I applied online. The process took 3 weeks. I interviewed at Amazon (Seattle, WA) in Mar 2016
Interview
Talked to five people at their downtown Seattle office. Starting at 9 a.m. the first three were engineers who each asked algorithm questions to be coded (not outlined, coded) on a whiteboard in about 45 minutes each. The problems would be moderately challenging to do at a computer and I found them to be difficult to do while being watched, while taking about the code, and while writing on a whiteboard.
The next two were with personality interviews with management - lunch with the hiring manager and then 40 minutes with the manager's manager.
There were no software design questions, only basic algorithm stuff, which was a surprise given that the position was for a senior software engineer.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
I don't have the exact question, but the problem was essentially to write code to convert text to variable length bit encoding similar to Huffman coding. Determine frequency of occurrence for each letter in the text assign it a bit code so that more frequent characters get shorter bit codes.
Initial screening call with recruiter followed by a 1 hr hacker rank question on DSA. The final round was a panel consisting of 4 interviews ranging from technical design, more DSA and behaviour questions.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
Describe a time when you disagreed with your team and how you resolved it
Online Application & Assessment: Candidates apply via amazon.jobs and may be asked to complete online assessments (work simulations or technical tests).
Recruiter Phone Screen: A 30-60 minute interview to discuss your background, interest in the role, and initial behavioral questions.
Technical Phone Screen (For Tech Roles): A 60-minute interview focused on data structures, algorithms, and coding in a shared editor.
Interview Loop (Virtual/Onsite): The final stage, usually 3-5, 45-60 minute interviews held on the same day or over a few days.
Behavioral Questions: These focus on past behavior (STAR method: Situation, Task, Action, Result) mapped to Leadership Principles.
Technical/Functional Questions: Problem-solving, system design, or domain-specific questions.
Bar Raiser Interview: One interviewer is a "Bar Raiser," a neutral employee from another team tasked with ensuring hiring standards remain high.
Hiring Committee/Debrief: Interviewers meet to discuss candidate feedback and make a hiring decision.
Recruiter screen. Then 2 coding interviews then onsite rounds (another coding question, then a system design question, then HM behavioral interview). System design was simpler than other companies. Coding was leetcode ish
Top companies for "Compensation and Benefits" near you
