Jeff Bezos shared a key request he made of his employees that played a part in Amazon’s rise to success. Starting from humble beginnings in Bezos’s garage in Bellevue, Washington, Amazon has transformed into the world’s leading online retailer over the past 30 years.
Today, it’s difficult to find someone who is unfamiliar with the company.
However, building a business valued at $2.07 trillion requires more than just shortcuts.
Amazon’s current CEO, Andy Jassy, who took over from Bezos in July 2015, acknowledged that he had never encountered anyone with higher standards than Bezos.
In the early days, Bezos wanted Amazon and its employees to be in top form.
During a 1999 interview with CNET’s Wendy Walsh, just two years after Amazon went public, Bezos discussed the ‘test’ he employed to maximize his workforce’s potential.
He described his team as ‘the hardest working, most talented, most passionate, most customer-focused’ group, revealing what he expected from them.
“I asked everyone around here to wake up terrified every morning, their sheets drenched in sweat,” he explained.
This intense approach was meant to ensure that employees remained diligent.
Bezos, now Amazon’s executive chairman, further explained that employees should be clear about their fears.
“They shouldn’t be afraid of our competitors; they should be afraid of our customers because those are the folks we have a relationship with,” he stated.
The 60-year-old added, “Those are the folks who send us money…I believe that our customers are loyal to us right up until the second that somebody else offers them better service.”
Bezos is known for using both data-driven and anecdotal methods to enhance Amazon’s customer service, with ‘customer obsession’ being a core principle of the company’s success.
He employs various strategies, such as an assertive e-mail technique to address customer complaints and calling customer service during meetings to evaluate feedback, showcasing his proactive approach to resolving issues.
In other realms, employers have been utilizing covert tests for hiring purposes for years. Some of these tests can seem quite daunting, especially given the inherent stress of job interviews.
However, it’s wise to keep these in mind for future interviews.
The well-known coffee cup test, for instance, involves observing whether interviewees return and clean any mug they use during the session.
Similarly, the salt and pepper test evaluates if a candidate samples food before adding seasoning.
If it’s effective for Jeff Bezos, it might be worth considering.