NY Time feature on working for Amazon (Seattle: compensation, live)

[angelenogirl]

Obviously this is a hit piece. Still, if multiple grown adults are crying at their desks there's a problem, and I don't think the employees are wimps or idiots for expecting freedom from constant ridicule or being yelled at on a regular basis. This article makes the place sound like they hope to hire drones whom they can put through a neverending psych experiment (secret gossip system? WTH?). In my limited exposure I got a strong Scientology vibe, including proprietary phrasing and acronyms.

Having said all that, I know one guy who works there who seems happy. Now that I think of it, he's trying to get a job elsewhere.

[CityWok]

Originally Posted by flyingsaucermom

I'm repeating what I've heard of Amazon structure and why my husband is working there. It's all I hear about every afternoon, but I'm not employed there so perhaps I ought to just keep out of this conversation.

I'm sure you love every minute of it

But I think you're both right though. Perhaps a disagreement in wording.

In any case, what you shared was really interesting. It's nice to see they're working on it. This was one of the reasons I turned down a position there.

Effectively there are a large number of developers falling into the latter category. When there is no new feature work in an area, coupled with half of the original developers leaving the company, it makes for some really monotonous, code-reading work. The advantage I think that other companies have is simply that people stick around longer. New employees can ask original employees all the questions they need answered.

So if your husband is able to improve the average employee retention, that alone might solve half the problem. Sounds like a chicken-and-egg dilemma, though.

[shaylahc]

My husband was initially offered a job at Amazon when we moved here 3 years ago...they offered him a 20% pay CUT. When my husband countered, he never heard from them again.

Amazon openly admits that "frugality" is one of its main goals. I don't think anyone there makes over $150K a year (not including bonuses).

I like Amazon as a consumer, and they get a LOT of our money. But I'm not sure their business practices are sound, or how they treat their employees is ethical. Sounds like they just like to squeeze what they can from one person, then toss them off to the side and move on to the next one.

Work/life balance is a problem in the IT industry. When my husband is on call, he can be working for 24 hours straight. Literally.

[mike62pp3]

This intense work culture is not uncommon in the tech industry and there are a lot of other companies that operate this way, and I'm not surprised that this is coming from Amazon (a lot of teams at Microsoft are the same). What I find interesting are the people that I know who currently work at Amazon all tell me that it's "intense" to work there, but all say the article exaggerates the facts. I do see the exaggeration in the way the article is written but know that all of the stories sound all too similar to what I've heard form ex-Amazonians as well.

[mike62pp3]

This is also a good source for what employees (past and present) have to say about working at Amazon: Amazon.com Reviews | Glassdoor

[DP79]

Originally Posted by GatsbyGatz

The comments on this article are quite embarrassing. Because every supervisor should hold their employees hands and and every meeting should be a party. How dare a company expect employees to actually be productive. It's not like they're earning close to a six figure salary or anything and should be held to a high professional standard.

Gatsby, for the record, you're the worst. You're an absolute Seattle apologist and you never know what the **** you're talking about.

[flyingsaucermom]

Originally Posted by angelenogirl

Obviously this is a hit piece. Still, if multiple grown adults are crying at their desks there's a problem, and I don't think the employees are wimps or idiots for expecting freedom from constant ridicule or being yelled at on a regular basis.

My husband's first day he saw a woman cry at her desk: Her shih tzu-sized dog bit a coworker and her dog got banned from Amazon.

[phoenixmike11]

What The NY Times Didn't Tell You In Its Amazon Workplace Expose

A Forbes article about the NY times Amazon story

[SAL9000]

Grew up in the area, have worked in tech for ~20 years, and personally know many that have worked for Amazon, including two women I have dated. Make no mistake - this NYT article is true. Amazon is a uniquely horrible place to work, save for maybe SpaceX (surprise, with another psychopath at the helm). That said, I have zero remorse for employees - they choose to work in that environment full well knowing all the horror stories.

I don't believe for a second that leadership is doing anything about it. Logically it's impossible - a culture change ONLY comes via leadership change, not some new slogan or set of rules on how to do things. Amazon simply can't exist if but for psychopathic, sociopathic, narcissistic, and anxious leadership - margins are too thin and there is no value creation. If Amazon were run like a more normal company it'd simply cease to exist.

[smile705]

i don't believe this to be true . Amazon is a huge company and there AR meany reasons for other company's to make something like this up.. looooots of money involved.