What it's really like to work at Amazon,

according to employees
Dominic Umbro

February 2, 2018

• Amazon has fostered the reputation of having high employee burnout.

• But employees have shared several pros to working at Amazon
through Glassdoor that many people might not have known about.
• Pros of working with the company include great compensation and
ample opportunity to learn. Cons employees report include
inconsistency in management and a cutthroat environment.

Amazon has a reputation for having a churn and burn company

culture.

In the past several years, various articles have surfaced in the media
describing the company's approach to inspiring performance from
staff.

For instance, in 2015, the New York Times published an article in

which employees referred to Amazon's work culture as 'bruising.' Bob
Olson, a former Amazon Books Marketing employee, said then that
"nearly every person I worked with, I saw cry at their desk."

Other employees also said Amazon used tactics to optimize

performance at the expense of employee well-being.

However, after taking a closer look at more recent employee feedback,

the company does not seem to be facing the same amount of criticism
that it used to.
While the average company rating on Glassdoor from current and
former employees is a 3.4 out of a possible 5, Amazon receives an
above average rating of 3.8 as of February 1, 2018. This is up from its
score of 3.4 in 2015.

Of the 19,439 current and former employees who have submitted

Amazon reviews on Glassdoor, 74% said that they would recommend
the company to a friend.

Amazon also rates favorably on Glassdoor in other categories

including CEO approval, culture and values, work-life balance,
benefits, and career opportunities.

To get a better sense of what it's really like to work at Amazon now,
Business Insider sifted through hundreds of reviews submitted to
Glassdoor within the last year. Here's what employees have to say
about the company these days.

Employees say they are surrounded by extremely intelligent

people

As of February 1st, 2018, there were approximately 978 Amazon

reviews from employees that feel they are surrounded by intelligent
people who are genuinely proud of what they do.

"Really smart people, a lot of opportunity for growth, always

encouraged to be innovative, think big, and create something new,"
said a current web development engineer in Seattle.

A current senior manager said that "exceptionally smart people are the
norm. The overall approach to creatively inventing ways around
obstacles is refreshing."

"My coworkers aren't routinely defeated by operational challenges," he

said.
Some employees continue to report a cutthroat work
environment

Although the company says that it has made efforts to alter

its "Hunger Games" review process, employees have said otherwise.

"Ultimately, you are going to fill your warehouses not with the best
employees, but with the most cunning," said a sortation associate in
Philadelphia.

A former designer in Seattle posted that "many people there are very
driven and will do whatever it takes to get ahead, including stomping
on others."

But this has not been the case for everyone.

One employee reported that Amazon has the "best work culture
environment, friendly management, space to grow."

It appears the employee experience differs based on the surrounding

team members and relevant managerial staff.

Employees say there is ample opportunity for them to build

upon their skillsets

"Amazon is full of opportunity. It can be an exciting, dynamic place to

work where you learn a lot every day," said an anonymous employee
on Glassdoor.

"Many teams at Amazon are flexible and provide supportive work

environments with ample opportunities for career development and
growth," the employee said.

If you are able to find your niche within the company, there is
definitely going to be room to further your career.
Though Amazon received an overall favorable work-life balance
rating, some employees say it can be rough

Over 440 reviews on Glassdoor specifically mentioned a lack of work-

life balance in their Amazon careers.

A former senior software engineer in Seattle said that employees are

doing "exciting work, but say goodbye to your life."

"Extreme hours and horrible work-life balance. Be prepared to work a

minimum of 12 hours everyday and up to 15-16 hours for months on
end," said a current area manager in Haslet, Texas, "Upper
management doesn't respect your work life balance and mandatory
overtime is a constant thing."

A current marketing manager within the company has said that staff
can even be "expected to work on vacation."

However, this does not seem to be the case for everyone. "People's
mileage may vary based on their team, but I personally have a very
good work-life balance and enjoy coming in every day," said a designer
in the Seattle area said on Glassdoor.

A senior sales consultant in Charleston, South Carolina, even said, "Of

all the organizations and previous roles I've experienced so far in my
career, Amazon has set the bar for work-life balance. "
Employees can work from home

More than 280 reviews expressed content with the company's policy
that allows certain employees to work from home whenever they want.

"How can you beat a job that lets you choose your own hours?" said an
employee based in Arizona. "You can work in your pjs and there's no
commute."

Although not every position within the company allows its employees
to work remotely, management can sure be open to the possibility.
Employees say the management can be hit or miss

Although Amazon's management staff scored a 3.4 out of 5 on

Glassdoor's reviews, there seems to be no shortage of complaints
regarding the company's upper-level employees.

"In 1863 Lincoln freed the slaves and in 1995 Jeff Bezos found a
loophole," said an account executive in Seattle.

"I have worked for some of the most notorious sadists in New York
City, and none of them hold a candle to the managers that I have
encountered during my year at Amazon," they said.

Another employee said that "Management isn't always on the same

page. They also make frequent changes to things that can confuse
people, especially when communication site-wide is missing."

On the other hand, certain employees have also revered the

management style.

"Great for independent employees. You get a fair amount of autonomy

with large scope," said a current senior product manager. "The
company balances speed and scale in an impressive way."
Employees receive competitive benefits and compensation

Many employees within the company say that their pay is extremely
fair. Glassdoor reports a score of 3.8 out of 5 on the topic of employee
satisfaction with compensation and benefits.

"The pay is above average, probably 1.5 times elsewhere," said a

current finance manager of the company. "Of course, with high pay
comes higher expectations. But the expected results are 150% of
elsewhere too," he said.

With respect to benefits, a current senior business development

manager said that "health insurance, time off, and 401K are all equal
to or better than what I have seen in similarly sized companies."
There are also great perks for many of Amazon's employees to enjoy,
including a breakfast and juice bar on Mondays and happy hour on
Fridays.
Employees say the company can reward performance without merit

Some employees have stated that the company is willing to condone

malicious behavior for the sake of achieving results.

"Bullies thrive and are rewarded, while promotions are given to people
taking credit for lower level employees' work," said an anonymous
employee. "HR is never on your side and can provoke retaliation."

An employee in Seattle said that "People are never penalized for being
outright jerks, as no leadership principle pertains to that."

Dominic Umbro

Dominic UmbroD