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Here's some data: Amazon has an ungodly high turnover rate despite employing tons of H1-Bs (who can't leave realistically without returning to their country).

Here's some data: Amazon has an ungodly high turnover rate despite employing tons of H1-Bs (who can't leave realistically without returning to their country). If the article is not valid, then what is rotten about Amazon?

hiddencost 11y ago
Amazon's turn over rate is barely worse than google's.
- asdfologist 11y ago
  Source? I did find this [0], but this seems to report on the median tenure of existing employees, rather than of the ones who have left, which is a big difference. [0] http://www.payscale.com/data-packages/employee-loyalty/least-loyal-employees http://www.payscale.com/data-packages/employee-loyalty/least...
  - kelukelugames 11y ago
    Also, there is a difference between turning over in Silicon Valley and turning over in Seattle. The options are very different.
morganvachon 11y ago
I found it intriguing that the experiences of the white collar employees speaking out in the NYT piece mirror the experiences[1] of the blue collar Amazon employees toiling away in their warehouses: Pushed to give as much as they can to the point of physical illness, burning out after just a few short years or even months in some cases. And then along comes a dude who has been at Amazon for less than two years, and holds a management position higher than anyone interviewed for the NYT article, attempting to whitewash the story. "Rotten" is an apt description. [1] http://www.mcall.com/news/local/amazon/mc-allentown-amazon-complaints-20110917-story.html http://www.mcall.com/news/local/amazon/mc-allentown-amazon-c...
- MCRed 11y ago
  Amazon's culture, and this goes from the top and permeates the executive ranks and middle management, has absolutely zero respect for employees. Employees are seen as sheep to be herded and manipulated and as a cost center, not a valuable resource. Amazon is run by retailers, not tech people. They literally see no difference between engineers and warehouse packers-- which would be good if they treated both well.
zerotolerance 11y ago
The reason people leave Amazon is... after two years at Amazon, you can do any job and solve any problem in software engineering anywhere on the planet. You command the most desirable skill set on the planet.
- sp332 11y ago
  And Amazon should have more than enough money and/or options to keep you around.
  - zerotolerance 11y ago
    I didnt leave for money or options.
g8gggu89 11y ago
They can't get jobs at other companies in the US, doing similar work?
- kelukelugames 11y ago
  They can. But put yourself in the shoes of an immigrant. They are very afraid of losing their status. Also, if their boss likes them then the boss can apply to expedite the process. This is often dangled over immigrant workers.
  - outside1234 11y ago
    Also, only the largest companies will do the legal work to transfer an H1-B - it is expensive and complicated. In Seattle, this leaves them with realistically only Microsoft as an option.

hiddencost 11y ago

Amazon's turn over rate is barely worse than google's.

asdfologist 11y ago
Source? I did find this [0], but this seems to report on the median tenure of existing employees, rather than of the ones who have left, which is a big difference. [0] http://www.payscale.com/data-packages/employee-loyalty/least-loyal-employees http://www.payscale.com/data-packages/employee-loyalty/least...
- kelukelugames 11y ago
  Also, there is a difference between turning over in Silicon Valley and turning over in Seattle. The options are very different.

morganvachon 11y ago

I found it intriguing that the experiences of the white collar employees speaking out in the NYT piece mirror the experiences[1] of the blue collar Amazon employees toiling away in their warehouses: Pushed to give as much as they can to the point of physical illness, burning out after just a few short years or even months in some cases. And then along comes a dude who has been at Amazon for less than two years, and holds a management position higher than anyone interviewed for the NYT article, attempting to whitewash the story. "Rotten" is an apt description. [1] http://www.mcall.com/news/local/amazon/mc-allentown-amazon-complaints-20110917-story.html http://www.mcall.com/news/local/amazon/mc-allentown-amazon-c...

MCRed 11y ago
Amazon's culture, and this goes from the top and permeates the executive ranks and middle management, has absolutely zero respect for employees. Employees are seen as sheep to be herded and manipulated and as a cost center, not a valuable resource. Amazon is run by retailers, not tech people. They literally see no difference between engineers and warehouse packers-- which would be good if they treated both well.

zerotolerance 11y ago

The reason people leave Amazon is... after two years at Amazon, you can do any job and solve any problem in software engineering anywhere on the planet. You command the most desirable skill set on the planet.

sp332 11y ago
And Amazon should have more than enough money and/or options to keep you around.
- zerotolerance 11y ago
  I didnt leave for money or options.

g8gggu89 11y ago

They can't get jobs at other companies in the US, doing similar work?

kelukelugames 11y ago
They can. But put yourself in the shoes of an immigrant. They are very afraid of losing their status. Also, if their boss likes them then the boss can apply to expedite the process. This is often dangled over immigrant workers.
- outside1234 11y ago
  Also, only the largest companies will do the legal work to transfer an H1-B - it is expensive and complicated. In Seattle, this leaves them with realistically only Microsoft as an option.