This essay is based on a conversation with Sai Chiligireddy, an engineering manager at Amazon’s Seattle office, and has been edited for brevity and clarity. Business Insider has confirmed his employment history.
I joined Amazon nearly eight years ago as a software engineer and, after five years, advanced to an engineering management position.
Throughout my time at the company’s Vancouver and Seattle offices, I have conducted over 100 technical interviews. As a hiring manager, I made the final decision on new team members after thorough phone screenings, on-site assessments, and technical rounds.
In my experience, Amazon evaluates candidates based on two main factors: core technical competencies and Amazon leadership principles—16 values that are vital to the company, including "bias for action" and "disagree and commit."
Here are four key questions I consider whenever I’m interviewing a candidate:
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Can I collaborate with them if they join my team?
The primary consideration is whether I can effectively work with this individual. I assess their communication skills—do they share their ideas clearly and justify their choices? In technical interviews, I appreciate when candidates explain their reasoning behind specific solutions, even if those solutions are not perfect. If they can articulate their thought process, we value that. -
Do they understand the bigger picture?
I’m looking for candidates who grasp how their solutions relate to broader business challenges. I once interviewed a candidate with only a year of experience who demonstrated a clear understanding of our product and its organizational impact. His insight made me reevaluate my own daily tasks and consider the value my work brings to customers. -
Are they perfectionists?
I favor candidates who don’t hold out for a flawless solution from the start. They focus on initiating improvements and avoid unnecessary complexity. These candidates are open to feedback and adaptable to new use cases or constraints. As a perfectionist myself, I recognize this trait as valuable. - Are they prepared?
Top candidates come well-prepared for interviews. They’ve completed numerous mock interviews and simulated the interview environment, helping them handle the pressure of solving problems within limited time frames.
It’s evident when a candidate hasn’t practiced—whether it’s fumbling through coding without auto-fill features or struggling on a whiteboard after years without exposure. Successful candidates not only understand technical skills but also demonstrate preparedness to discuss leadership qualities. Many do their homework, reviewing our leadership principles and preparing examples of how they’ve applied them in the past. They also come with thoughtful questions for the hiring manager about ongoing projects, challenges, and potential career paths within the company.