How Amazon hires
How Amazon hires
More than 3,600 Bar Raisers at Amazon provide diverse, unbiased points of view during the interview process.
It felt like a first day at school. Jeni Dunk felt a mixture of excitement and nerves as she met "classmates" at the table where one was a baby clothes buyer, another worked in marketing. Dunk, introduced herself as a manager in finance operations while the large group waited for their orientation to begin on their first day at Amazon .
Dunk still remembers the excitement of her first day, years later. Today, she brings that same energy to every interview she conducts as a Bar Raiser , a program that empowers Amazon employees to serve as objective third-party advisers during the interview process. "For many candidates, the interview process is their first introduction to the company. It's fun to be part of their journey," said Dunk. "I think about how I felt nine years ago, having that initial interaction with the interview team. I want to share that with candidates and kick-off their experience with Amazon in a positive way."
There are more than 3,600 Bar Raisers at Amazon—a population that's expanding and diversifying over time—who volunteer their time to contribute to the interview process. There are bar raisers from teams across the company, in roles ranging from product managers, software development engineers, human resources, marketing specialists, and everything in between.
The goal of the Bar Raiser program is to bring objectivity to interview loops and, in an effort to fuel innovation at Amazon, help make sure every new hire has growth potential and brings skills and abilities that are better than 50% of their would-be peers in similar roles. Amazon believes leaders raise the performance bar with every hire and promotion—and Bar Raisers are a mechanism the company uses to ensure hiring managers stay true to that commitment.
"The role of a Bar Raiser is unique because we will not be involved in the day-to-day interaction with the interviewee, so we're completely focused on making hiring decisions for Amazon, not for a specific team or role. Our ability to maintain a long-term vision—rather than focus on an immediate hiring need," said Annie Groeninger, a software development manager and Bar Raiser. "With each hiring decision, I help make sure that I continue to work with the most brilliant people in the world. I'm looking to hire people I can learn from."
Becoming a Bar Raiser
Bar Raisers are nominated by their manager, peers, or other Bar Raisers. They then complete extensive training on Amazon's 16 Leadership Principles . The process includes shadowing veteran Bar Raisers for multiple interview cycles over the course of several months. Training is voluntary and in addition to the job an individual is hired to do. It takes anywhere from three months to a year and is designed to be flexible with employee work schedules. "We're aiming for quality over quantity, which means we don't put a time stamp on the process," said Katie Anderson, a Bar Raiser program manager. "Everyone who comes through the program is different. It may take fewer than a dozen interviews for one person to graduate and 40 or more for another." Individual Bar Raiser training may take more or less across organizations, regions, and assessment of an individual's readiness.
"This training program is valuable even for the most experienced interviewers," said Groeninger, who entered the Bar Raiser program after completing 800 interviews—both as a loop interviewer and a hiring manager. "It was eye-opening to switch roles and be the person shadowing another interviewer and learning their techniques. Throughout the training process, I interviewed candidates for roles that I had no experience interviewing for before, which was challenging and fun. I was also able to interview alongside many different Bar Raisers and get diverse perspectives and feedback on my interviewing style," Groeninger said.
Once certified, Bar Raisers have three key responsibilities