Amazon Behavioral Interview Questions

Review this list of 207 Amazon behavioral interview questions and answers verified by hiring managers and candidates.
  • Amazon logoAsked at Amazon 
    +57

    "Product manager is someone who drives a product with customer-first approach while doing what is right for the business. They absorb chaos from all directions(customers, internal stakeholders, leadership) and bring clarity and direction to the whole team, marching them towards a common goal."

    Phani C. - "Product manager is someone who drives a product with customer-first approach while doing what is right for the business. They absorb chaos from all directions(customers, internal stakeholders, leadership) and bring clarity and direction to the whole team, marching them towards a common goal."See full answer

    Product Manager
    Behavioral
  • Amazon logoAsked at Amazon 
    Video answer for 'Tell me about a time when you made short-term sacrifices for long-term gains.'
    +80

    "Recently, I had to make a decision that I could automate a part of a process now and help the operations team reducing 9 hours of manual work to 60 minutes for one client. The second option was to fully automate the end to end process that would take 4 weeks of development, but fully automate the process and that could be rolled out across the board. The process was to change the member's paperless preference to paper when a sent email gets bounced 3 times in a row and inform her with a paper"

    Anonymous Aardvark - "Recently, I had to make a decision that I could automate a part of a process now and help the operations team reducing 9 hours of manual work to 60 minutes for one client. The second option was to fully automate the end to end process that would take 4 weeks of development, but fully automate the process and that could be rolled out across the board. The process was to change the member's paperless preference to paper when a sent email gets bounced 3 times in a row and inform her with a paper"See full answer

    Product Manager
    Behavioral
    +5 more
  • +8

    " Design & Architecture Overview: The system was a scalable, cloud-based web application built to manage customer data and automate service requests. Frontend: React.js: Chosen for its component-based architecture, reusable UI, and fast rendering using Virtual DOM. Backend: Node.js with Express.js: Selected for non-blocking I/O, scalability, and rapid API development. Database: MongoDB: Used for its flexible schema, scalability, and ease of handling unstructured data. Authentication: JWT"

    Ilakiya R. - " Design & Architecture Overview: The system was a scalable, cloud-based web application built to manage customer data and automate service requests. Frontend: React.js: Chosen for its component-based architecture, reusable UI, and fast rendering using Virtual DOM. Backend: Node.js with Express.js: Selected for non-blocking I/O, scalability, and rapid API development. Database: MongoDB: Used for its flexible schema, scalability, and ease of handling unstructured data. Authentication: JWT"See full answer

    Technical Program Manager
    Behavioral
    +2 more
  • Amazon logoAsked at Amazon 
    +79

    "My approach to dealing with difficult stakeholders has always been: Engage - Directly engage with the stakeholder, meet or chat Listen - Listen to what they have to say, patiently. Understand - Understand their POV, even if it is impossible at some times Ask - Ask clarifying questions. Why? When? What? Engage again - Keep them in the loop until there is closure For example, we were in the final stages of a very important, strategic project for our organization. I was leading th"

    Jane D. - "My approach to dealing with difficult stakeholders has always been: Engage - Directly engage with the stakeholder, meet or chat Listen - Listen to what they have to say, patiently. Understand - Understand their POV, even if it is impossible at some times Ask - Ask clarifying questions. Why? When? What? Engage again - Keep them in the loop until there is closure For example, we were in the final stages of a very important, strategic project for our organization. I was leading th"See full answer

    Product Manager
    Behavioral
    +8 more
  • Amazon logoAsked at Amazon 
    +19

    "Firstly, it's mentioned "ideas" & not "idea". I would like to get more context. Is it one idea or multiple ideas on a roadmap? Is it tied to the same broader goal? Is this a pattern where team has been disagreeing with ideas for a while? If it's the 1st, then it's fine, we can look into it. If it's the 2nd, then it raises a bit of a concern. Gonna assume it's the 1st. I'd probably get clarity by asking questions To the team: Which idea/s are being disagreed upon? Are all member"

    Debajyoti B. - "Firstly, it's mentioned "ideas" & not "idea". I would like to get more context. Is it one idea or multiple ideas on a roadmap? Is it tied to the same broader goal? Is this a pattern where team has been disagreeing with ideas for a while? If it's the 1st, then it's fine, we can look into it. If it's the 2nd, then it raises a bit of a concern. Gonna assume it's the 1st. I'd probably get clarity by asking questions To the team: Which idea/s are being disagreed upon? Are all member"See full answer

    Product Manager
    Behavioral
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  • Amazon logoAsked at Amazon 
    Video answer for 'Tell me about a time you made a mistake.'
    +87

    "Let me tell you about a time where a website I managed suddenly showed slow performance and the mistake on our side was it was unnoticed until a user reported the issue to management. As a PM for that project, I took full responsibility of the situation and worked with the engineering team to quickly resolve it. This mistake taught me the importance of focusing and monitoring non functional requirements as well in addition to new feature development /adoption where I was mostly spending my time"

    Sreenisha S. - "Let me tell you about a time where a website I managed suddenly showed slow performance and the mistake on our side was it was unnoticed until a user reported the issue to management. As a PM for that project, I took full responsibility of the situation and worked with the engineering team to quickly resolve it. This mistake taught me the importance of focusing and monitoring non functional requirements as well in addition to new feature development /adoption where I was mostly spending my time"See full answer

    Software Engineer
    Behavioral
    +6 more
  • "One of the most complex programs I managed was a data quality project for Banamex and Scotiabank. We had multiple teams working with different tools like SAS, SQL Server, and Azure, and tight deadlines due to compliance audits. I handled stakeholders by setting up regular sync meetings, sharing clear progress updates, and showing early results through sample reports. With the team, I prioritized tasks using a risk-based approach and delegated clearly based on each person’s strengths. When issues"

    Otto yhoda A. - "One of the most complex programs I managed was a data quality project for Banamex and Scotiabank. We had multiple teams working with different tools like SAS, SQL Server, and Azure, and tight deadlines due to compliance audits. I handled stakeholders by setting up regular sync meetings, sharing clear progress updates, and showing early results through sample reports. With the team, I prioritized tasks using a risk-based approach and delegated clearly based on each person’s strengths. When issues"See full answer

    Technical Program Manager
    Behavioral
    +1 more
  • Amazon logoAsked at Amazon 
    +60

    "I most want to communicate a few principals of conflict resolution that I believe were integral in this situation, which are mutual respect, a results orientation, an unwavering focus on the user. To that end, here’s how I’d like to structure this answer: First, I’ll tell you about the project we were working on, to provide some background for you. Second, I’ll describe the disagreement. Third, I’ll describe how we arrived at a solution, and finally, I’ll discuss how those 3 conflict resolut"

    Ross B. - "I most want to communicate a few principals of conflict resolution that I believe were integral in this situation, which are mutual respect, a results orientation, an unwavering focus on the user. To that end, here’s how I’d like to structure this answer: First, I’ll tell you about the project we were working on, to provide some background for you. Second, I’ll describe the disagreement. Third, I’ll describe how we arrived at a solution, and finally, I’ll discuss how those 3 conflict resolut"See full answer

    Software Engineer
    Behavioral
    +5 more
  • Amazon logoAsked at Amazon 
    +27

    "We had a huge launch on September 1st of this year where we completely redesigned our application from the grounds up and also migrated to a new platform (React.JS). This project took us 8 months and the launch was a huge deal for the team. Unfortunately the launch wasn't as smooth as we expected and despite doing multiple rounds of QA, some major issues cropped up in the core part of the app right after launch and our client was quite upset since it was disrupting their day-to-day workflow. "

    Aabid S. - "We had a huge launch on September 1st of this year where we completely redesigned our application from the grounds up and also migrated to a new platform (React.JS). This project took us 8 months and the launch was a huge deal for the team. Unfortunately the launch wasn't as smooth as we expected and despite doing multiple rounds of QA, some major issues cropped up in the core part of the app right after launch and our client was quite upset since it was disrupting their day-to-day workflow. "See full answer

    Technical Program Manager
    Behavioral
    +7 more
  • Amazon logoAsked at Amazon 
    Video answer for 'Tell me about a time when you worked on a project with a tight deadline.'
    +42

    "A clarifying question: Is this question asking about when I met a tight deadline in a project or how did I manage a project that had a tight deadline? The answer uploaded to this question is good, I would also add 'creating a critical path from overall project schedule and then making sure that none of the deliverables in the critical path are sacrificed in order to meet the tight deadline' as an action taken."

    Ushita S. - "A clarifying question: Is this question asking about when I met a tight deadline in a project or how did I manage a project that had a tight deadline? The answer uploaded to this question is good, I would also add 'creating a critical path from overall project schedule and then making sure that none of the deliverables in the critical path are sacrificed in order to meet the tight deadline' as an action taken."See full answer

    Product Manager
    Behavioral
    +5 more
  • Amazon logoAsked at Amazon 
    Video answer for 'Tell me about a time you took a calculated risk when speed was critical.'
    +8

    "Just a bit of context on what could be a risk in Product or Software Development. We talk about the Scope, Quality, and Time Triangle. IMHO the only variables that can matter and can pose risk are these. Try to form an answer where you used the Effort, Value, Risk framework to quantify the risk. The answer can be similar to short term sacrifices for long term gains, as you do take in mind the risk the short term sacrifices pose. Situation - I was leading the team to complete an overhaul of the"

    Umang S. - "Just a bit of context on what could be a risk in Product or Software Development. We talk about the Scope, Quality, and Time Triangle. IMHO the only variables that can matter and can pose risk are these. Try to form an answer where you used the Effort, Value, Risk framework to quantify the risk. The answer can be similar to short term sacrifices for long term gains, as you do take in mind the risk the short term sacrifices pose. Situation - I was leading the team to complete an overhaul of the"See full answer

    Product Manager
    Behavioral
    +1 more
  • +5

    "One of the most challenging situations was joining a new startup to realize that they did not figure out their core product and that customers were dissatisfied and leaving in droves. I worked together with the leaders to understand the core issue and the reasons that the customers were leaving. Then together with the team, we set out to map out those core issues and the gaps that we had in our product. We then worked towards designing a new solution to address those gaps and build an MVP. W"

    WaterBuffalo - "One of the most challenging situations was joining a new startup to realize that they did not figure out their core product and that customers were dissatisfied and leaving in droves. I worked together with the leaders to understand the core issue and the reasons that the customers were leaving. Then together with the team, we set out to map out those core issues and the gaps that we had in our product. We then worked towards designing a new solution to address those gaps and build an MVP. W"See full answer

    Product Manager
    Behavioral
    +3 more
  • +1

    "Let me tell you about the time where I pivoted strategies and we launched a paid loyalty program Instead of a free one. This was a time at Reddoorz when we were gearing up to launch a loyalty program to drive sustainable business by creating a loyal user base. Initially , we had decided to launch a program where users can Opt-In for free. The idea was to get On-Board at least 40% of repeat user base into the loyalty program to drive retention. Competitive bench marking also led to our inclinat"

    Vivek S. - "Let me tell you about the time where I pivoted strategies and we launched a paid loyalty program Instead of a free one. This was a time at Reddoorz when we were gearing up to launch a loyalty program to drive sustainable business by creating a loyal user base. Initially , we had decided to launch a program where users can Opt-In for free. The idea was to get On-Board at least 40% of repeat user base into the loyalty program to drive retention. Competitive bench marking also led to our inclinat"See full answer

    Product Manager
    Behavioral
  • Amazon logoAsked at Amazon 
    Video answer for 'Tell me about a time when you solved a complex problem and how you went about it.'
    +11

    "I work at a startup that makes software for Law Enforcement and the FBI. Our product analyzes calls being made by prison inmates and "listens" for predictors of violence and criminal behavior. Our clients are some of the top state prisons in the country. Recently one of the largest states in the country decided to evaluate our product for their prison system. I demo'd the product to the officers and they seemed to like everything. During the presentation they asked us if the product was ADA com"

    Aabid S. - "I work at a startup that makes software for Law Enforcement and the FBI. Our product analyzes calls being made by prison inmates and "listens" for predictors of violence and criminal behavior. Our clients are some of the top state prisons in the country. Recently one of the largest states in the country decided to evaluate our product for their prison system. I demo'd the product to the officers and they seemed to like everything. During the presentation they asked us if the product was ADA com"See full answer

    Product Manager
    Behavioral
    +5 more
  • Amazon logoAsked at Amazon 
    Video answer for 'Tell me about yourself.'
    +111

    "As you know, this is the most important question for any interview. Here is a structure I like to follow, Start with 'I'm currently a SDE/PM/TPM etc with XYZ company.... ' Mention how you got into PM/TPM/SDE field (explaining your journey) Mention 1 or 2 accomplishments Mention what you do outside work (blogging, volunteer etc) Share why are you looking for a new role Ask the interviewer if they have any questions or will like to dive deep into any of your experience"

    Bipin R. - "As you know, this is the most important question for any interview. Here is a structure I like to follow, Start with 'I'm currently a SDE/PM/TPM etc with XYZ company.... ' Mention how you got into PM/TPM/SDE field (explaining your journey) Mention 1 or 2 accomplishments Mention what you do outside work (blogging, volunteer etc) Share why are you looking for a new role Ask the interviewer if they have any questions or will like to dive deep into any of your experience"See full answer

    Software Engineer
    Behavioral
    +9 more
  • Amazon logoAsked at Amazon 
    Video answer for 'Tell me about a time you made a bold and difficult decision.'
    +1

    "Scenario - I had joined a product in my current company as a PM midway through its development. It is a very sensitive product with a major public services company. As the product was close to its go-live date, it had to go through many checks and many signoffs. A couple of them were through data policy department and the platform department, of which we were using all of the components for our product. We needed policy sign off to authorise the use of data to understand user interactions and"

    Umang S. - "Scenario - I had joined a product in my current company as a PM midway through its development. It is a very sensitive product with a major public services company. As the product was close to its go-live date, it had to go through many checks and many signoffs. A couple of them were through data policy department and the platform department, of which we were using all of the components for our product. We needed policy sign off to authorise the use of data to understand user interactions and"See full answer

    Engineering Manager
    Behavioral
  • +4

    "Around mid-2023, I was tasked with investigating the feasibility of selling access to our site to third-party vendors who wanted to use bots to automate processes for their clients. Some initial work had been done on this but it was very high-level and very little data or analysis had actually been done. When I was tasked with this the idea was to sell access to a special header that would allow vendors to by-pass our F5 Shape implementation, a bot defense tool. From a business and security pers"

    John F. - "Around mid-2023, I was tasked with investigating the feasibility of selling access to our site to third-party vendors who wanted to use bots to automate processes for their clients. Some initial work had been done on this but it was very high-level and very little data or analysis had actually been done. When I was tasked with this the idea was to sell access to a special header that would allow vendors to by-pass our F5 Shape implementation, a bot defense tool. From a business and security pers"See full answer

    Product Manager
    Behavioral
  • +21

    "Please Review. Thanks In advance! Situation: ABC Product Planners asked me to help them to migrate their one Excel-based Macro into the web application. After having a few rounds of interviews with Product Planners, I realized that the macro was not able to solve their current problem due to its limitation and business teams were convinced that it couldn't be resolved completely. The key challenges they had with their current macro-based solutions were: It was able to compute all bui"

    Books' B. - "Please Review. Thanks In advance! Situation: ABC Product Planners asked me to help them to migrate their one Excel-based Macro into the web application. After having a few rounds of interviews with Product Planners, I realized that the macro was not able to solve their current problem due to its limitation and business teams were convinced that it couldn't be resolved completely. The key challenges they had with their current macro-based solutions were: It was able to compute all bui"See full answer

    Behavioral
  • Amazon logoAsked at Amazon 
    Video answer for 'What product that you led are you most proud of and why?'
    +6

    "I was working for an Insurance company and I was the lead PM responsible for delivering HIPAA 5010 835 (statement of bill claims received vs paid) transactions to healthcare providers/hospitals For this initiative as a PM, I was responsible to create and prioritize features around file creation. I collaborated with cross-functional teams, engineers, DevOps. First I conducted sessions with claims adjudication, SFTP file transfer, security, and privacy, clearinghouse, third-party vendors and ensu"

    S P. - "I was working for an Insurance company and I was the lead PM responsible for delivering HIPAA 5010 835 (statement of bill claims received vs paid) transactions to healthcare providers/hospitals For this initiative as a PM, I was responsible to create and prioritize features around file creation. I collaborated with cross-functional teams, engineers, DevOps. First I conducted sessions with claims adjudication, SFTP file transfer, security, and privacy, clearinghouse, third-party vendors and ensu"See full answer

    Product Manager
    Behavioral
  • Amazon logoAsked at Amazon 
    Video answer for 'What is the project you are most proud of?'
    +49

    "I was working for my friend building streams at venues across the Chicago land area for FGC (fighting game tournaments), I adjusted and engineered his equipment to be set up permanently that's until covid came around at least. I used OBS to give visual appearances to stream watchers. So we're talking about subscribe, follow, and donation notifications and things of that nature for viewers to know they contributed in one of those ways. I set up proper sign-up scheduling for participants to lock t"

    Ayinde B. - "I was working for my friend building streams at venues across the Chicago land area for FGC (fighting game tournaments), I adjusted and engineered his equipment to be set up permanently that's until covid came around at least. I used OBS to give visual appearances to stream watchers. So we're talking about subscribe, follow, and donation notifications and things of that nature for viewers to know they contributed in one of those ways. I set up proper sign-up scheduling for participants to lock t"See full answer

    Product Manager
    Behavioral
    +8 more
Showing 1-20 of 207