Amazon reportedly dropped its hiring standards and fast-tracked the recruitment process for thousands of employees, a lack of quality control that has been blamed for 18,000 sackings.
Amazon implements a Bar Raising program during hiring, which basically involves a third-party being present for the interview, in order to provide an independent assessment of the applications’ various skills and qualities.
Employees told Business Insider the program was dumped in January 2022, as the company raced to fill positions and it became “a burden to fulfil the position’s interview load.” This reportedly led to a “quantity-over-quality” situation, where employees didn’t meet previous standards.
CEO Andy Jassy (above) admitted “we’ve hired rapidly over the last several years” when announcing the job losses — or “role eliminations” as Jassy tactfully put it — earlier this month.
August Aldebot-Green, an Amazon spokesperson, rubbished any suggestion the hirings and firings were related.
“Any claim that the upcoming role reductions are somehow connected to our Bar Raiser program is fictional,” he wrote.
“Bar Raisers remain an important part of our culture and our hiring process, and we’re grateful to the many Amazonians who participate in the program.”