Amazon‘s strict employee policies may have hurt the company’s hiring. The US-based e-commerce giant’s five-day return-to-office policy and requirement for employees to live near “hub” offices are hindering its ability to recruit top tech talent, a report claims. An internal document and accounts from company insiders show that the “hub” office policy is a significant point of debate among Amazon recruiters, particularly when it comes to hiring for “high-demand talent, like those with GenAI skills.” According to an internal document obtained by Business Insider (BI), the company’s aggressive in-office strategy is seen as a key factor limiting its access to crucial talent. This rigid policy is seen as a disadvantage in the competitive landscape for skilled tech professionals.
The BI report cited some Amazon recruiters to claim that beginning last year, more candidates started rejecting job offers specifically over RTO requirements. Many preferred accepting lower salaries elsewhere if it meant they could continue working remotely. One recruiter (who was kept anonymous) noted that the company is missing out on tech talent because of this. Alongside its strict RTO policies, Amazon’s atypical pay structure and weaker standing in AI have also been previously reported as hurdles in attracting new hires.
What Amazon said about recruiting new hires with these policies
In an emailed statement to BI, an Amazon spokesperson said the premise of the story was incorrect, adding that the company “continues to attract and retain some of the best people in the world.”
“We are always looking for ways to optimise our recruiting strategies and looking at alternative talent-rich locations. We continue to believe that teams produce the best results when they’re collaborating and inventing in person, and we’ve observed that to be true now that we’ve had most people back in the office each day for some time,” the company’s spokesperson said.
The report also claims that Amazon’s strict 5-day return-to-office policy and linking compliance to promotions are driving talent losses and making it easier for rivals, such as Oracle, to poach staff.
Over 600 employees have joined Oracle in two years. Wall Street has taken note, with SignalFire ranking Amazon lower in engineer retention compared to Meta, OpenAI, and Anthropic — a risk as the company races to stay competitive in generative AI.