We are looking for a Brand Specialist who can be self-critical and willing to accept feedback from others. Talk to me about a time when you received criticism from a co-worker or leader.
Amazon's 11th Leadership Principle is 'Earn Trust.' This principle states, 'Leaders listen attentively, speak candidly, and treat others respectfully. They are vocally self-critical, even when doing so is awkward or embarrassing. Leaders do not believe their or their team's body odor smells of perfume. They benchmark themselves and their teams against the best.'
The interviewer wants you to showcase a situation when you received the unsolicited opinion of someone else (whether this person was right or wrong) and you considered their opinion. Perhaps you learned a lesson from the criticism and worked towards improvements. Maybe you felt their criticism was incorrect but, rather than get angry; you graciously moved on from the situation.
This behavioral-based question requires storytelling in your answer. Amazon asks that you try to follow the STAR answer method when you respond to behavioral interview questions. STAR is an acronym for Situation, Task, Action, Result.
- Situation: Provide the contextual information the interviewer needs to know to make sense of your story.
- Task: Continuing to set the stage, give the interviewer an idea of your role and responsibilities in this story.
- Action: Next, offer a detailed description of the steps you took in this story.
- Result: Last, talk about the specific, measurable outcomes that resulted from your actions.
If you have work experience, it's best to provide an example from your professional life. If you are new to your career, consider an example from your post-secondary education, a team sport, volunteer commitment, or a club-based activity.
If you choose a story where the criticism you received was accurate, be sure to highlight how you improved your performance after receiving the feedback. If you share a story where you concluded that the feedback was unjustified, show that you considered the feedback and moved on without causing an issue with the coworker or leader who delivered the criticism. Overall, highlight for the interviewer that your work is of high quality regardless of this criticism, and you are always open to input and potential improvements.
"(Situation) I spent 3 months working at Company XYZ as a Business Administration Intern. My accountabilities included working with the Communications Assistant to help draft an improved internship program. A few Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) regulations had changed recently surrounding paid and unpaid internships and how companies were allowed to structure internships for college credits. (Task) As an intern myself, I felt especially excited to take on this challenge while having a voice in the quality of internship for those who would intern at Company XYZ after me. (Action) First, I researched which FLSA regulations had changed. I made sure I understood how they had changed, and then I addressed which areas Company XYZ's current internship program would be impacted. Next, I made suggestions for changes and presented my work to the Communications Assistant. While I was presenting my research, the Communications Assistant seemed to lose interest in my ideas. Around halfway through my presentation, she interrupted me and asked if she could provide me with feedback. I agreed. She went on to let me know, in a compassionate way, that my presentation was not capturing her interest. She expected that I would bring more creativity to the task, considering marketing was a significant part of my educational focus. She explained that the points I was making, and the ideas I was delivering, were unengaging. At first, I was taken aback, and I felt embarrassed. Being new to my career, I wanted to make the best impression possible. I thanked her for her candidness, and I asked for the chance to present to her again in 3 days. She agreed. (Result) After some introspection, I realized that I was overly professional in the presentation, and I wasn't allowing my personality to shine. I created a new visual presentation that spotlighted the most interesting points and ideas from my research. I presented to the Communications Assistant once more, and this time she was very impressed with how I communicated my findings and ideas. I actively listened to this individual's thoughts and respectfully accepted their feedback. I also looked internally to ensure that I was doing my best to use the situation as an opportunity to learn rather than absorb the embarrassment. I see a true value in benchmarking myself against the best and will continue to do so now, as a Brand Specialist, and into the future as I grow my career with Amazon."
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