Amazon.coms History and Corporate Culture

Amazon.coms History and Corporate CultureAmazon.coms History and Corporate CultureIf youre interested in workingat Amazon.com, you should know the companys history. With this overview, get the facts on how the company began and learn more about its corporate culture. How Amazon Started Amazon is a Fortune 500 e-commerce company based in Seattle, Wash. It has the distinction of being one of the first large companies to sell goods over the Internet. In 1994,Jeff Bezos founded Amazon, whichlaunched the following year. If youre of a particular age, you likely remember that Amazon started out as an online bookstore and then quickly diversified by adding other items, including DVDs, music, video games, electronics, and clothing. In 1999, just five years after he started Amazon, Jeff Bezos was namedTime magazinesPerson of the Year. He received this honor largely because of the companys success in popularizing online shopping. Amazon.com CorporateCulture Amazon.com considers itself a completely customer-centric company. In fact, it has described itself as customer-obsessed. The company really believes that if it doesnt listen to customers, it will fail. Amazon has stated that it wants to take advantage of any opportunity that presents itself to the companyduring a time of unprecedented technological revolution. Amazon not only believes in putting customers first but also in ownership from its team.Ownership matters when youre building a great company,the company has said.Owners think long-term, plead passionately for their projects and ideas and are empowered to respectfully challenge decisions. Getting a job at Amazon may not be easy (especially since the company prides itself on its high hiring bar). When making a hiring decision, managementasks,Will I admire this partie? Will I learn from this person? Is this person a superstar? While tech companies such as Google Inc. are known for the perks it gives employees, Amazon operates differently. The company belie ves thatfrugality breeds resourcefulness andself-sufficiency. Jobs at Amazon.com As of early 2017, Amazon had nearly 269,000employees worldwide. It is known for its technical innovations and boasts that itsengineers handlecomplex challenges in large-scale computing. Software development engineers, technical program managers, test engineers and user interface experts work in small teams throughout the company to build an e-commerce platform thats used by customers, sellers,merchants and external developers. The IT Department at Amazon.com also has a massive responsibility, as it oversees an enormous system that is extremely reliable. Amazon.com describes the IT group as system, database, and networking experts (who) build and operate highly reliable, scalable distributed systems with terabyte-sized databases and infrastructure that can handle a massive number of transactions. Technology at Amazon.com is definitely on the cutting edge Some of the technical positions that Amazon.co m routinely recruits for include Software EngineerWeb DevelopersTechnical Project/Program ManagersQA EngineerNetwork EngineerSystem AdministratorsDatabase Administrators Amazon.com Compensation and Benefits The compensation at Amazon.com is known forbeing competitive. Benefits may change from time to time, but generally, include the following components Medical, dental and vision insurance with domestic partner coverageCompany-paid basic life and accident coverage with optional additional coverageCompany-paid short- and long-term disability planEmployee assistance program, including dependent care referral services and financial/legal servicesHealth-care and dependent-care flexible spending accountsTime off benefits for salaried employeesSavings and retirement benefits include Amazon.com Restricted Stock Units, 401(k) savings plan with a company match Many positions are eligible for relocation assistance through a relocation services provider.