If Colo. Lands Amazon HQ2: What Would It Be Like To Work There?

DENVER, CO — Not to put the cart before the horse, but should Denver land the coveted second headquarters for Amazon — an economic development plum dubbed Amazon H2 for which some 20 municipalities are vying — we wonder: What would it be like to work there?

There's insight on that via employee feedback from other Amazon sites that yields some insight.

But first, a bit of background. The competition for the prized project centered on a second Amazon headquarters has been fierce and, now in the finalist stage, heating up. The likely economic impact illustrates the clamor to land it: An investment for the host city of more than $5 billion and the creation of 50,000 new jobs.

Related stories:

• Denver Makes Amazon HQ2 Short List
• Denver's Amazon Bid: Other Cities Are In A Frenzy To Snag HQ2 [WATCH]
• 5 Things You Should Know About Denver's Amazon HQ2 Bid
• 5 More Things You Should Know About Denver's Amazon HQ2 Bid

An original long list of municipal contenders for the site has been whittled to 20 finalists, including Denver. The other finalists for the massive plant are Atlanta; Austin, Tex.; Boston; Chicago; Columbus, Ohio; Dallas; Indianapolis; Los Angeles; Miami; Montgomery County, Md.; Nashville; Newark; New York City; Northern Virginia; Philadelphia; Pittsburgh; Raleigh, N.C.; Toronto; and Washington, D.C.

No ordinary economic development project, Amazon H2 is seen as inevitably transformative to the economy that lands it. Working there, however, might be another story.

According to a new analysis by workplace insights platform kununu.com, employee satisfaction at Amazon is only recently on the rise after being described as a "bruising" work environment with "relentless" pressure a constant dynamic of the Amazon corporate culture.

"But if you take a close look at more recent employee feedback, it seems that Amazon has changed," Johannes Prüller, director global communications at kununu, said. "According to the company’s reviews on our platform, Amazon has taken responsibility and fixed a number of internal problems."

While the average U.S. company rating on kununu from current and former employees across all companies was a 3.54 out of possible 5 within the last 12 months, Amazon received a company rating of 3.59, Prüller noted. "If you only take into account the current quarter, the employee score went up to 3.87 compared to 3.04 in the same period the year before – a rise of 27.3 percent," Prüller ads.

Courtesy graphic

Increasing recommendation rate

Of the 1,045 employees who have submitted Amazon reviews on kununu.com within the last two years, 58 percent said they would recommend the company to a friend, according to researchers. Within the last 12 months, this number went up to 66 percent and within the last six months the rate climbed up to 72 percent, according to the findings.

Here's what one current Amazon employee had to say on the platform a few weeks ago: “I am happy and encourage others to join.” Another added: “It is a customer-centric culture; therefore, be prepared to meet all deadlines regardless of other factors.” And yet another offered: “Customers are our number one goal.”

This comes after a series of reports on the “bruising” workplace culture at Amazon that surfaced amid the company’s tactics to optimize its output — at the expense of employee well-being. Yet many employees gravitating to kununu have also reported on the thrill of being in such a high-demanding workplace that likely pushed them to excel.

Strong feedback culture

While Amazon sets high standards for its employees, leaders too are vocally self-critical, listen attentively, and take their role in coaching others seriously, according to the findings. One employee reported that he “...explained to corporate that there needed to be changes in the work environment, and those changes were made within the following week.” Another one thinks that “...the care and concern for their employees at Amazon is far and beyond that of other companies.” As one kununu user stated, “Leaders are all about helping you do your best. If you are doing less than required, they work with you as much as they can to get you where you need to be. They are quick to help when you're having personal issues that may affect your work.”

Employees also emphasize that Amazon offers good career prospects regardless of one's education or track record. One self-starter shared that Amazon “...is a place you can come right in [and] succeed with nothing more than a high school diploma.” Another kununu reviewer shared that “I moved up quickly while working there. If they see you working hard, they do reward you.” And a third opined: “Basically, working hard is what will help you to advance.”

From the 18 workplace dimensions that kununu measures, Amazon scores above average in 13 of them, as indicated below. The company rates favorably in dimensions such as Gender Equality, Diversity, Image, and Social Awareness. Also, Career Development, Compensation, and the Company Culture at Amazon is rated above the U.S. average, according to kununu findings:

Rank, Dimension/Amazon/U.S. Average

1. Gender equality/3.99/3.90

2. Diversity/3.96/3.71

3. Safety/3.89/3.88

4. Image/3.76/3.63

5. Accessibility/3.68/3.85

6. Social Awareness/3.68/3.49

7. Attitude towards older colleagues/3.67/3.77

8. Autonomy/3.66/3.62

9. Teamwork/3.64/3.56

10. Company Culture/3.64/3.54

11. Challenging Work/3.56/3.60

12. Working Conditions/3.49/3.56

13. Career Development/3.46/3.26

14. Compensation and Benefits/3.44/3.31

15. Job Security/3.42/3.48

16. Work-Life-Balance/3.41/3.41

17. Leadership Support/3.35/3.27

18. Communication/3.34/3.22

Source: https://www.kununu.us; April 1st 2017 – May 15th 2018; 5-point-scale: 1 (dissatisfied) – 5 (very satisfied).

Of course, it's still conjecture whether or not Austin ultimately will land the site. It's also no foregone conclusion you'd apply for a job at the new headquarters if it comes to town. But if you do, it's always good to have insights like the kind current Amazon workers have provided — for what it's worth.

By Tony Cantu, Patch Staff

Photo by David Ryder/Getty Images

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