Jeff Bezos Emphasizes High Hiring Standards at Amazon
In a pivotal moment for Amazon.com, founder Jeff Bezos highlighted the company’s hiring philosophy in a 1998 shareholder letter, emphasizing the importance of high standards in recruitment. He presented three essential questions designed to elevate the quality of new hires, which he believed were crucial for Amazon’s long-term success in the competitive world of online retail.
Bezos instructed interviewers to consider: “Will you admire this person? … Will this person raise the average level of effectiveness of the group they’re entering? … Along what dimension might this person be a superstar?” These questions, he asserted, were key to ensuring that the organization’s talent pool continued to grow stronger. Bezos noted that maintaining high standards was vital for “fighting entropy” as Amazon navigated the evolving internet landscape.
In his letter, Bezos shared a light-hearted example to illustrate his point. He mentioned a team member who was a National Spelling Bee champion, suggesting that unique talents, regardless of their direct relevance to job duties, contribute positively to the work environment. He stated, “It does make working here more fun if you can occasionally snag her in the hall with a quick challenge: ‘onomatopoeia!'” This perspective underscores Bezos’s belief that diverse skills enrich the workplace.
Establishing the Bar-Raiser Program
Bezos’s commitment to high hiring standards laid the groundwork for the “bar-raiser” program, which includes a group of specially trained interviewers. This program has the authority to veto candidates who do not meet the elevated criteria, a practice that Chief Executive Andy Jassy still champions as “one of Amazon’s crown jewels.”
Bezos continued to promote the importance of rigorous standards even as Amazon expanded beyond its origins as a bookseller. In his 2017 letter to shareholders, he reiterated that “high standards are teachable” and essential for meeting the ever-increasing expectations of customers. He emphasized that once an organization experiences high standards, “there’s no going back.”
These principles have had lasting effects on Amazon’s internal culture, influencing various operational aspects, including the adoption of six-page narrative memos instead of traditional PowerPoint presentations. This year, the company codified its interview process into a public six-step guide for applicants, reinforcing its commitment to transparency and consistency.
The Impact of High Standards on Company Culture
Amazon’s 2020 shareholder letter echoed Bezos’s original sentiments from 1998, stating that setting the hiring bar high remains “the single most important element of Amazon.com’s success.” While some critics argue that this relentless pursuit of excellence fosters a cut-throat atmosphere, Amazon’s leadership contends that such a competitive spirit has been instrumental in the company’s transformation from an online bookstore to a global leader in logistics and cloud computing.
The discussion around Amazon’s hiring practices and corporate culture raises important questions about the balance between high performance and employee well-being. As the company continues to evolve, its foundational belief in the power of exceptional talent remains a driving force behind its ongoing growth and innovation.
