Really smart people and a lot to learn but management and policies are demoralizing - Software Engineer II Amazon Employee Review

2.0
4 Aug 2023
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Really capable, dedicated and smart people work at Amazon. A lot to learn and just the scale of the products is an interesting challenge by itself. Great INITIAL pay. Good benefits. Great place to earn experience on what to do and what not to do.

Cons

Good managers don't last much. Leadership is dishonest. You will hear high-level managers and executives continuously saying they are working on addressing employees feedback while ignoring it or even directly going in the opposite direction. Leadership leads by force and not by example. Retention policies are just sad. It's common internal knowledge that the best way to get a promotion and pay bump is to quit and come back after 6 months since even if you get a promotion, the compensation increase is not significant and not worth the effort. Stack ranking practices in disguise. They are currently forcing people to quit without severance or relocate cross-state and cross-country. Even for people with exceptions signed by VPs. Clearly leveraging the current job market conditions to get away with that. Overall, good place to improve your resume and your career but don't expect to stay there for more than 1 or 2 years and please don't trust leadership. And given the current attrition, I would be surprised if it continues to be a good place to learn things in 5/10 years.

Explore other reviews about Amazon

5.0
2 Jun 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Amazon offers an exceptional work environment with cutting-edge technology and world-class engineering challenges. The compensation package is highly competitive, including strong base salary, RSUs, and comprehensive benefits. Career growth opportunities are abundant — there are clear promotion paths and access to internal mobility across thousands of teams globally. The scale of impact is unmatched; you work on systems that serve hundreds of millions of customers worldwide. Colleagues are incredibly talented, driven, and collaborative, making every project both challenging and rewarding.

Cons

The pace can be fast and demanding at times, which requires strong time management skills. Work-life balance may vary depending on the team and project deadlines.

5.0
10 Jan 2016
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Really smart people, a lot of opportunity for growth, always encouraged to be innovative, think big, and create something new. Competitive salary and benefits with other major tech companies. 100% self motivating work environment. No dress code and 4 legged friends are welcome.

Cons

You have to be self motivated. NO ONE will hold your hand and tell you that you're doing a great job. If you need constant affirmations from management, this company isn't for you.

3159
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