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Push yourself to the limits while dealing with stretched goals

Software Development Engineer II
Current Employee
Has worked at Amazon for 4 years
April 27, 2013
Seattle, Washington
4.0
RecommendsPositive OutlookApproves of CEO
Pros

Amazon promotes leadership skills to every job type and level. It sets clear guidelines as to what is expected out of one's job role to become a good leader.

Amazon values its culture fit and puts a lot of effort into hiring people who resonate with these leadership principles. Goal setting is pretty aggressive and pushes people to their limit to achieve that goal.

For a young software engineer, Amazon has all that is needed to grow in the industry and excel in her career.

Cons

Work-life balance couldn't be maintained all the time since goals are aggressive. It is in the philosophy to have stretched goals (and not easy goals), so everybody is under more or less stress. One has to handle this stress in order to survive at Amazon.

Advice to Management

Giving good compensation and focusing on employees' workplace satisfaction would help the employees cope with this increased stress. Somehow, Amazon's higher management does not seem to value its employees' well-being. This reflects in poor workplace amenities in various offices, in comparison to other big companies like Google or Facebook. Frugality is taken to its extreme in this sense. People leave the company when they cannot cope with the stress, though the work they get may be challenging and satisfying.

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