What it's really like to work at Amazon, according to employees

Jeff Bezos

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.

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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.

See the rest of the story at Business Insider