The e-commerce sector is booming and along with it the competition is getting more and more aggressive. Ruthless competition demands a great deal of effort and the need for a more persistent attitude towards work increases. Amazon has for long been seen as a giant in the sector and a firm which is undergoing constant expansion at a quick pace. But it turns out that this quick-paced surge upwards is creating a work culture which is taking a toll on the employees. Source: Woculus

Secrecy comes first

While Amazon's achievements are not hidden, the functioning inside the Amazon campus is shrouded in mystery. Secrecy is a norm with even low-level employees required to sign a confidentiality agreement. Only a handful of people are allowed to speak to the media, and that too includes outright rejection of requests for an audience with Bezos.

Ahead of the curve?

Some say that Amazon has just been early in embracing a work culture that other firms are taking up now. A consultant said, "Organizations are turning up the dial, pushing their teams to do more for less money, either to keep up with the competition or just stay ahead of the executioner's blade."

Many of those who work at Amazon said that it had given them a new energy and a hunger to achieve more. One new recruit said that he left his old lumbering job in favour of a gritty and fast Amazon. "Conflict brings about innovation," he said.

Source: Office furniture warehouse

No meals or cash handouts

While Facebook and Google motivate employees with perks like meals and cash handouts to new parents, Amazon does not adhere to any such measure. Here customer satisfaction, or "customer obsession" as Amazonians put it, is the priority. Bezos says that if they become like Microsoft, which he calls a country club, Amazon will die.

No importance to workplace harmony?

There is no room for harmony in the workplace, which Bezos sees as an overrated concept. The norm is to disagree and commit, which means openly criticising ideas without being socially cohesive or polite, in order to get the "right answer".

But in many cases, the criticism is so harsh, that employees often feel afraid to speak up. This might block out a lot of potentially innovative ideas, hence proving counterproductive as a policy.

Source: The Times Of India