Amazon

The only thing that I can say that's clear is the Amazon internal structure was designed from the beginning to "take care" of its employees. And (pardon the pun), but Amazon delivers.

Pay is fair to excellent; benefits are active from day one; there’s usually as much overtime as anyone would want; promotions, bonuses, access to stock purchases, paid training for extra certifications and qualifications, etc.

A day after working hard at Amazon is well felt when one arrives home to spend quiet evenings with loved ones.

Huge, huge company. Sometimes Amazon feels unmanageable; cultures vary between facilities and regions.

Work environment (behavioral culture) can lack esteem, pride, and generally optimistic credence and/or proactivity. This is highly variable, however. Most facilities have a decent work culture, but parts of Amazon are very transient due to its size.

Management is civil and required to exercise maturity when dealing with employees. Regardless of other reviews, the truth about Amazon is that the leadership (management cannot be abusive to employees under any circumstances; Amazon policy is to terminate abusive management or demote with impunity). However, management does play games (and they know it) with other employees, especially when earned promotions are due. Promotions (that are due) may be obstructed and/or outright prevented, usually in the name of exclusivity.

Organizational cohesion is a real challenge at Amazon and very difficult to maintain due to its size (however, it is not impossible to achieve, and Amazon provides the necessary training to achieve it).

While the next aspect is not overwhelming or prohibitive from enjoying working for Amazon, it is noticeable: Sometimes Amazon's culture feels completely unmanageable, and most internal employees will experience a feeling of being excluded and/or generally forgotten.

Self-sufficiency and autonomy of employees are requisite for all employees, yet this is a tacit expectation that is not emphasized enough compared to the practicalities of the typical Amazon work environments.

Amazon is actually not a company that will cooperate with employees who are exploring resignation options. Meaning, if an employee is an established performer at Amazon and is considering changing jobs, Amazon may actively obstruct the resignation in some manner.

I am currently neutral in my evaluation of Amazon and its current CEO, theoretically all of management's boss, because I know Amazon well, and I know that financial situations can change there almost in a matter of days. However, we (the company) had a horrible year last year. Some folks did something wrong last year, and this is definitely apparent among "the management" – their behaviors, attitudes, and performances.

I won’t divulge the details here; those will remain for the truly studious. Last year was disturbing, and I can’t blame one executive for this because trying to assign fault is highly illogical. However, management should learn to well… manage, and manage "professionally" rather than gratuitously. Management should review and revisit recruiting objectives and procedures, and the actual procedures for the correct processes for internal opportunities.

The same bureaucratic management structure that Amazon's thesis originally sought to overturn and change by culture is fast becoming normative across facilities, especially where earned promotions are concerned.