NYT piece on Amazon corporate environment

[nevets88]

You've probably read this already, it's going around. I've heard Amazon can be brutal. As other places like Apple. Cynical me says not much is going to change. At least the general public is more exposed to what it's like in Washington. http://mobile.nytimes.com/2015/08/16/technology/inside-amazon-wrestling-big-ideas-in-a-bruising-workplace.html?referrer=

[iacas]

You've probably read this already, it's going around. I've heard Amazon can be brutal. As other places like Apple. Cynical me says not much is going to change. At least the general public is more exposed to what it's like in Washington.

http://mobile.nytimes.com/2015/08/16/technology/inside-amazon-wrestling-big-ideas-in-a-bruising-workplace.html?referrer=

???

People don't regularly cry at their desks at Apple. Apple ain't Amazon.

[Abu3baid]

You've probably read this already, it's going around. I've heard Amazon can be brutal. As other places like Apple. Cynical me says not much is going to change. At least the general public is more exposed to what it's like in Washington. http://mobile.nytimes.com/2015/08/16/technology/inside-amazon-wrestling-big-ideas-in-a-bruising-workplace.html?referrer=

The way I see it if you don't like working for them then don't.. Get another job.. They don't Foster incompetence and I like that.. Amazon is doing something right as far as I'm concerned!

[newtogolf]

I worked at Xerox during their Malcom Baldridge Award year, some people can't handle the pressure of performing at the highest levels.  I'm sure Amazon isn't an easy company to work for, most of the great companies aren't.  Ask some ex GE employees what it was like working thre when Jack Welch was CEO.

People need to toughen up, there aren't any participation trophies in real life.

[iacas]

I worked at Xerox during their Malcom Baldridge Award year, some people can't handle the pressure of performing at the highest levels.  I'm sure Amazon isn't an easy company to work for, most of the great companies aren't.  Ask some ex GE employees what it was like working thre when Jack Welch was CEO.

People need to toughen up, there aren't any participation trophies in real life.

I agree, but that said… lower level employees being asked to work 50-60+ hours per week under the guise of "salaried positions" are not entirely cool, either.

[Slowcelica]

I agree, but that said… lower level employees being asked to work 50-60+ hours per week under the guise of "salaried positions" are not entirely cool, either.

I know people who used to work for Zappos before amazon bought them, Zappos was known around here as a great place to work, not anymore!

[boogielicious]

I worked at Xerox during their Malcom Baldridge Award year, some people can't handle the pressure of performing at the highest levels.  I'm sure Amazon isn't an easy company to work for, most of the great companies aren't.  Ask some ex GE employees what it was like working thre when Jack Welch was CEO.

People need to toughen up, there aren't any participation trophies in real life.

Disagree. The CEOs aren't taking pay cuts when the stock goes down. You don't get world class performance by managing like this. What you get are highly talented employees leaving.  Why should they stay? Short term gain gets supplanted by long term decline. I would not work for management like that. I left a job that was like that and took my talents to a much better run company. The company I left went down hill fast.

[rkim291968]

I read the linked article on Amazon.   No job is worth all that.    We have but one lifetime - need to enjoy it while it lasts.

@newtogolf , @Abu3baid - Have you worked for a company like Amazon before?   It can be maddening, especially if you are the one being pushed out despite all your efforts.  The thing is, there are other ways to manage its employees and they have proven just as effective if not more than what Amazon is doing.

[newtogolf]

I read the linked article on Amazon.   No job is worth all that.    We have but one lifetime - need to enjoy it while it lasts.

@newtogolf, @Abu3baid - Have you worked for a company like Amazon before?   It can be maddening, especially if you are the one being pushed out despite all your efforts.  The thing is, there are other ways to manage its employees and they have proven just as effective if not more than what Amazon is doing.

Xerox in the late 80's & early 90's was like that and I thrived in the environment.  I think you set a corporate culture and those that can't hack it will leave while those that can will do well.  I left Xerox with stock options, great management training and experience.   I have friends that worked at GE during the Welch years and while they busted their butts no one complained about the experience.

I think times are different now, people place higher value on their personal time than we did then.   People will gravitate to where they are comfortable, not everyone can or wants to handle the pressures working for an Amazon.  Amazon is one of the most successful businesses in the world so they must be doing something right.

[rkim291968]

Quote:

Originally Posted by rkim291968

I read the linked article on Amazon.   No job is worth all that.    We have but one lifetime - need to enjoy it while it lasts.

@newtogolf, @Abu3baid - Have you worked for a company like Amazon before?   It can be maddening, especially if you are the one being pushed out despite all your efforts.  The thing is, there are other ways to manage its employees and they have proven just as effective if not more than what Amazon is doing.

Xerox in the late 80's & early 90's was like that and I thrived in the environment.  I think you set a corporate culture and those that can't hack it will leave while those that can will do well.  I left Xerox with stock options, great management training and experience.   I have friends that worked at GE during the Welch years and while they busted their butts no one complained about the experience.

I think times are different now, people place higher value on their personal time than we did then.   People will gravitate to where they are comfortable, not everyone can or wants to handle the pressures working for an Amazon.  Amazon is one of the most successful businesses in the world so they must be doing something right.

I worked with ex-Xerox people and this is the 1st time I hear they worked you like Amazon does.  My 1st company was founded by ex-Xerox management team and they seemed OK.    The article seems to suggest that crying (even for men) is common phenomena at Amazon.   I can't imagine Xerox was like that given my interaction with many ex-Xerox people since mid 80s.    In Silicon Valley, good engineer talents will walk if they are not treated right.   Amazon can get away with it b/c they are not dealing with typical high tech engineers?

[newtogolf]

I worked with ex-Xerox people and this is the 1st time I hear they worked you like Amazon does.  My 1st company was founded by ex-Xerox management team and they seemed OK.    The article seems to suggest that crying (even for men) is common phenomena at Amazon.   I can't imagine Xerox was like that given my interaction with many ex-Xerox people since mid 80s.    In Silicon Valley, good engineer talents will walk if they are not treated right.   Amazon can get away with it b/c they are not dealing with typical high tech engineers?

I was in Virginia and DC so it was XIS and Xerox CSD.  We were told how cushy those on the left coast had it.

[rkim291968]

Quote:

Originally Posted by rkim291968

I worked with ex-Xerox people and this is the 1st time I hear they worked you like Amazon does.  My 1st company was founded by ex-Xerox management team and they seemed OK.    The article seems to suggest that crying (even for men) is common phenomena at Amazon.   I can't imagine Xerox was like that given my interaction with many ex-Xerox people since mid 80s.    In Silicon Valley, good engineer talents will walk if they are not treated right.   Amazon can get away with it b/c they are not dealing with typical high tech engineers?

I was in Virginia and DC so it was XIS and Xerox CSD.  We were told how cushy those on the left coast had it.

LOL.   Yup, things are different from coast to coast.   I remember going to a biz trip in Kentucky (IBM) and engineers were actually wearing ties. ...

[newtogolf]

LOL.   Yup, things are different from coast to coast.   I remember going to a biz trip in Kentucky (IBM) and engineers were actually wearing ties.  ...

I spent a week at Xerox PARC and it was like a Disneyland for geeks, I loved it there.  If you worked there I'm sure the pressure and expectations weren't close to what we experienced on the east coast.

CSD (Custom Systems Division) was the only division in Xerox that was allowed to propose solutions that were not completely comprised of Xerox products.  We were the rogue team within Xerox that had to compete with the beltway bandits for government contracts.   We had to wear ties every day too, though our dress codes were lax compared to EDS (Ross Perot business) who required everyone that worked for them to wear a blue, gray or black suit.