ACQ2 by Acquired High-performance Hiring & Interviewing with former Amazon Worldwide GM of Prime Membership, Anna Collins
May 5, 2020
In this conversation, Anna Collins, former GM of Prime Membership at Amazon, shares her extensive expertise in high-performance hiring. She emphasizes the importance of structuring interviews for both creativity and connection, arguing that chaos hinders human interaction. Anna discusses Amazon's unique interview processes, including the role of bar raisers, and compares them to Microsoft’s methodologies. With insights drawn from her career across various industries, she offers actionable strategies for building strong teams and enhancing candidate experiences.
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Worst to First
- Anna Collins' Harvard basketball team went from worst to first in the Ivy League during her four years.
- This instilled in her a strong sense of teamwork and the importance of prioritizing collective success over individual statistics.
Air Force and Integrity
- Anna served in the Air Force after college, valuing the opportunity to serve and lead at a young age.
- However, she left after four years due to the then-criminalization of being gay, prioritizing integrity and being her full self.
Adaptability at Aquantive
- Anna joined Aquantive pre-IPO and demonstrated adaptability by accepting a different role a week before starting.
- She was asked to lead the media group due to rapid growth and operational challenges.