🧭Amazon's Hiring Framework to Protect its Culture

Coach K on Standards

How Amazon Hires “Bar Raisers”

What if your next recruit or next hire wasn’t just a good fit, but actually raised the level of your entire team?

That’s the question Amazon has been answering for years with their Bar Raiser framework.

Amazon designed this process for hiring not just to fill roles, but to transform its teams. And it’s a concept that goes far beyond hiring. It’s about leadership, culture, and how to build a system where excellence is the default - not the exception.

Why this matters: Your culture is shaped by who you let in and what you allow. Each decision is an important decision. Most teams focus on short-term: Who’s the best available?

Amazon flipped the question: Does this person raise the bar compared to who’s already here?

That’s not just a hiring strategy, it’s a culture strategy. And it’s something every coach, leader, and team builder can learn from.

🔍 So what is the concept?

Amazon’s Bar Raiser isn’t just a person, it’s a philosophy.

They believe every hire should be better than 50% of current employees at the same level. It’s a deliberate way to increase talent density over time. Their process is rigorous, consistent, and focused on both skills and behaviors. It includes the following:

✅ Behavioral Assessment - How well do you align with Amazon’s 16 Leadership Principles (like “Insist on the Highest Standards” or “Earn Trust”)?

✅ Functional Assessment - Do you meet or exceed technical, role-specific standards?

In every interview, there is a bar raiser evaluating if you meet this criteria. But here’s the key: You don’t get hired for being good at one of them. You get hired for being strong in both.

📚 So what can we learn from this? Set the Standard Then Defend It

This is a masterclass in team-building because it shows how great teams are built intentionally, not accidentally.

Culture doesn’t just happen. It’s shaped by who you let in, who you promote, and what behaviors you reward. As Amazon’s Bar Raisers say: “If this person isn’t better than 50% of our current team, we pass.”

That simple phrase is a forcing function for clarity, consistency, and courage. It means raising the bar is an everyday discipline, not just an HR slogan. 3 things we can take from this concept:

1. Be intentional about your culture - The greatest decision you make for your culture is who you decide to allow to join it. It’s a reminder that every decision you make - from who you hire to what you tolerate shapes the environment your team operates in.

2. It creates a culture of growth and improvement - When you only bring in people who raise the bar, the message is clear: we get better or we don’t belong. It’s a mindset frame that promotes healthy competition, accountability, and continuous learning.

3. You’re setting the expectations for everyone who joins the team - New team members know from day one that excellence is the baseline. The language will change how they show up, what they strive for, and how seriously they take being part of the team.

💡How You Can Use This in Your Team

• If you’re a manager or coach: Create a standard for what you look for in team members and recruits. Ask: “does this person raise the standard of our team culture?” Not just skill.

• If you’re a leader: Define your “bar” and build a system for how you are going to evaluate bar raisers. Don’t lower the standard just to fill a spot.

• If you’re an athlete: Model behaviors that raise the bar for others. Lead by example, don’t just participate.

🧠Questions to Ask Yourself and Your Team

• What does “raising the bar” actually mean for you?

• Are you hiring, promoting, or retaining based on long-term standards or short-term needs?

• Do your processes reward people who protect the culture or just those who produce results?

• What behaviors would I want every teammate to replicate? Do I model those myself?

Final Thoughts:

Amazon’s system isn’t perfect, but the mindset here is powerful.

Individuals make great teams. And those individuals are always raising the standard and acting as bar raisers!

That’s how cultures grow. That’s how performance scales. And that’s how teams can build something that lasts.

Favorite Posts I Found This Week

Free Mental Fitness Links 👇

For coaches and leaders:

• Nick Saban with one of the best explanations of teamwork and commitment

• The greatest hockey coach ever reveals his 6 timeless leadership secrets

• Jocko Willink on how to actually build lasting relationships with your team

• 6 habits of servant leadership

• Dan Lanning’s advice for all young athletes and recruits

For athletes and performers:

• John Wooden’s definition of success

• Why the goal of today should be to bloom where you’re planted

• Stephen Curry on how he built his elite mindset

• Dabo Swinney on overcoming adversity

• 9 lessons from the most resilient people

What I am reading and listening to:

📚 Book: Scotty: A Hockey Life Like No Other by Ken Dryden

🎥 Video: John Wooden, Academy Class of 1976, Full Interview

🎧Podcast: Danny Willett Reveals Game-Changing Habit That Made Him a Masters Champion! | How Leaders Lead with David Novak

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