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It's probably per-team, someone on here mentioned that's how Google works at least. Someone I know did an AWS interview round during business school, and they

It's probably per-team, someone on here mentioned that's how Google works at least. Someone I know did an AWS interview round during business school, and they do this thing called "bar raising" (IIRC) that involves one of the interviewers literally doing something unpleasant to see how you react (e.g. picking their teeth in the camera, cutting you off when you speak). Very odd.

umanwizard 7y ago
I have worked at Amazon, and can categorically say that this description of their interview process is false.
- diminoten 7y ago
  Like false as in I made it up or false as in it's not your experience?
  - umanwizard 7y ago
    False as in not true. Amazon does not have a policy of interviewers intentionally making candidates uncomfortable.
    - diminoten 7y ago
      Ah, well then what was I being told? I got these independent reports form literally every single person I spoke to who interviewed with Amazon. I also just spoke with my wife and she re-confirmed it. So I guess I'm wondering what these people who I respect are experiencing...
BryantD 7y ago
That is not what bar raising is intended to be. There's always a bar raiser in an Amazon interview loop who is not affiliated with the hiring team. They ask the same kinds of questions as the rest of the interviewers in the same way, but they're not influenced by how much the team needs to make the hire, which in theory prevents the team from lowering the bar just to get a warm body in. I'm not saying your friend didn't get a bad interviewer. It's just an interesting demonstration of how risky it is to generalize from anecdotes.
- diminoten 7y ago
  It was a generally accepted practice based on talking to the folks who interviewed with Amazon during my wife's time at Kellogg that one interview would be conducted by someone (an interviewer who had done 100+ interviews) who would be unpleasant in some way. I'm guessing the way Amazon interview for business roles is somehow different than how they interview for specific team positions. As I understand it, MBA hires aren't filling specific gaps on teams, since the hiring process is so long and involves an internship. There wouldn't be a "team" to lower the bar for, in other words.
rrishi 7y ago
That is not what "bar-raising" round is. It's a difficult question (often algorithmic) that 50% of the employees wouldn't be able to solve. Its designed to raise the bar of employees.
- diminoten 7y ago
  Why would Amazon ask an algorithmic question for a non-engineering role?

umanwizard 7y ago

I have worked at Amazon, and can categorically say that this description of their interview process is false.

diminoten 7y ago
Like false as in I made it up or false as in it's not your experience?
- umanwizard 7y ago
  False as in not true. Amazon does not have a policy of interviewers intentionally making candidates uncomfortable.
  - diminoten 7y ago
    Ah, well then what was I being told? I got these independent reports form literally every single person I spoke to who interviewed with Amazon. I also just spoke with my wife and she re-confirmed it. So I guess I'm wondering what these people who I respect are experiencing...

BryantD 7y ago

That is not what bar raising is intended to be. There's always a bar raiser in an Amazon interview loop who is not affiliated with the hiring team. They ask the same kinds of questions as the rest of the interviewers in the same way, but they're not influenced by how much the team needs to make the hire, which in theory prevents the team from lowering the bar just to get a warm body in. I'm not saying your friend didn't get a bad interviewer. It's just an interesting demonstration of how risky it is to generalize from anecdotes.

diminoten 7y ago
It was a generally accepted practice based on talking to the folks who interviewed with Amazon during my wife's time at Kellogg that one interview would be conducted by someone (an interviewer who had done 100+ interviews) who would be unpleasant in some way. I'm guessing the way Amazon interview for business roles is somehow different than how they interview for specific team positions. As I understand it, MBA hires aren't filling specific gaps on teams, since the hiring process is so long and involves an internship. There wouldn't be a "team" to lower the bar for, in other words.

rrishi 7y ago

That is not what "bar-raising" round is. It's a difficult question (often algorithmic) that 50% of the employees wouldn't be able to solve. Its designed to raise the bar of employees.

diminoten 7y ago
Why would Amazon ask an algorithmic question for a non-engineering role?