I joined in 2016. This is my personal experience. In 2016 and 2017 there was post NYT effect and they for the first time changed the appraisal strategy to highlight on superpowers and less focus on PIP ing people. Maybe I survived because of that and went on to become Principal in 2019. According to managers it didn’t work to throw put ‘low performer’. In 2018 they brought back previous strategy but moved to PIP appeal mode. It again worked in favor of employees. Managers missed URA quota left right and centre. How can Amazon let that continue? Sometime in 2019 they removed PIP appeal process. But managers being burnt of not meeting the quota aggressively adopted new Focus strategy. In OLR’s they now decided (org by org) we will target double of URA quota for Focus i.e - 12%. Now that focus is in system and LE is 5%, HV1’s will get into focus. Game changed now 1 in 8 people will get in focus. While managers played games of putting people in focus with no intent to remove but the cat was out of the bag. Combining blind people now realized anyone can be in Focus. And that happened. So from 2016 to now, in my journey I observed Amazon process changed for worse. With zero respect for fairness or respect to employees. I will put my papers on Nov 15th to get my last vesting on Nov 22nd. Hoping never to come back to this shithole. #PIP #URA #amazon
Do not put down your papers on 15th for Nov 22nd vest. Amazon will make sure you are outside the door before 22nd if anyone notices you have an upcoming vest.
God speed 🚅 Where are you going?
Wait it's getting worse?
100%. There might be light at end of tunnel. I was particularly shocked when they changed target in early part of 2020 when Covid started. I still remember there was an email from S-team that we are changing quota from 6% to like 4.3% or something. Our VP said let’s not change Focus target, we will get better pipeline for 2021.
I didn’t even read your post, but based on the title I’m just going to ask “Why do you know so much about PIPs?” 😜
Everyone who goes to OLR knows. Or for that matter in our org month VP meeting with 20 people just talking about who to fire? There is hardly any conversation ever on what are we doing to make employees better. Such discrepancy of effort ‘constructive’ vs ‘destructive’.
So work somewhere else?
This is what I call PIP on steroids
I thought the appeal of Pivot result after the end of Pivot is still an option? Was there a Focus appeal before? Or an appeal about being put into Focus and/or Pivot in the first place?
Not before focus. But you could challenge the decision of PIP itself by showing your body of work, your feedbacks etc. I went as ‘judge’ in those PIP challenge panel settings previously. Now you can only challenge if you have successfully completed your PIP assignment or not. Not if putting you in PIP was fair or not. Not if the task assigned was fair or not.
Kangaroo court
I'm a newbie and I dont understand all this, good for me. 🤗☺
Join Amazon for hands on experience 🥲
Oh no, oh no, oh no no no no no. 😅😆
This matches my experience as well, I left few years ago and PIP wasn’t nearly as bad as what it’s today. I know some managers leaving due to this not just engineers.
True many with a heart, just resent it. I know a person close to a director. Leaving. Saying the pain he goes through inside is just not worth it.
Let this be a lesson to all of you considering that amazon offer. I was never personally close to PIP, I’ve done well at amazon as an SDE but I’m leaving too. Keep in mind, that URA, PIP, Focus is all taboo to talk about once you get here so no one will be explaining this stuff to you. Even the actual ratings system is kept from you. There is a fundamental disrespect for employees at this company and it exists at the highest levels. Every single day here you are made painfully aware that you are simply someone’s temporary resource to get a job done under an unreasonable deadline.
Are you sde?