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This is hard to take seriously from Amazon. I realize it's a big org with many diverse teams. It's just that the company seems to be rotting from the head down

This is hard to take seriously from Amazon. I realize it's a big org with many diverse teams. It's just that the company seems to be rotting from the head down. And it's hard to overlook the stories of how some employees get so exploited.

PartiallyTyped 3y ago
I fear that many people high up in comfortable positions - ie L6+ - have drank the kool-aid with respect to this corporation, and why wouldn't they they get paid rather well, it's the L4s and L5s that get screwed over or have a carrot of promises dangling in-front of them.
supriyo-biswas 3y ago
To be fair, in a comment on the original article, the author does confirm that this was a career fair type of event, where I'd assume the "hiring bar" is usually lower, and I'd assume there are certain target numbers to hit.
rawgabbit 3y ago
Amazon prizes attitude? This article reads like counter programming to the articles that said Amazon treats its workers as disposable.
- Jensson 3y ago
  If you need your workers to eat shit then it is a problem if you hire people who will leave when you tell them to eat shit, so you hire people with the right "attitude" to get good results.
robocat 3y ago
> rotting from the head down Jeff Bezos stepped down 2021 - need a better metaphor.
robocat 3y ago
> the company seems to be rotting from the head down A strange metaphor that is more fiction than fact (as most cliches are). I couldn't find an academic paper on the topic but did find an article that said "putrefactive processes occur in the intestines, that is, in the section of the fish carcass inhabited by bacteria and microbes that enter the body with food." which sounds likely. A more thoughtful response: https://thoughtmanagement.org/2011/11/21/does-the-fish-rot-from-the-head-down-when-organisations-go-toxic/ https://thoughtmanagement.org/2011/11/21/does-the-fish-rot-f... Personally I think many people have a deep belief in hierarchy and they pick models that fit that belief (or conspiracies!). I try to look at things more systematically and I tend to look for emergent causes from our society rather than blame individuals ostensibly in charge! But a great saying. Terrible SEO spam article but contains a little history: https://vogueindustry.com/17250557-the-fish-rots-from-the-head-the-meaning-and-origin-of-the-proverb https://vogueindustry.com/17250557-the-fish-rots-from-the-he...

PartiallyTyped 3y ago

I fear that many people high up in comfortable positions - ie L6+ - have drank the kool-aid with respect to this corporation, and why wouldn't they they get paid rather well, it's the L4s and L5s that get screwed over or have a carrot of promises dangling in-front of them.

supriyo-biswas 3y ago

To be fair, in a comment on the original article, the author does confirm that this was a career fair type of event, where I'd assume the "hiring bar" is usually lower, and I'd assume there are certain target numbers to hit.

rawgabbit 3y ago

Amazon prizes attitude? This article reads like counter programming to the articles that said Amazon treats its workers as disposable.

Jensson 3y ago
If you need your workers to eat shit then it is a problem if you hire people who will leave when you tell them to eat shit, so you hire people with the right "attitude" to get good results.

robocat 3y ago

> rotting from the head down Jeff Bezos stepped down 2021 - need a better metaphor.

robocat 3y ago

> the company seems to be rotting from the head down A strange metaphor that is more fiction than fact (as most cliches are). I couldn't find an academic paper on the topic but did find an article that said "putrefactive processes occur in the intestines, that is, in the section of the fish carcass inhabited by bacteria and microbes that enter the body with food." which sounds likely. A more thoughtful response: https://thoughtmanagement.org/2011/11/21/does-the-fish-rot-from-the-head-down-when-organisations-go-toxic/ https://thoughtmanagement.org/2011/11/21/does-the-fish-rot-f... Personally I think many people have a deep belief in hierarchy and they pick models that fit that belief (or conspiracies!). I try to look at things more systematically and I tend to look for emergent causes from our society rather than blame individuals ostensibly in charge! But a great saying. Terrible SEO spam article but contains a little history: https://vogueindustry.com/17250557-the-fish-rots-from-the-head-the-meaning-and-origin-of-the-proverb https://vogueindustry.com/17250557-the-fish-rots-from-the-he...