Amazon Manager - Operations interview questions

Phone interview with a Sr Ops Manager was unremarkable. Know the company and their values and relate your experiences to their values. Invited to an interview at a Fulfillment Center. All transportation, lodging arrangements were taken care of. Details on where/when arrived via email the day before the interview which was a little late and somewhat disconcerting. 5 hour interview process, a facility tour and four 50-minute one-on-one interviews (2 Sr Ops Managers, HR Manager, General Manager). Everyone started with "Summarize your resume for me" then moved on to behavioral interview questions. Again they are looking for your answers/stories to reflect the company values.

Met them at a social event following the first day of a 2 day career fair for Military Academy graduates. They projected the corporate image of "We're Cool, how about you?" Their follow-up was "we gotta have you now!!!" panic/excitement/urgent/confusion. Clearly the principals were not all communicating with each other. Three different people in the firm seemed to have "found me" and did their best to urgently get me to come to an interview and nail the job down- all independently of each other. Many texts/emails with canned questions. They flew me to IN for series of interviews. I smoked them (they told me as much, to include the math/production line question and presentation of my answer). Us older/experienced guys are good at that. I got the impression they didnt want experience... they want ability and youth so they can wear you out and replace you (plus I heard that from several people who had worked there). Their veteran's hiring program leaves much to be considered. They want veterans- its part of their marketing ploy as well, yet they do not consider whether you were an E-3 truck driver or an O-6 Brigade commander... everyone starts at the bottom. If you survive, you will probably move up the ladder a few notches. Problem is, if you have already climbed to the upper level elsewhere, you cannot afford to start working on the salary and "hope" that they give you. They do "hope" you'll move up, but wont really offer you a "Manager-In-Training" or an Executive level position, just the "hope" that you can get there from where they start you. They share a dysfunction of many corporations: They do not understand the difference between "management" and "supervision." They DO understand that many job applicants can be enticed into a job by an important sounding title... without the important pay that goes with it. Not saying they dont pay well. They just dont pay well if you are already an accomplished mid or senior level career professional. I put a stop to the non-sense by telling them what I expected in terms of compensation. They dropped me like a rock. If you have never worked on an assembly line or in a fast paced manufacturing facility, brace yourself. That is what Amazon does. It is not an easy life, and it will wear you out. If you are a 25-30 year old, take a crack at it. If you are older than that and have not worked in a factory, you may want to save the time and aggravation of applying for their "management" positions.