Amazon founder Jeff Bezos once told his shareholders in a letter that working for his company isn’t easy.
But it is cruel, callous or possibly even abusive?
A report published online Aug. 15 in the New York Times portrayed Amazon as a cold-hearted company where people cry at their desks, unsympathetic managers push out employees after personal setbacks and the weakest are weeded out through “purposeful Darwinism.’’
Based on interviews with more than 100 current and former Amazon employees, the extensive article describes a high-pressure, back-stabbing environment where employees at Amazon’s Seattle headquarters are expected to work around the clock and put their personal lives on hold.
Bezos, in a rare response to a media report, said the article doesn’t reflect the Amazon he leads and that if anyone sees that type of abusive culture, they should report it immediately to human resources or him directly.
Bezos stops short of denying the claims in the report but, in a memo to staff obtained by GeekWire, said the company is out to build something important that will matter for generations, which isn’t always easy.
He went on to say that he is fortunate to have such a dedicated group of employees whose sacrifices and passion are helping to build Amazon as a retail website for everything, everywhere.
Unlike Google and Facebook, which motivate employees with gyms, free snacks and other work benefits, Amazon has focused solely on putting customers above all else. It offers competitive pay but workers are expected to embrace frugality, one of the company’s 14 leadership principles.
In a recruiting video for Amazon, one woman says people either love working at Amazon or hate it. There’s no middle ground.
On Glassdoor.com, a job hunting website where employees can post anonymous reviews, the most common criticism of Amazon is about work/life balance.
Bezos, in his memo, said no company could succeed in today’s highly competitive tech job market if it engaged in the practices outlined in the NYT article. The best of the best, which Amazon hires, are constantly recruited and can work wherever they want.
The article generated huge response, including a widely read post on LinkedIn by an employee defending Amazon.
Nick Ciubotariu, an engineering leader, said he lives by the Golden Rule and if Amazon was the type of workplace described in the article, he would denounce it and leave. He considers himself a proud Amazonian and believes the report contained several inaccuracies about the company’s culture and practices.
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