Jeff Bezos emphasized the importance of hiring top talent at Amazon.com as early as 1998. In a shareholder letter that spring, he outlined a hiring philosophy centered on three fundamental questions aimed at ensuring the company maintained high standards. He believed that the quality of hires would determine the company’s success in a rapidly evolving online retail landscape.
Bezos instructed interviewers to consider these three queries prior to extending an offer: “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?” According to Bezos, these questions were vital for keeping the bar high, allowing Amazon to continuously improve and “fight entropy” as it grew.
In an illustrative example, he mentioned a National Spelling Bee champion among Amazon employees, suggesting that unique talents, even those not directly related to work, could enrich the workplace environment. This philosophy later manifested in Amazon’s “bar-raiser” program, a system designed to ensure that only candidates who could elevate the company’s talent pool were hired.
Continued Commitment to High Standards
Under the leadership of current Chief Executive Andy Jassy, this hiring doctrine remains a cornerstone of Amazon’s culture. Jassy describes the bar-raiser program as “one of Amazon’s crown jewels,” reflecting the company’s ongoing commitment to maintaining high expectations. Bezos reinforced this message in his 2017 letter, stating that “high standards are teachable” and crucial for meeting rising customer expectations.
He encapsulated his philosophy for shareholders: “Once you’ve tasted high standards, there’s no going back.” This commitment to excellence permeates various aspects of the organization, from the six-page narrative memos that replace traditional PowerPoint presentations to the rigorous interview processes now outlined in a publicly accessible six-step guide for applicants.
The 2020 shareholder letter reiterated this focus on high standards, asserting that maintaining elevated hiring practices would continue to be “the single most important element of Amazon.com‘s success.” While some critics argue that this relentless pursuit of excellence fosters a cut-throat culture within the company, Amazon’s leadership contends that this toughness has been instrumental in the company’s transformation from an online bookstore to a global logistics and cloud services powerhouse.
In summary, the hiring philosophy established by Bezos underscores the belief that the caliber of employees can significantly influence a company’s trajectory. As Amazon continues to evolve, the emphasis on high standards and unique talents remains a defining characteristic of its corporate identity.
