Spencer Voorheis’ Post

Just three months after joining Amazon, I found myself in one of the toughest situations of my life. My father was diagnosed with jaundice and had to be hospitalized. His platelet count wasn’t improving, and I was deeply worried. Despite only needing two days off from work, I felt a responsibility to inform my manager about the situation, though I wasn’t sure what to expect. At the time, I was still unfamiliar with Amazon’s work culture. I braced myself for a potentially tough conversation, anxious about how my manager might react to my request for time off. But when I finally explained my situation, his response was something I hadn't anticipated: "Take your time. You should be with your family during this time. Let me know if I can be of any help." His words were like a weight lifted off my shoulders. In that moment, not only did my respect for him grow immensely, but I also learned a valuable lesson about leadership. The way he handled my situation set a powerful example for me. It’s said that a company’s reputation is built by its employees, and I believe that’s true. My manager’s compassionate response didn’t just help me get through a difficult time—it also showed me how to treat others with the same understanding and support if I ever find myself in a similar position. Sometimes, the most impactful lessons come not from formal training, but from the way we are treated by those who lead us.

If ever things didn't work out with my business, I'll be knocking on Amazon's door for a job even if I had to go to the office 5 days a week. I actually DID work there 5 days per week pre-pandemic and I loved the in-office culture. It's what kept me there for 7.5 years. I'm a female, not white, a mother of two, I commuted over 2.5 hours per day, and I threw an MBA on top of my full-time job as a Talent Acquisition Leader. And I thrived at Amazon. I was promoted multiple times and given an opportunity of a lifetime to move to Europe with my family. It was the most flexible employer I ever had by FAR. I won't lie, working there is challenging but in a positive way - it was always exciting and fast paced. I know that individual circumstances differ and not everyone would agree, but if you weigh up the opportunity to work at scale, build your career, and being able to extract learnings from one of the world's most successful companies, it was worth it. I consider myself so extremely lucky to have worked there for as long as I did. This will be a new chapter for the company and no doubt many will be assessing whether this change of direction is right for them but I don't believe there will be a 'demise of Amazon' following this so long as they allow for flexibility as they always have. Other organisations will watch on and I predict more will also follow... (As I typed this up, Tabcorp has also announced a similar RTO policy). #rto

4 years before I got demoted from leading a team of 15 engineers to 1 engineer. I doubted myself, if I am good at leading teams or not. My managers, colleagues (𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘭𝘺) told me to stop leading the team. Then one day without any agenda, I called my ex-manager, who then had moved to Amazon. We spoke for an hour. He reminded me of my work and abilities when he used to be my manager. He told me what matters in career and how I was in a wrong place at a wrong time We then met again, but this time with agenda of exactly what I needed to do, to crack Amazon interview. I applied, and cracked the interview in the very first attempt. And after joining Amazon, I already got promoted once. 𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘥 𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘮𝘺 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘳. Which taught me 3 very important lessons. # 1 You are given one life. Don't spoil it because of being in wrong place. # 2 Be closer to those who motivate & mentor you. Avoid everyone else. # 3 Learning is the only thing that doesn't change. Rest all is temporary. If you are in same situation like I was 4 years before, • take a step back, • test your surrounding, • stay away from energy suckers, • and be a constant learning machine. ~~~ If you enjoyed it, share the post with your network and follow me Chandra Shekhar Joshi for similar content.

In a few days, I'll have spent 10 years at Amazon. Why do I stay? I had a job satisfaction rubric when I started here:  1. Peers  2. Manager  3. Compensation  4. Subject Matter I thought that if I could hit all of these I'd be happy--and for the most part I have hit them; and I've been happy. But as my career progressed I noticed something new that was missing from my rubric: for the first time I was able to be my authentic self--and that self was successful! As time has gone on, I've come to value this one aspect above the original four. Reflecting on my tenure, me from 10 years ago would be shocked by the this post's opening. When I applied, I was convinced I'd never be hired; and when I was hired, I was convinced that I'd never see my sign on RSUs vest--I had done my homework and was aware of the short median lifespan. But the anecdotes I was quickly amassing were at conflict with everything I thought I knew about Amazon. My manager had been there 10 years, a couple of my peers 5, and I never saw anyone crying at their desk (much to the relief of my parents). Rather things went well. My first surprise was to discover that my coworkers universally did what they said they'd do. More so, what I naturally did was often right, whether that was disagreeing in a meeting, or diving deep into some bug in a service I did not own; I was rewarded for following my instincts. This lead to my own personal virtuous cycle: the more I was myself, the more encouraged I'd be to be that self. Of all the satisfaction criteria, this is the one that keeps me excited to stay and continue growing. This leads me to be super curious about others. What keeps you where you are? (10 year cake is--of course--a figment of AI) #amazon #careers

This upcoming Monday marks 6 months since I left Amazon (after 7 years) and joined PPG, so I figured I’d share some thoughts here to honor the occasion (something I rarely do.) if you’re interested, keep reading. If not, don’t worry - it’s nothing profound so you’re not missing much… So, here goes… When I left Amazon, I was terrified. Why? It was practically the only business I’d say I ever REALLY knew. My previous 7 years had been eat, sleep, drink Amazon so how was I going to learn something different? Despite the variety of roles I’d been in, the level of leaders I worked under and supported, there were many moments of self-doubt about whether I could succeed in “real HR.” Surely, the leaders at PPG would realize they made a mistake and my imposter syndrome would turn out to be validated. But guess what? Here comes the cliche part… After 6 months, I can say with the utmost confidence that I made the right move. Sure, I’m still learning the workings of a new business and when I have to navigate something that may be considered more “traditional” HR, I have a tinge of nervousness. BUT it feels like GROWTH, while also having the work-life harmony a new parent needs. And while there are times I look back and think, “man, I wish I’d learned that at Amazon” there are more times that I say “man, I’m glad I learned that Amazon.” Because while I may not be an employment law expert or compliance guru, I do know how to work hard, have fun, and…build and foster relationships, be a partner to the business and my employees, and to dive deep. So all that to say, if you’re like I was and looking at that next phase of your career, just know that it’s okay to be afraid and that you’re going to be alright. Lean into your strengths and what you know, be open to learning new things, and have fun growing. Before I go, a big thank you to Amazon and the big time leaders I worked with who contributed to my development and growth and even bigger thank you to PPG for welcoming me into the organization and teaching me so much in just half a year. I look forward to many more.

Wrapping up my two-years journey at Amazon has given me time to reflect on the valuable experiences and lessons I’ve gained. As my first organization post-college, Amazon was an important chapter in my career. I’m very grateful for the growth opportunities and the chance to work with such a dynamic and innovative team. 🔍 Deliver Results: The relentless focus on delivering results with 100% Quality metrics has taught me to set ambitious goals and pursue them with dedication. 🔄 Invent and Simplify: Continuous improvement was key. I learned that innovation and simplification are essential for driving meaningful progress. 🔍 Deep Dive: I discovered the importance of thoroughly understanding processes to implement effective, sustainable improvements. 🛠️ Customer Obsession: Amazon’s commitment to customer satisfaction emphasized the importance of truly listening to clients and exceeding their expectations. 🤝 Work Culture: The collaborative, innovative environment at Amazon allowed me to grow both personally and professionally, thanks to incredible colleagues and mentors. I would like to thank my Mentor and Manager Jyotsna Kamthe for the valuable support and guidance that she had provided me throughout my tenure at amazon under her supervision. At amazon I have also made some lifetime connections who were not just colleagues but were like a family to me who made my work life easy and worth remembering. shriraj bhosale Samyak Deshbhratar Vidula Kondekar Prashant Kumar Omkar Mestry Shahnawaj Pathan Dnyanesh Patil Vikrant Raut Shubham Chavan Vikrant Kharosekar ANUJA TATHE Jyotsna Kamthe Aditya Ilake Yukta chandewar Aniket patil. Thank you team JARVIS.❤️ Also i would like to thank Ashwin Emjal Vishal Gorde Namrita Wanchoo Sanket Jain for your vision, leadership and dedication to excellence. Your commitment to fostering a culture of innovation and inclusivity has made Amazon not just a company, but a community where every voice is heard and every idea is valued. As I move forward, I carry the Amazon Leadership Principles with me, excited to apply them in new opportunities. Thank you Amazon, for making my chapter one so impactful and memorable. Cheers to the new beginnings !! #amazon #amazon #amazonindia #day1 #leadershipprinciples #freshers #firstjob #engineering #opportunities #compliance #amazon #fresher #work #day1 #leadershipprinciples #Amazon #LeadershipPrinciples #CareerJourney #CustomerObsession #ProfessionalGrowth

#jobseekers tips from a former Amazon recruiter many apply, few are selected at Amazon 3️⃣ helpful tips (beyond your work experience) 1️⃣ demonstrate amazon's leadership principles amazon emphasizes its leadership principles in its hiring process familiarize yourself with these principles and be prepared to discuss how you exemplify them not only in the workplace but in life my two favorites: ⭐ customer obsession ⭐ leaders start with the customer and work backwards they work to EARN and KEEP customer trust ⭐ ownership ⭐ leaders act on behalf of the entire company they think long term and DONT sacrifice long-term value for short-term results 2️⃣ behavioral fit: show you align with Amazon’s customer-centric culture this is a HUGE deciding factor 3️⃣ when it comes to technical roles: be prepared for coding challenges or technical assessments. practice coding problems on platforms like LeetCode or HackerRank to sharpen your skills. more tips to come 😀 👋 I’m ashlie garcia 🏁 founder of gaab media 📝 I write about lessons im learning, things i love and everything in between 🤝 excited to connect #amazon #hiredatamazon #JobSearch #Hiring #JobSeekers #CareerOpportunities #amazonopportunities #Employment #ResumeTips #InterviewTips #JobHunt #CareerDevelopment #Networking #JobPosting #ProfessionalNetworking #JobSearchTips #Recruitment

I keep getting negative posts regarding Amazon on my LinkedIn feed so I would like to share my experience. I have been at Amazon for around 3 months now. While it hasn’t been that long, I will say that I love working for them. Being an area manager, I am in a warehouse position. My role includes demonstrating empathetic leadership, meaning helping my associates have a successful day and climb over whatever barriers they may encounter. Whether they have a glitch in their monitors, want to see what their rate is, or just in general need someone to listen to whatever is going on in their life. To expand on this, I manage headcount in order to help maintain a desirable amount of work for both my department, and the department I feed into. Being able to get into this role fresh out of college is a blessing. I was hard pressed for a job at the start of the summer and I finally landed a job that I enjoy, that develops me and in addition pays me a fair salary. Learning skills like labor management, how to draw insights from data, how to be an empathetic leader, and time management has been very beneficial. As of right now I have no plans to leave Amazon. My upper management is amazing, my associates are cool and easy to get along with, and the growth opportunities are far from lacking. Having a job with Amazon is what you make it out to be. You decide how good or bad your job is for you. Leaning into your role is how you succeed. While I have had to move departments rather quickly into my employment, even this move was a blessing in disguise. I fit into the culture of my department better and am able to be closer with my associates. In other words, I am able to be more than “just a manager” to my associates. I am very grateful for the opportunity that Amazon has given me and hope that this post gives insight into the Amazon experience. While it isn’t for everybody, for the people who it does fit, it is everything. #amazon #areamanager #ind4

5 fails in transitioning to your first role post-Amazon 1️⃣ Start working immediately. Downtime is for losers. A weekend totally counts. 2️⃣ Don't observe the culture. They want you to bring all that Amazon intensity with you. 3️⃣ Tell people everything they know is wrong by saying "This is how we did it at Amazon." 4️⃣ Expect instant trust. Because "I worked at Amazon." 5️⃣ Get frustrated by the impact you're having in your first 30 days, flip back on your 'looking for work' flag and start stalking your old team for new roles. What would you add? #bigtech #bestcareeradvice #coaching #newjob --- P.S. Want help hitting the ground running in your next role? Reach out. Together we'll make a plan and help you transition successfully into that dream job you worked so hard to land.

Amazon has emerged as a global titan within a span of 30 years. Do you know that when Jeff Bezos started building Amazon, he instructed his managers to consider 3 criteria when they are hiring? 🤔 🤔 🤔 1. Will you admire this person? 🙇♂️ 🙇♀️ 2. Will this person raise the average level of effectiveness of the group he or she is entering? 💪 💪 💪 3. Along what dimension might this person be a superstar? 🌟 🌟 🌟 These 3 questions help hiring managers clarify their thought process in the following ways: 1. Hire people whom they respect rather than like. (This is crucial for the success of the new hire when they join the organisation. More importantly, it reduce biasness during the hiring process.) 2. Only hire people who are smart and capable, no other way around it. 3. Focus on skill based hiring, rather than experience based hiring. (Depth of skill and domain expertise should be the key consideration when hiring top notch talent) While such hiring practice maybe tough to implement, the cumulative effect of their hiring policy has transform Amazon into a world class market leader today. What do you think? #Amazon #hiringpractice #hr #humanresource #hiringmanager #recruitment #talentacquisition #healthcarecareergroove