Northwest Center Interview Questions
& Process

My experience with Northwest Center was disappointing. They talk a lot about diversity, equity, and inclusion, but there aren't many Black men or women in leadership. It feels like a lot of talk with little action regarding DEI in hiring or promotions. Decision-making spaces lack diversity, and some leaders dismiss or gaslight concerns from employees of color instead of addressing them. I wouldn't reapply. If representation, inclusion, and authentic leadership are important to you, this might not be the best place.

I applied through a staffing agency for a few entry-level receptionist jobs. I spoke with two recruiters, and they thought I would be a good fit for this role. I had an initial phone interview with the staffing agent and two days later heard back from her that the Northwest Center folks (Amazon) wanted to meet me for an interview. The next week, I went to the campus and met with two women in charge of the receptionist program. The questions were very simple, and the interview lasted less than 40 minutes. It mostly seemed like a formality. The next day, my recruiter called me to say they wanted to offer me the position.

Applied for Corporate Receptionist, but after the onsite interview, they offered me the Move Ambassador position, saying I was 'more suitable and experienced for this role'. I decided to give it a shot. I had a few more interviews after that, and they were all the same. Each person would ask me to repeat the same information, and then they'd ask a lot of standard 'amazon leadership principals' questions from a list. They kept asking the same questions over and over. In the end, I got a rejection letter for both positions, apparently I wasn't suitable for the Receptionist role anymore either.

The interview process began with a phone call where they asked me why I wanted the job and how I found out about the company. After that, I was invited for a formal interview. I arrived a bit early, and the interviewer was prompt, but things seemed to go downhill from there. The interviewer didn't seem very qualified or interested in whether I was a good fit, only if I could answer the questions she was reading from a paper. Then, I had to take a typing test with a children's typing website to check my words per minute, followed by a written test that was basically more interview questions. I was also told that all receptionists spend 2-3 weeks acting as a 'banista' (handing out bananas at a stand in Seattle) and rotate between over 30 Amazon campuses during the first three months. It's a temp-to-hire role, and I was told I'd hear back by the end of the week.