Future potential employees will no doubt be influenced by the broad news coverage during the crisis. Beyond that, employer review sites such as Glassdoor and Indeed and social media such as LinkedIn have created influential platforms for employees to shape perceptions of companies among prospective employees.Īmazon’s employee engagement also matters to investors. In last week’s shareholder meeting, participants pressed Bezos and other Amazon representatives about the company’s treatment of employees.
Bray’s departure from the company was a widely-publicized example of the damaging effect that worker mistreatment can have on other employees, but it’s unlikely to be the only consequence. A significant percentage of warehouse employees currently choosing to stay home without pay may decide not to return at all.Īlthough Amazon has been hiring at record levels during the global pandemic, adding 175,000 employees in the last two months, this pace won’t continue and the company will eventually return to the same war for talent that many employers had been fighting before Covid-19. How Amazon treats its employees also matters because it impacts the company’s ability to retain existing employees and attract new ones.
Researchers at Morning Consult surveyed 2,200 American adults in March 2020 and found 67% said it was very important that companies “take care of their employees and treat them well, even in tough times.” 53% agreed with the statement “I am more likely to purchase from companies that treat their employees with flexibility and empathy.” The Covid-19 pandemic has heightened the priority customers put on employee welfare. Research by public relations firm Weber Shandwick has shown that when consumers discuss companies, how they treat employees is among their top five concerns. And in a report issued by Edelman Intelligence, a global research firm, no single action by a company is more interconnected with its ability to build trust with the public than “treating employees well.” The criticism aimed at Amazon matters because employee engagement impacts customers’ perceptions and purchase decisions.
Employee Engagement Matters to All Stakeholders