Culture Shock!

By Nicole Martin | September 3, 2015

“Nearly every person I worked with, I saw cry at their desk.”

~Bo Olson, worked in books marketing at Amazon

After reading about Amazon’s workplace habits, you will go into culture shock.

Would you want to work for an organization where nearly every person cried at their desk? According to Olson, a former employee of Amazon, he has lived it.

He shared that Amazon workers are pushed to put work first, families second and find a balance in their spare time. For some, this technique pushed them past their comfort limits and they thrived, but some realized quickly this wasn’t the place for them.

Honestly, people should be encouraged to speak their truth, even in business. However, this must NOT be done without respect, dignity and honest openness to the value each person brings to a business. A business can be innovative and ambitious in culture, but it should be tied to values that people align to. Unless the employee is expressing tears of joy or breakthrough, I simply do not see how breaking people down can link to job satisfaction. There is a cost to high turnover!

The controversy created by the release of Amazon’s workplace culture is remarkable and continues to stir up online debates. It has truly brought the importance of workplace culture to the forefront.

A great place to start is to learn how other businesses and HR professionals have created great workplace culture and raised their organizations’ bottom lines while providing an environment where employees feel valued. The Culture Leadership Summit, taking place in the Chicagoland area on October 1^st, 2015, will offer an opportunity to learn how you can boost your culture to be a best place to work. To learn more about the speakers and to get more information, go to http://cultureleadershipsummit.com/

As an HR professional, I see many businesses who are prioritizing culture change for sustainable competitive advantages. What are your thoughts about this? How has your workplace culture impacted you?