Bar Raiser

An independent interviewer ensures hiring decisions meet company standards, not just hiring manager urgency

Bill Carr
Unpacking Amazon's unique ways of working | Bill Carr (author of Working Backwards)

Bar Raiser

"This Bar Raiser basically would be a subject matter expert on how this process worked, they'd conduct the debrief to make sure that we were actually adhering to the process, that people were sticking to the objective criteria rather than saying, 'I don't think we should hire this person because, I don't know, they don't seem to want to work here enough.'" - Bill Carr

What It Is

The Bar Raiser is a role in Amazon's hiring process where an independent interviewer—not the hiring manager, not reporting to the hiring manager, not the recruiter—participates in every interview loop. This person runs the debrief meeting and has technical veto power over hiring decisions.

The process was created in 1999 during Amazon's hyper-growth phase when "new people hiring new people hiring new people" threatened quality. Without it, new hires (who didn't yet understand Amazon's culture or standards) would use their own judgment and prior company criteria to make more hires—a recipe for cultural drift.

The Bar Raiser borrowed from Microsoft's "As Appropriate" process and evolved to include Amazon's leadership principles as objective criteria and behavioral-based interviewing as the standard methodology.

How It Works

The Bar Raiser's Role:

  1. Participates in the interview loop (like other interviewers)
  2. Runs the debrief meeting (not the hiring manager or recruiter)
  3. Has technical veto power over the hiring manager
  4. Ensures adherence to objective criteria and process
  5. Balances the hiring manager's "urgency bias"

Key Characteristics:

  • Not in the hiring manager's reporting chain
  • Subject matter expert on the interview process
  • Uses Socratic method to help hiring manager reach the right conclusion
  • Trained specifically for the role
  • Often spends up to 10 hours per week on Bar Raiser activities

Who Makes the Final Decision: The hiring manager still makes the final decision. Bill Carr is clear: "The decision maker is the hiring manager, the whole interview loop and the Bar Raiser are actually just there to help the hiring manager make the right decision."

The veto power is rarely used. In 15 years at Amazon, Bill Carr never used it and never saw it used. A good Bar Raiser guides the hiring manager to the right conclusion through the debrief discussion.

How to Apply It

Step 1: Pilot in one department Don't roll out company-wide. Start with one team to refine the process.

Step 2: Select your first Bar Raisers Look for people who:

  • Care deeply about hiring quality
  • Are good interviewers
  • Have high standards
  • Are often earlier in career (it's a leadership development opportunity)

Step 3: Establish objective criteria At Amazon, this became the leadership principles. You need:

  • Clear standards everyone is evaluated against
  • Criteria that reflect your actual culture
  • Documented expectations for each level

Step 4: Train on interview methodology Amazon uses behavioral-based interviewing. Whatever methodology you choose:

  • Train Bar Raisers deeply
  • Ensure consistency across interviewers
  • Document how to assess each criterion

Step 5: Structure the debrief The Bar Raiser runs the debrief meeting:

  • Ensure each interviewer shares their assessment
  • Keep discussion on objective criteria
  • Challenge vague or subjective reasoning
  • Help the hiring manager see potential blind spots

Step 6: Reframe for hiring managers Many hiring managers see this as bureaucracy blocking them from filling roles. Reframe it:

  • "These people are here to help you make a better decision"
  • "The time you spend in hiring is much less than the time you'll spend managing a bad hire"
  • "They're protecting you from a costly mistake"

When to Use It

Good fit:

  • Companies growing fast enough that new hires are hiring more new hires
  • Organizations where culture and standards need protection
  • Companies with defined values or leadership principles
  • When you're seeing quality drift in hiring

Prerequisites:

  • Objective hiring criteria everyone understands
  • Consistent interview methodology
  • People willing to dedicate time to the role
  • Senior leadership buy-in

Common Mistakes

1. Treating it as veto-focused The Bar Raiser rarely uses veto power. The goal is to guide good decisions, not block hires.

2. Not training Bar Raisers This is a skilled role. It requires understanding of the process, interview methodology, and how to run effective debriefs.

3. Placing Bar Raiser in the hiring chain They must be independent. If they report to the hiring manager, they lose objectivity.

4. Skipping it when under pressure The pressure to fill roles quickly is exactly when you need Bar Raisers most. Urgency bias is the enemy of quality.

5. Insufficient time commitment Bar Raising can consume 10+ hours per week. Staff accordingly.

Source

  • Guest: Bill Carr
  • Episode: "Unpacking Amazon's unique ways of working | Bill Carr (author of Working Backwards)"
  • Key Discussion: (01:13:52) - Full explanation of the Bar Raiser process
  • YouTube: Watch on YouTube

Related Frameworks

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