Amazon is one of the most sought-after companies people want to work for — but to nab a job at the online retailer, you'll have to pass its notoriously rigorous interview process. 

Though you might come across some classic interview questions, such as "Tell me about yourself" and "Why do you want to work here?" Amazon recruiters will often throw in trickier prompts to better assess your work style and problem-solving skills. 

One question always trips up job candidates, says Jay Shankar, the vice president of global talent acquisition at Amazon Web Services — but if you answer it well, you will make a lasting impression.

"What is the most innovative thing you have ever done?"

Shankar asks this question to assess how well a candidate fits one of Amazon's core leadership principles, "Invent and Simplify." 

According to Amazon's website: "Leaders expect and require innovation and invention from their teams and always find ways to simplify. They are externally aware, look for new ideas from everywhere, and are not limited by 'not invented here.' As we do new things, we accept that we may be misunderstood for long periods of time."

If you're interested in working for Amazon, it's "super important" to study the company's leadership principles, says Shankar, as hiring managers use them to assess candidates throughout the interview process. 

"We really want to see that the experience a candidate brings to the table really aligns with our leadership principles, like ownership, frugality and being curious, because those are really the foundation of who we are as a company," DJ Cabeen, a recruiting manager at Amazon, previously told CNBC Make It. 

You don't have to be "inventing" things to prove you're innovative, Shankar clarifies. Making a process more efficient, leading a project at work outside of your usual responsibilities, coming up with a creative solution to a problem or taking a new approach to a familiar task are all powerful examples of innovation.

When Shankar asks a candidate to speak to this principle, she's looking for examples that show the candidate is curious and creative in thinking of solutions. Your response to this question should be clear, and succinct, explain the problem you solved and the positive impact it had on the business or customers you were serving. 

"Amazon is always looking for builders, people who come in with interesting ideas and will try to improve things," says Shankar. "You should be able to talk about not just your most recent role and the specific responsibilities you had, but also how you're continually challenging yourself, and staying curious about the work you do." 

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