This one is tricky because there's no clean version of the story.
Choose a situation where you had to let someone go due to performance or behavioral issues, and focus on the process you followed to ensure fairness and support. Emphasize the steps taken to help the person improve before termination, and how you handled the decision with empathy and professionalism. Highlight the positive outcomes for the team and the individual, and what you learned from the experience.
Pro tip: Demonstrate that you exhausted all reasonable options to help the person succeed before deciding to let them go, and show that you treated them with dignity throughout the process. This shows you are both results-oriented and compassionate, which Amazon values.
Briefly describe the situation, the person's role, and the performance or behavior issue that necessitated termination. Avoid confidential details and focus on the facts.
Explain the steps you took to support the person, such as providing clear feedback, coaching, setting improvement goals, and offering resources. This demonstrates that termination was a last resort.
Detail how you made the final decision, including any consultations with HR or management, and how you conducted the termination conversation with empathy and respect.
Discuss the impact on the team and the individual, and what you learned from the experience. Emphasize any positive changes or improvements that resulted.
AI-generated suggestions, not part of the candidate's original notes. May be inaccurate — verify before relying on them.