Jeff Bezos created such a distinct leadership culture at Amazon that former Amazon managers often try to bring its practices with them to new jobs, only to discover that many of them — internally called “mechanisms” — don’t work well outside the e-commerce giant.
“When I’m looking to recruit people, if somebody’s had a 15-year career at Amazon and was super successful, I really question whether they can now make this shift after a long, long time,” a former Amazon leader, who is now at Google, told Insider.
And yet, with former Amazonians having founded or cofounded more than 600 startups and with more than 90 vice-president-or-higher-level executives having left Amazon since early 2021, and with 10,000 people expected to be laid off from corporate roles, much of the tech industry has been, and will continue to be, subject to this form of imported Amazonification.
As part of Insider’s ongoing series on the Amazonification of the tech industry, we talked to five former Amazon leaders about which mechanisms they brought with them, which they were glad to drop, and the differences in culture at other big tech companies. continue reading
Inequity, pay disparities and job insecurity: Inside the rise of tech unions
American labor movements, unionization and the demand for ethical business tactics are a window into workplace inequity. But emerging sectors and so-called white collar workers are joining industries historically connected to unions — utilities, education and transportation, to name a few — in calls for better working conditions.
In technology, recent labor movements at Kickstarter, Alphabet, The New York Times and NPR showcase tech workers’ demands for more equitable working conditions. While movements have been in the works for years, formal unions are new to the scene.
Workers unionize for a larger say in workplace decisions. Traditionally, management holds the power to dictate wages and benefits, but unions protect collective bargaining power for employees to negotiate workplace conditions.
Tech workers are no different. But the unique interests and demands of technology workers are seeping into non-technical companies, as more organizations rely on tech for business continuity and innovation. Seeking equal pay, equitable working conditions, job security and transparency into their roles, technology employees are unionizing because they want to maintain a sustainable working environment. continue reading
Katie Malone 