Amazon reviews

3.5

60% would recommend to a friend

(209,120 total reviews)
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Andrew Jassy

50% approve of CEO

57% positive business outlook

Amazon has an employee rating of 3.5 out of 5 stars, based on 209,120 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have a good working experience there. The Amazon employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Informationstechnologie industry (3.9 stars).

Reviews by job title

209K reviews
1.0
Aug 22, 2014
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Will get you e-commerce on the resume if that's what you are after. Experience will hold weight elsewhere. Seattle has it's benefits other than weather.

Cons

To be transparent - I was an experienced hire, left a decent job for promises of greener pastures and financial rewards, and have an MBA from a top 5 school. I didn't last long. Biggest mistake of my life. Here is what you need to know: (1) call it what you want, but if you are on the retail side, you are a buyer at a retailer - and one of many buyers. You're not taking on the worlds problems and conquering. You'll be a data junkie and moonlight learning programming code and systems language. (2) vast majority of people at this place are miserable. The ones who are not? Those individuals who've made smarter decisions than you, been there for 7+ years, and are millionaires with all their stock rewards. While they may not necessarily be happy, they can get motivated solely based upon financial ramifications and the fact they've found a place where being adversarial is encouraged. If you are looking for higher purpose at your place of employment, you really want to look elsewhere. (3) The culture is awful. It's an adversarial culture and encouraged/rewarded. People talk about all the hours they are working as if it's some kind of badge of honor. As if their impressing you or in some kind of unsustainable competition. While at work, people have their headphones on and nose in their computers. Don't look for friends or interaction - the place is littered with the socially awkward, incredibly smart people you've encountered in your journey through life. They've just found solace that there's a company full of like-people. I asked someone who reported to me how their kids were and what they did on the weekend, and they said "nobody's ever asked me that here before." Sad. I could go on, but you should get it. Talk to people who are there and certainly talk to those who left to get a real picture of life here. Don't repeat a mistake you don't have to. It's not what you're hoping it is. There was an article written about Jeff Bezos and the Amazon culture in winter of 2013 - find it, read it, and know it's spot on. I think it was from yahoo business, business week, forbes - one of those.

1.0
Nov 1, 2012
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Working for Amazon is great for the CV and if you can manage to stick it out for a year you will feel that you have performed a miracle. Most people don't last that long. Amazon truly did have the smartest people I have ever worked with, sadly with very little 'social intelligence' or any life outside of work, no time to exercise, socialise, holiday... makes you wonder how smart they really are? Amazon's long strategy to be the worlds most customer centric company is great, but only if you are a shareholder or customer. Employees are chewed up, exhausted and spat out before being replaced with a fresh MBA grad with fat loan repayments to keep up & no exposure to working for a decent company who think that the way people in this company behave is normal - it is not.

Cons

Every single employee in Amazon is overworked and people are generally too busy to spend time with family, friends, exercise and have interests outside of work, let alone look up from their screens to acknowledge co-workers coming or going. Most workers eat lunch at their desk as they are too busy for a break. The majority of employees would not dream of leaving the office before 7pm, if you do this then your lack of commitment to Jeff's cause will be noticed. If offered one, don't take a blackberry or you will never get away from the madness. People who get on at Amazon are aggressive, know it all, blame culture workaholics, who will shift the blame on anyone but themselves and tear you to pieces as soon as anything goes wrong. Everything is a 'fire-drill' with people panicking and looking to apportion blame. You either have to adopt some of this negative behaviour yourself or you will become mincemeat. This kind of attitude would you get you nowhere in the real world but for some reason it is tolerated and encouraged at Amazon, just make you sure you unlearn this terrible workplace behaviour as quickly as possible once you have escaped. I saw at least 4 people 'disappear' during my time at Amazon, including someone who had relocated from abroad to work in Luxemburg who was fired in the most undignified manner. Employees who relocate and decide to leave of their own accord will be chased to repay relocation expenses. During an all hands meeting management sang the praises of people who had exceptional commitment to Amazon, one such person was specifically mentioned in front of the audience as a hero for still working from their laptop on an important project while next to the hospital bedside of their very sick child. This said it all, 'Amazon is more important than you, your health, your family and everything in your life'. Truly unbelievable and sickened me to the core. Don't be blinded by the RSUs (stock options), most people don't last here longer than a year. I heard internally that only 7% of people get the 4th year RSU pay out so you better be REALLY happy with your base salary and uncompetitive benefits package, 0% training budget and 0% chance of a pay rise during your time with Amazon. Also don't forget that you will be working double the hours of a regular job and that combined with the fact that the cost of living is extremely high in Luxembourg means your hourly rate will be peanuts. I read the negative reviews before joining Amazon and thought that 'it could not be THAT bad'!?. IT IS and more, so don't make the same mistake!!

1.0
Apr 8, 2014
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

- I could quit and had no ties to the company after 4yrs *** PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE avoid this place. The shares aren't worth is, the career progression is non-existent, the relocation packages and sign on bonuses are TRAPS***

Cons

- Senior Management are absolute idiots, it's all about image and how good they look and not about mentoring and coaching their teams to be better - It's all about who your drinking buddies are and whether you rub shoulders with VPs (promotions for women are next to impossible unless you do "favors") - Horrible office environment, they recruit only MBAs which set absolutely unnecessary competitive environment that is not constructive - Bullying is rampant at all levels, threats are constant, HR never respond to escalations and make your life even worse with legal threats - Work life balance is non-existent. I was advised to find a better role if I want a life outside of my job. - People have passed out on the floor from pure exhaustion ( i am not exaggerating). Go to Clausen at 8pm and you will see the offices still full of people. Its Ridiculous!!! - Pay is awful

Viewing 82 - 84 of 209,120 Reviews

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