The presence of “Bar Raiser” is a big key to Amazon's hiring process. Bar raisers, who appear in the final recruitment interview, have a different position than regular interviewers and have the role of critically assessing the overall qualities of candidates. “I don't know how to get through the final hurdle” or “I'm worried about what kind of response I should prepare for Bar Raiser” -- especially if you're in your late 20s and work at an IT venture and aren't used to the recruitment process of international companies, you may feel a lot of pressure.
In this article, we will explain the identity and evaluation criteria of Amazon's Bar Raiser, as well as introduce specific strategies to pass the final interview. If you take Amazon's behavioral indicators into account and keep a firm grasp on the key points of episode design and answers, the bar will not be too high. Please refer to our know-how to overcome the difficult final interview and win a job offer.
1. What is the role of Bar Raiser? - What makes you different from a normal interviewer?
In Amazon's hiring process, the person who appears in the final interview is the "Bar Raiser." Literally translated, it means "someone who raises standards," and as the name suggests, they are responsible for raising hiring standards and rigorously checking whether candidates are truly capable of succeeding at Amazon.
Normally, interviewers are team leaders or human resources personnel from the department to which the candidate belongs, but Bar Raiser is unique in that they often do not necessarily belong to the department to which the candidate is applying. This is to ensure objectivity and neutrality, and it can also be said that we have a perspective to determine whether a candidate fits Amazon as a whole, not just a specific department.
At Bar Raiser, we don't just focus on whether the candidate is a good fit for the currently available position, but rather on whether the candidate will enhance Amazon's overall culture and become an excellent employee in the future. No matter how much the manager of the department applying for the job says, “We want it!”, if the Bar Raiser refuses, it may suddenly become difficult to hire someone. That's why Bar Raiser has such a great influence, and it makes the final interview even more important.
2. Evaluation criteria that Bar Raiser emphasizes: What are Amazon's behavioral indicators?
Degree of conformity to OLP (Our Leadership Principles)
At Amazon, behavioral indicators called Our Leadership Principles (OLP) are firmly established as the basis for employee evaluation. Bar Raiser evaluates candidates based on multiple criteria, including Customer Obsession, Ownership, and Invent and Simplify. In particular, in the final interview, there is a high possibility that the interview will be conducted in depth from the perspective of “Can this person truly embody OLP?” “Does this person have the potential to have a positive impact on those around him and raise the standards of the entire team?” What is important at the interview stage is not whether you have memorized the name of OLP, but rather whether you can talk about how your actual actions and results will lead to OLP. Bar Raiser is said to be good at seeing through “word-only OLP understanding”.
Explanation of results using objective data and specific numbers
Amazon has a data-driven culture. In other words, there is a strong emphasis on quantitatively demonstrating the results of projects and measures. When Bar Raiser listens to a candidate's story, they will pay close attention to how much they use numbers to provide concrete explanations and whether the numbers are reliable. For example, instead of just vague expressions such as “customer satisfaction has increased,” it will be more persuasive if you present quantitative indicators such as “survey scores improved by 15% compared to the previous year, and repeat rate increased by 10%.” If you work at an IT venture, many of you are probably used to handling KPIs and performance indicators. If you fully demonstrate your strengths, you will be more likely to be evaluated by Bar Raiser.
Long-term culture fit and desire to grow
Bar Raiser's perspective goes beyond short-term skill matches. "Can this candidate grow at Amazon over the long term and become a leader in the organization?" - This is one of the important themes in the final interview. New businesses and services are constantly being created at Amazon, and the organization is changing rapidly. What is needed is an attitude of Learn and Be Curious. Bar Raiser will judge whether you have the potential to learn on your own and take on new challenges.
3. Preparation strategy before the final interview: episode design and mindset
(1) Elaborate episodes using the STAR method
Before the final interview, we recommend organizing your work experience using the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result).
- Situation: What kind of background and challenges did you face?
- Task: What was the role and goal required of me?
- Action: What specific actions did you take and what measures did you take?
- Result: What did you get as a result and how was it evaluated?
Bar Raisers tend to ask deep questions, so you need to focus on the process as well as the outcome to craft your answers. In particular, if you are able to talk about what you learned from your failures and hardships and how you improved them, it will be easier to show off your willingness to learn and your flexibility.
(2) Clarify the relationship with OLP
As a preparation, reload Amazon's OLP and clarify how your experience relates to which OLP. For example, if you have a story about how you quickly implemented a new feature in response to a customer's request, it would lead to Customer Obsession or Bias for Action. If you have experience of "involving multiple departments and leading an entire project," there is a high possibility that you embody ownership. If it is possible to clearly state which OLP the candidate falls under, it will be easier for Bar Raiser to determine that this candidate truly understands OLP and is already practicing it.
(3) Align your “career vision” with Amazon’s future plan
In the final interview, you are likely to be asked about your long-term outlook, such as "What kind of career do you want to build in 5 or 10 years?" The key here is to understand what direction Amazon is evolving in, and to talk about it in conjunction with your own growth story. If you can imagine how you can use the agile development methods and team-building skills you learned at your IT venture to further expand Amazon's business and develop new services, it will be easier to attract Bar Raiser's interest.
4. How to deal with questions asked by Bar Raiser: An answering approach that understands through concrete examples
During the final interview, Bar Raiser may ask you in-depth questions or questions from unexpected angles. Here are some tips on how to answer the questions you might be asked.
Example 1: “When there was a major customer satisfaction issue in the past, how did you respond and achieve results?”
Intent: Questions to determine a candidate's Customer Obsession. Answer points:
- Clarify the background of the problem and your role (Situation and Task).
- Specify what data was collected and what actions were taken based on (Action).
- Ultimately, it quantitatively shows how much customer satisfaction has improved and how it has benefited the business (Result).
- Lessons learned, measures to prevent recurrence, deployment to other departments, etc.Attitude that will be used nextIt would be even better if you could also appeal.
Example 2: “How did you handle internal dissent when adopting new ideas and moving forward with projects?”
Intent: To determine the extent to which candidates embody Invent and Simplify and Ownership. Answer points:
- Did he ignore the opposing opinions, or did he face them head-on and persuade them logically?How to involve your teamtalk about
- Not only the results but alsoWhat kind of communication did you use during the process?is important. For example, “I carefully listened to the other person's concerns in one-on-one meetings and small meetings.”
- Describe the final outcome and the learnings learned.
Bar Raiser tends to seek both “the flexibility to take in the opinions of those around you, rather than just pushing forward in a self-centered manner” and “leadership that creates new value.”
Example 3: “What was the biggest failure in your career so far? What did you learn from it?”
Intent: See how you can deal with failure and practice Learn and Be Curious. Answer points:
- Don't avoid or cover up failure,Explain the details of the failure in detailI will.
- Afterwards, highlight how you recovered, what you learned, and what you did to prevent it from happening again.
- By openly talking about failures,sincerityandImprovement mindsetcan be appealed at the same time.
5. Common failure patterns and preparation during the final interview
(1) Avoid digging deeper by focusing on “safe episodes” from beginning to end
Bar Raiser's questions probe at a deep level, so if you only talk about your superficial successes, you may be asked, "Did you really have any difficulties?" As a preparation, it is important to prepare enough expected questions and answers in advance, and at the same time have the courage to speak honestly, including the process of failure and trouble. In fact, stories of overcoming setbacks and difficulties are more likely to demonstrate learning ability and leadership.
(2) Merely memorizing OLP without concrete actions
Some people look up OLP on Amazon's homepage or other columns and think, “If I just memorize everything, I should be able to pass the interview.” However, Bar Raiser emphasizes essential understanding of OLP and past actions, so it is easy to see through mere memorization. It is necessary to approach the situation with a specific story: “Under what circumstances, why did I choose that action, and what was the outcome?” Rather than rote memorization, spend time organizing your thoughts to connect episodes and OLP.
(3) Unable to talk about “prospects after joining” and end up with a short-term perspective
Bar Raiser focuses on what value you will bring to the organization in the months and years ahead. Short-term position suitability alone is weak, and if you can't talk about how you will contribute to Amazon in your career 5 or 10 years from now, your appeal will be lacking. For example, it will be more persuasive if you consider how you would like to use the sense of speed and innovation you developed at your IT venture within Amazon in the future.
6. Summary and next actions: How to accelerate towards a job offer?
In Amazon's hiring process, Bar Raiser serves as the gatekeeper for the final interview, evaluating a candidate's overall potential. You will be checked from multiple angles, such as compatibility with OLP, explanation of results based on concrete data, and long-term culture fit, so it may seem like a high hurdle if you do not prepare well in advance.
However, if you can organize your actual work experience and results using the STAR method and talk about it by incorporating the essence of OLP, you will be able to fully respond to the pursuit of Bar Raiser. The sense of speed, data analysis ability, and innovative thinking possessed by IT venture graduates are qualities that are highly valued at Amazon.
The best way to relieve the anxiety that you might barely pass the final interview is to take advantage of expert advice and mock interviews. Our GCAP Amazon service provides comprehensive support from document correction, interview preparation, and post-employment follow-up. We also conduct mock interviews specific to Bar Raiser preparation, where you can practically learn deep questions and how to refine your answers.
If you feel like “I want some more reassurance before the final interview” or “I want an objective check on my understanding of OLP,” please take advantage of our free interview. Amazon career move professionals such as former Amazon employees, foreign HR managers, and career advisors specializing in international companies will propose individual strategies to pass the final interview at Amazon, based on your career background and strengths.
Bar Raiser interviews are considered to be difficult, but with proper preparation and the right approach, you can definitely pass them. Now's the time to take action to win an offer and start a new career at Amazon.
Author
Global Career Incubator Co., Ltd. CEO Shinichi Ikawa
Biography: Entered the business world after working for the Ministry of Defense (National Class I) and the Australian Ministry of Defence. After working at a major real estate company, he started a real estate venture and experienced management and recruitment at a domestic fund, domestic business company, and overseas tech company before founding our company.
Developed a career accelerator program based on my experience as a corporate manager and hiring manager. We specialize in foreign-affiliated, bilingual, and senior talent, and support individual career advancement and corporate organizational strength and efficiency.