Facebook, Google, Amazon Core Values for Your Upcoming Interview

A lot goes into the modern tech interview. Superb technical skills on their own are not enough - most top tech firms prioritize culture fit when they are recruiting. The way they do so, primarily, is by measuring their aspiring candidates against their core values. It has always been the case that companies had explicitly listed corporate values. However, given the competitiveness of today’s job market, tech companies place an immense emphasis on candidates aligning with their core values. Ultimately, if a candidate doesn't align with these values or principles, the chance of an offer is minimal at best. During your interviews, you’ll be asked questions such as:

"Tell me about a time you disagreed with someone and how you resolved it."

"Tell me about a time when you worked on a project with a tight deadline."

And more. You'll find more examples later in our article.

So, how can candidates prepare for their culture fit interviews? We'll show you how to do just that with examples from a few big companies.

What Are the Core Values of Big Tech Companies?

Scan the list below for your company to find the stated core values. frame of reference.

The list below consists only of FAANG companies. However, you can typically find a company's core values being listed on their corporate website. It shouldn't take more than a quick Google search to find them if you're interviewing at a different company than the ones listed below.

Amazon Leadership Principles

• Customer Obsession
• Ownership
• Invent and Simplify
• Are Right, A Lot
• Learn and Be Curious
• Hire and Develop the Best
• Insist on the Highest Standards
• Think Big
• Bias for Action
• Frugality
• Earn Trust
• Dive Deep
• Have Backbone; Disagree and Commit
• Deliver Results
• Strive to be Earth's Best Employer
• Success and Scale Bring Broad Responsibility

Learn more about Amazon's leadership principles and behavioral interview questions.

Facebook Values

• Be Bold
• Focus on Impact
• Move Fast
• Be Open
• Build Social Value

Google's "Ten Things We Know to Be True"

• Focus on the user and all else will follow.
• It’s best to do one thing really, really well.
• Fast is better than slow.
• Democracy on the web works.
• You don’t need to be at your desk to need an answer.
• You can make money without doing evil.
• There’s always more information out there.
• The need for information crosses all borders.
• You can be serious without a suit.
• Great just isn’t good enough.
  

Twitter Core Values

• Promoting health
• Earning people’s trust
• Making it straightforward
• Uniting profit and purpose
• Being fast, free, and fun

Apple's Shared Values

• We believe that we’re on the face of the Earth to make great products.
• We believe in the simple, not the complex.
• We believe that we need to own and control the primary technologies behind the products we make.
• We participate only in markets where we can make a significant contribution.
• We believe in saying no to thousands of projects so that we can really focus on the few that are truly important and meaningful to us.
• We believe in deep collaboration and cross-pollination of our groups, which allow us to innovate in a way that others cannot.
• We don’t settle for anything less than excellence in every group in the company, and we have the self-honesty to admit when we’re wrong and the courage to change.

Sample Interview Questions Aimed at Core Values

Amazon

"Tell me about a time you had to make a decision to make short-term sacrifices for long-term gains."

Amazon principles are assessed with behavioral questions. Questions like the above are asked throughout interview loops at Amazon to allow candidates to directly demonstrate the "Ownership" leadership principle.

How does Amazon define ownership? Per the careers page, ownership means "Leaders are owners. They think long term and don’t sacrifice long-term  value for short-term results. They act on behalf of the entire company,  beyond just their own team. They never say “that’s not my job."

Watch our video answer to this question here.

"Tell me about a time you disagreed with someone and how you resolved it."

Another important Leadership Principle at Amazon is "Have Backbone; Disagree and Commit." This behavioral question is the perfect opportunity to demonstrate how you not only have a backbone but are also a team player capable of resolving conflicts as they arise.

Watch our sample answer here.

"Tell me about a time you improved a complex process."

A company of Amazon's scale values high standards above all. This behavioral interview question is geared for the "Insist on the Highest Standards" Leadership Principle. Amazon expects its employees to "relentlessly" raise the standards at the company. This question will help you demonstrate your ability to do just that.

Watch an answer to this question here.

For more Amazon Behavioral Interview tips check out All the Ways to Answer the "Why Amazon?" Interview Question.

Google

"Tell me about a time when you worked on a project with a tight deadline."

As you can imagine, this behavioral question is obviously targeted at Google's #3 core value: "Fast is better than slow."

You can find a sample answer from an expert here.

Facebook

"When you didn't have enough resources, how did you deliver products?"

This behavioral question can be a chance for you to demonstrate two of Facebook's core values: Be Bold and Be Open. The company has stated that "building great things means taking risks." Situations with limited resources often mean being forced to take risks to ensure delivery.

Watch our co-founder answer this question here.

Tips for Core Values Interviews

Ask Questions

This piece of advice goes for many aspects of your interview, but especially when it comes to core values. There will be moments during your interview (usually around the end) where you will have opportunities to ask your hiring manager some questions. You should always take advantage of these opportunities and come with prepared questions beforehand. We recommend:

• Ask about the core values of the company, and how they guide everyday work life. Ask your interviewer to share an anecdote, if you feel comfortable doing so.
• Ask what working for the company is like. What's a typical day for your interviewer?

This lets your interviewer know that you are legitimately interested in the culture at the company, which is precisely what they want out of their candidates.

For more suggestions of questions to ask your interviewer, check out this video (note: the questions suggested pertain to all roles, not just PM interviewees!)

Be Honest, With Yourself and Your Interviewer

Generally speaking, it is never recommended that you lie during your interviews, even if you really want the job. Chances are, it is not your interviewer's first rodeo-they will probably get the feeling that you are being dishonest. But, at the end of the day, the behavioral interview questions aimed at core values are as much for you as they are for the company. The best hires and the best employees are those who truly match up with the company. You should ask yourself honestly if you'd fit in and be happy working for the company you are interviewing at.

Do Your Research

While it's true that many companies explicitly list their core values on their corporate websites, this shouldn't be your only source of information on the topic. Be sure to do your research on the company. Dig deep. Look at the way the company presents itself on social media and in public. Get familiar with the characteristics of their brand. Always think about how you, as a candidate, mesh with these values. Also, read about the experiences that other employees have had in the past. A great resource for this is Glassdoor, which allows you to find reviews by former/current employees and previous interviewees.

Consult an Interview Coach

Because of the ambiguity of the core values aspect of your tech interview, you may be wondering how you can prepare. One of the strongest ways is to consult with an interview coach before your big day. Here at Exponent, we have many expert interview coaches available who work or have worked at the very companies you may be interviewing at. If you're wondering how you align with the culture at Google, for example, one of our coaches like Robin Bhaduri (who worked at Google for 5 years as a Product Manager and Product Marketing Manager) could tell you while delivering constructive feedback to boost your chances of receiving an offer.

💬 Get prepared with example behavioral interview questions.

📖 Read through our tech company interview guides.

👯‍♂️ Practice your behavioral interview skills with our interview practice tool.

👨‍🎓 Take one of our complete behavioral interview courses.