Should Your Org do Amazon’s Bar Raiser Interviews?

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Should Your Org do Amazon’s Bar Raiser Interviews?

HR Heretics

Aug 06, 2024

Transcript

In this episode of HR Heretics, Nolan Church and Kelli Dragovich weigh in on a listener's question (shoutout Karissa!) about implementing 'bar raiser' interview programs at her Series D company. Are they worth the hype, or just an HR trend? Kelli and Nolan dig in.

You too can email us your questions or topics for Kelli & Nolan: hrheretics@turpentine.co

HR Heretics is a podcast from Turpentine.

Support HR Heretics Sponsors:

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KEEP UP WITH NOLAN, + KELLI ON LINKEDIN

Nolan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nolan-church/

Kelli: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kellidragovich/

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TIMESTAMPS:

(00:00) Intro

(00:21) Implementing a bar raiser interview process

(00:57) Amazon's Bar Raiser Program

(01:36) Rebranding the "Bar Raiser" Process

(02:42) The Amazon Approach

(03:24) Avoiding Bias & Alternative Approaches

(04:46) DoorDash's Experience

(06:00) Challenges & Trade-offs

(07:18) Sponsor: Metaview | Workvivo

(08:16) DoorDash's Shift From the "Bar Raiser" Program

(10:18) Alternatives & First Principles

(12:31) Addressing CEO Expectations

(13:25) Bias & Homogeneous Cultures

(14:44) The Role of CEOs & Founders

(15:19) Diligence & Feedback

(17:21) Going Slow to Go Fast

(18:17) Misaligned Expectations

(19:10) Start Small & Experiment

(19:33) Wrap

(19:47) Sponsor: Planful

Discussion about this podcast

“HR Heretics” | How CPOs, CHROs, Founders, and Boards Build High Performing Companies

After a decade+ of “blitz-scaling” companies, HR, talent, and People leaders now face an uncertain economy that has already seen big booms and busts. What will it take to construct the next generation of incredible businesses – and where can people leaders have the most business impact?

Hosts Nolan Church and Kelli Dragovich have been through it all, the highs and the lows – IPOs, layoffs, executive turnover, board meetings, culture changes, and more. With a lineup of industry vets and experts, Nolan and Kelli break down the nitty-gritty details, trade offs, and dynamics of constructing high performing companies. Through unfiltered conversations that can only happen between seasoned practitioners – Kelli and Nolan dive deep into the kind of leadership-level strategy that often happens behind closed doors.

This show is for those who are ready to ditch conventional wisdom and figure out from first principles what works for their culture, business model, and industry, with the goal of building a resilient and enduring company. You’ll come away with real guidance for seeing around corners, building enduring companies, and carving out an impactful career – plus a newly-honed bullshit detector.

Topics frequently touched on in this season include: building high performing cultures, compensation negotiation, performance reviews, company design, equity, M&As, recruiting the best talent, and how to manage your own psychology as a people leader.

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