Preparing for your Amazon

Interview – WHS Specialist

Thank you for the time you’ve invested so far in the Amazon
Interview Process. Here we’ll share some tips we hope you’ll find
helpful in preparing for your virtual interview.
What is Fulfillment?
Fulfillment is at the heart of the Amazon experience. We deliver millions of products
to hundreds of countries worldwide. Our teams possess a wide range of skills and
expertise, from business analysis and inventory management to engineering. With
more than 150 Fulfillment Centers in North America and Canada, Amazon
Fulfillment is growing at a pace that requires the best and brightest talent to be
brought in to our company to help us continue to make history.

The evolution of Amazon has been driven by innovation. It’s part of our DNA. We
are doing things every day that have never been done before—providing
a huge selection of products and continuing to fulfill orders quickly. We accomplish
this by solving complex problems with ingenuity and simplicity. We're making
history and the good news is that we've only just begun!

We create. We build. We take ownership for what we do – whether we’re developing

a new technology in-house or launching a new Fulfillment Center. Together, we’re
constantly creating the ideas, services and products that make life easier for
Amazon’s millions of customers. Regardless of role, each Amazonian is completely
focused on working hard, having fun and making history.
What is a WHS Specialist?
Overview:
• Serves as a designated safety representative for their assigned fulfillment
center (FC), coordinating and implementing all areas of the Amazon Global
Safety Program as directed by the safety leadership.
• Promotes a positive safety culture while complying with Amazon safety
standards and maintaining a safe work environment including conducting
trainings and coaching associates on observed work habits.
• Supports management’s efforts to ensure compliance with all corporate Safety
Program expectations and applicable federal & state laws.
• Identifies and informs management of compliance issues, safety risks, and
improvement opportunities through the conduct of daily, weekly, and monthly
audits
• Conducts risk assessments related to jobs performed (Job Hazard Analysis)
and new equipment introductions as well as recommending appropriate risk
mitigation measures to management, including ergonomics.
• Maintain required paperwork to comply with Amazon and OSHA regulations.
• Train and assist others (Area Managers, safety team members, etc.) to
complete their safety responsibilities (Audits, Follow Safety Rules, etc.)
• Participate in process improvement activities and manage actions to
completion.
• Minimum of 1 years in an Workplace Health & Safety (WHS) related field or
bachelor’s degree in related field
• Knowledge of OSHA regulations specifically 29 CFR 1910
• Available to work flexible shifts including days, nights and/or weekends
• *Relocation assistance is not provided*
What to Expect for your Interviews:
Our full interview process consists of one virtual interview.

Prior to your interview, we invite you to watch Amazon On-site Interview Prep Video
.

For your virtual interview event, you will meet with three interviewers comprised of
Leaders from WHS, Operations and Human Resources. Each virtual interview
session will be ‘one-on-one” conversations, and last approximately 45 minutes each.
These more in-depth conversations will be focused around your prior work
experiences; possibly specific to the job description, and be comprised of Behavioral
Based questions. Our expectation is that you respond to our Behavioral Based
questions with examples related to your work experience.

Please keep in mind, interview schedules can change often, so we appreciate your
flexibility.
Tips to prepare for your interview:

• Our dress code is casual. We encourage you to dress comfortably. We are

interested in what you have to say, not what you are wearing.

• Prepare a 2 minute introduction of what makes you- you. This is your time
to tell us something about you that may not be on your resume. You will
have time during the interview to share your work experience.

• Know what interests you about Amazon and the team or teams you will be
interviewing with.

• It may also help to spend some time researching our specific products and
features as well as competitors relevant to the job description. Knowing
about our product groups and how they all interact with each other will give
you more context around the role and will likely prompt deeper
conversations and provide a richer interview experience.

• It is important to ask high scope questions with each interviewer. This gives
you an opportunity to highlight your level of thinking.
More Tips:
• Please ask questions if you need clarification. We want the interview process to
be collaborative. We also want to learn what it would be like
to work with you on a day-to-day basis in our open environment. If you
are asked a question, but not given enough information to solve the
problem, drill down to get the information that you need. If that
information isn’t available, focus on how you would attempt to solve the
problem given the limited information you have. Often times at Amazon,
we have to make quick decisions in the absence of all of the relevant data.

• When answering questions, be as concise and detailed in your response

as possible. We realize it’s hard to gauge how much information is too
much versus not sufficient enough; an effective litmus test is pausing after
your succinct response to ask if you’ve provided enough detail, or if the
interviewer would like you to go into more depth.

• We want to hire smart, passionate people. Please reflect on what motivated you
to pursue a career with Amazon and be prepared to speak to it. Although “Why
Amazon?” is a standard type of question, it’s not a check-the-box type of
formality for us. We genuinely want to understand what inspired you to explore
an opportunity with us, so we get a better sense of who you are. It’s also
appreciated when a candidate has put thought into a few questions for the
interviewer. It goes a long way when you’ve taken the initiative to research the
company prior to your interview.

• After the interview please be aware in advance that per company policy,
regardless of interview outcome, we will not be able to provide detailed
interview feedback. We will always strive to inform you of the outcome in a
timely manner.
The STAR Method
Amazon is a data and metric driven company. We love to hear about metrics and data
that you have used to make decisions and measure results! Make sure you are
prepared to talk about the impact of your work. Consider highlighting continuous
improvement projects and the metrics from them when providing your explanations.

You should keep your focus on the question asked and make sure your answer is
tangible. We suggest the STAR Method.

A STAR story should be about 2 minutes long, and delivered with energy and
enthusiasm about a real experience you have had (it does not have to be a work
experience, as long as it describes a relevant skill or behavior).

The STAR method is a structured manner of responding to a behavioral-based

interview question by discussing the specific Situation, Task, Action, and Result of
the situation you are describing.

Situation: Describe the situation that you were in or the task that you needed to
accomplish. You must describe a specific event or situation, not a generalized
description of what you have done in the past. Be sure to give enough detail for the
interviewer to understand. This situation can be from a previous job, from a volunteer
experience, or any relevant event.

Task: What goal were you working toward?

Action: Describe the actions you took to address the situation with an appropriate
amount of detail and keep the focus on YOU. What specific steps did you take and
what was your particular contribution? Be careful that you don’t describe what the
team or group did when talking about a project, but what you actually did. Use the
word “I,” not “we” when describing actions.

Result: Describe the outcome of your actions and don’t be shy about taking credit for
your behavior. What happened? How did the event end? What did you accomplish?
What did you learn? Make sure your answer contains multiple positive results.
 How to Prepare for a Behavioral Interview
Recall recent situations that show favorable behaviors or actions, especially involving
work experience, leadership, teamwork, initiative, planning, and customer service.

• Prepare short descriptions of each situation; be ready to give details if asked.

• Be sure each story has a beginning, middle, and an end; i.e., be ready to describe the
situation, including the task at hand, your action, and the outcome or result.

• If an example has a negative result (such as “lost the game”), you can still highlight
your strengths in the face of adversity.

• Be honest. Don’t embellish or omit any part of the story. The interviewer will find
out if your story is built on a weak foundation.

• Be specific. Don't generalize about several events; give a detailed accounting of one
event.

• Vary your examples; don’t take them all from just one area of your life.

• BE AS SPECIFIC AS POSSIBLE at all times, without rambling or including too

much information. Eliminate any examples that do not paint you in a positive light.
However, if an example has a negative result (such as “lost the game”) you can still
highlight your strengths in the face of adversity.

• Be sure to highlight YOUR unique role in each situation or example. We love team
players, but are interested in how you drive change and lead teams in collaborative
spaces.
Sample Behavioral Questions
Practice using the STAR Method on these common behavioral interviewing
questions incorporating examples from the Amazon Leadership Principles:

• Tell me about a time when you have been faced with a challenge where the best
way forward or strategy to adopt was not “clear cut” (i.e. there were a number of
possible solutions). How did you decide the best way forward?

• Tell me about a time where you Implemented a process improvement - how did
you determine the improvement was good (data) and then the process of
implementation. How did you gather this data?
o Is this solution still being used today? Was this carried out to the entire
network?
o How did you ensure your targets were met? How did you prevent from
negatively impacting the team in the future?

• Give me an example of a time when something you tried to accomplish and

failed.

• Give me an example of a time when you used your fact-finding skills

to solve a problem.

• Describe a time when you significantly contributed to improving morale and

productivity on your team.

• Give me an example of when you showed initiative and took the lead.

• Give me an example of a time when you motivated others.

• Tell me about a time when you delegated a project effectively.

Our Leadership Principles
Amazon’s Leadership Principles are the specific characteristics necessary for successful leadership at Amazon. These
Principles work hard, just like we do. Amazonians use them, every day, whether they’re discussing ideas for new
projects, deciding on the best solution for a customer’s problem, or interviewing candidates. It’s just one of those
things that make Amazon peculiar.

Customer Obsession Think Big

Leaders start with the customer and work backwards. They Thinking small is a self-fulfilling prophecy. Leaders create
work vigorously to earn and keep customer trust. Although and communicate a bold direction that inspires results. They
leaders pay attention to competitors, they obsess over think differently and look around corners for ways to serve
customers. customers.

Ownership Bias for Action

Leaders are owners. They think long term and don’t sacrifice Speed matters in business. Many decisions and actions are
long-term value for short-term results. They act on behalf of the reversible and do not need extensive study. We value
entire company, beyond just their own team. They never say calculated risk taking.
“that’s not my job”.
Frugality
Invent and Simplify
Accomplish more with less. Constraints breed
Leaders expect and require innovation and invention from their
resourcefulness, self-sufficiency and invention. There are no
team and always find ways to simplify. They are externally
extra points for growing headcount, budget size or fixed
aware, look for new ideas from everywhere, and are not limited
expenses.
by “not invented here”. As we do new things, we accept that we
may be misunderstood for long periods of time. Earn Trust
Leaders listen attentively, speak candidly, and treat others
Are Right, A Lot respectfully. They are vocally self-critical, even when doing
so is awkward or embarrassing. Leaders do not believe their
Leaders are right a lot. They have strong judgment and good
or their team’s body odor smells of perfume. They
instincts. They seek diverse perspectives and work to
benchmark themselves and their teams against the best.
disconfirm their beliefs.

Learn and Be Curious

Dive Deep
Leaders are never done learning and always seek to improve
themselves. They are curious about new possibilities and act to Leaders operate at all levels, stay connected to the details,
explore them. audit frequently, and are skeptical when metrics and
anecdote differ. No task is beneath them.
Hire and Develop the Best
Leaders raise the performance bar with every hire and Have Backbone; Disagree and Commit
promotion. They recognize exceptional talent, and willingly Leaders are obligated to respectfully challenge decisions
move them throughout the organization. Leaders develop when they disagree, even when doing so is uncomfortable or
leaders and take seriously their role in coaching others. We exhausting. Leaders have conviction and are tenacious. They
work on behalf of our people to invent mechanisms for do not compromise for the sake of social cohesion.
development like Career Choice.

Insist on the Highest Standards Deliver Results

Leaders have relentlessly high standards – many people may Leaders focus on the key inputs for their business and deliver
think these standards are unreasonably high. Leaders are them with the right quality and in a timely fashion. Despite
continually raising the bar and drive their teams to deliver high setbacks, they rise to the occasion and never settle.
quality products, services and processes. Leaders ensure that
defects do not get sent down the line and that problems are
fixed so they stay fixed.
Tips For When You Are Preparing
• STAR Method
o Practice using this method in the mirror, with a friend, a colleague, or
your neighbor’s dog. The more you use it, the better you’ll get at
following the format.

• Leadership Principles
o To best prepare, create detailed work-related examples for each of
Amazon’s 14 Leadership Principles using the STAR Method.
Remember, it’s important to support your stories using data and metrics.

• Potential Pitfalls – Avoid these!

o Using the same example throughout the interview.
o Answers are too surface level, general, or lack data.
o Using “We“ throughout the conversation VS “I”.
o No questions for interviewers. Show your curiosity and ask smart
questions about our operation! Avoid questions you can ask your
recruiter (compensation, start date, etc.)
o Having no passion for Process Improvement and Curiosity.
We appreciate your interest in Amazon and look
forward to meeting and learning more about you.
Good luck with your interviews!