As lockdown-measures were imposed all over the world due to the COVID-19-pandemic, many companies had to re-think the way they hire. Meet some of Amazon’s new joiners who started their employment fully virtually and from home.
Starting a new job and joining a new team from a distance has become a challenge to both employers and employees. Read how Amazon is making on-boarding work - online and virtually.
As lockdown-measures were imposed all over the world due to the COVID-19-pandemic, many companies had to re-think the way they hire. Meet some of Amazon’s new joiners who started their employment fully virtually and from home.
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Meet Laura, a Bachelor’s student at the University of Munich who joined Amazon in April 2020 as a working student in the DE Talent Acquisition team. After spending an exchange year at the University of Melbourne, Laura came back to Germany shortly before the lock-down started. “I was curious about the virtual on-boarding process, since I had never met my colleagues before.
On my first day, I received my on-boarding plan and got to meet all the amazing people from my team – who gave me a warm welcome – and the IT-team who helped me set up my work space. The virtual on-boarding process went smoothly; I got to know Amazon and my team members through multiple calls and chatting groups and was able to fulfill my tasks just as well as if I was in the office. I cannot wait to meet everyone in person, but until then we will keep up the daily coffee-chats! :)”.
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Meet Valentina a new joiner in our 3P Marketplace Consultant team who went through a complete virtual hiring process with Amazon.
We asked her some questions about her experience, she said: 'The virtual hiring day took about five hours and was very well structured. Each participant had an agenda with different virtual rooms. Some sessions were for all participants and I had four individual interviews with people from different departments. During the breaks there was the possibility to share experiences with other candidates and share experiences.
What I liked most about the process was the interview prep session a few days before where I learned about the hiring event and the specific role I applied for. It really helped knowing what to expect from the interview day and learn more about the Amazon culture. I'm really looking to relocating to Munich and meeting my colleagues in person when I start to support the Marketplace Team.'
We are very happy to have Valentina on board and wish her a good (virtual) start in her new role!
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Managing a Pan-EU team virtually offers both challenges and opportunities. We've asked Corinna, Recruiting Manager, about her experience building a new team in a remote working situation. She said, “The biggest challenge was, that we had to work together without knowing each other in person. In order to stay connected, I catch up daily with my team, even if it is a quick “Hello, how are you” in the morning.
I’ve created a Chat group for more informal topics and a regular weekly meeting, and once a month we try to have a social gathering online. It has helped me a lot to be as transparent, honest and open to my team as possible. It's a challenge for all of us and it makes me happy to know that we can rely on each other and feel appreciated without ever having met in person.
Learn more about opportunities in our Recruitment team here.
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Meet Giuliano who started to work as a Technical Recruiter in April 2020. After his virtual on-boarding, we asked him about his experience and the questions he receives from his candidates around this topic. He said: 'The virtual on-boarding has been very smooth. Even when I had connection issues, the on-boarding “vibe” was always relaxed, enthusiastic, instructive and well-designed. When it comes to candidate questions, the process and work-life balance during working from home are common topics.
Regarding the virtual on-boarding I tend to talk about having an on-boarding buddy who you can ask all questions and refer to the tips, tools and best practices we are making available for our employees. To keep a good work-life balance I encourage candidates to set breaks in their daily schedule or recommend any sort of physical activity like going outside for a walk'. Great to have you on board, Giuliano!
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Meet Julian, who switched roles from Brand Specialist in Amazon Fresh and Prime Now to Marketplace Consultant, strategically developing our sellers with a consultative approach.
"I had mixed feelings when transitioning teams during this new, virtual working situation. As much as I was looking forward to my new role in Amazon Marketplace, I was sad leaving my old team without having a proper farewell party. With regards to my interview process, I have to say my interview partners were all able to create a very pleasant atmosphere via the video chat.
My tip for other colleagues in the same situation would be to definitely join or initiate virtual coffee chats with your team and individually with your peers to connect quickly and create a network. That helps you to figure out whom you can ask your thousands of questions you will have in the first months, and have fun! It is definitely an adventure – but it is worth it!
We are continuously working on improving our on-boarding-process, especially in uncertain times like these, and are happy to welcome so many new hires this year. Join us now by applying through our job portal or learn more about working at Amazon here: https://www.amazon.jobs/en/
