into the specifics of your story.
How do I prepare a STAR answer for Hire and Develop the Best?
Structure your answer using STAR: Situation (set the context), Task (your specific responsibility), Action (what you did and why), Result (quantified outcomes). For Hire and Develop the Best, focus on: Include specifics about your evaluation criteria and how you raised the bar. Show you invest significant time in developing your team members. Have 2-3 stories ready for this principle.
How important is Hire and Develop the Best in Amazon interviews?
Every Amazon Leadership Principle is assessed in the interview loop. Each interviewer is assigned specific LPs to evaluate, and a Bar Raiser with veto power ensures hiring quality. Hire and Develop the Best is one of 16 principles that Amazon considers essential for every candidate.
