Read this article if you're preparing for an Amazon operations manager role, including Pathways, supply chain, and internship roles. We've highlighted for you where you can find sample answers in the book, Case Interview Questions for Tech Companies.

Metrics

• What top metrics would you track for the Amazon Seller Marketplace? Sample answer on page 104.

Design

• Design a sales and inventory tracking system. Sample answer on page 87.

Brainteasers

• Which is better? Having 10 false positives or 80 false positives? Sample answer on page 55.

• You have eight balls all of the same size. 7 of them weigh the same, and one of them weighs slightly more. How can you find the ball that is heavier by using a balance and weighing it only twice? Sample answer on page 53.

• Given an upcoming product release, how would you solve supply constraints and expand a supplier base? Sample question and answer on 166
• Let’s say a supplier does not answer your calls or reply to your emails. What will you do? Sample answer on 180.
• What would you do to increase vendors who sell on Amazon to expand selection? Similar question and answer on 199.

• Something breaks in the project at the last minute on a project, and it is from a supplier. How will you solve it? Sample answer on 164.

• If you don't have much information, how do you make decisions? Sample answer on 169.

• Describe how Amazon's supply chain works. What challenges do we face on a day-to-day basis? Similar question and answer on page 157. 

Flow Operations

You are in charge of  a department that receives the product into the building and stows it to the bin where it is accessible by the department. you have two options on how to receive and stow the product. In the first option, you receive the product at 250 units per labor hour and stow it at 100 units per labor hour. You must receive it and stow it for the unit to count for production. This process results in 1% of the units stowed being incorrect. You can find and fix these errors at a rate of 20 units for labor hour with what you believe is almost 100% accuracy. In the second option, you receive and stow the product in one step vs. two. The rate for this process is 80 units per labor hours for receive and stow. This process results in 1.5% of the units being stowed being incorrect. You can find and fix these errors at a rate of 20 units per hour with what you believe is almost 100% accuracy.

1. Which option would you select to process today's units and why?
2. Does your answer change if you are told you must fully process 100,000 units today? If yes, why?
3. Does your answer change if you are told that you have 15 associates today and you must fully produce the maximum amount of units possible? If yes, why?

Phone screen interview questions

These interview questions are more likely during the phone screen rounds, especially with the interviewer is the recruiter. They’re less specific to the business and product domain. Here, the recruiter is trying to assess cultural fit. That is, what are your internal motivations and passions? Do you align with Amazon’s 14 Leadership Principles? Are you likely to stay with Amazon for the long-term?

These phone screen interview questions may seem easy, but you’ll be surprised how many candidates have trouble crisply answering these questions. To get crisp, use this template for Amazon behavioral interview questions.

Sample questions

1. You have 5 minutes to tell me why I should hire you over the other candidates. Sample answer on 248.
2. Why do you want to join the company? Sample answer on 251.
3. What is an example of a time you failed? Sample answer on 257.
4. Tell me about a time when you used data to solve a complex problem. Sample answer on 259.
5. Tell me about the last time you used data to inform your decision making. How did you acquire the data? If you had to make that decision again, what would you do differently? What data would you like instead? Sample answer on 261.
6. Tell me about a time when you made all the decisions for a project or task. Sample answer on 266.

SEE ALSO: Case Interview Questions for Tech: Sample Answers