We’re excited to share that LinkedIn ranked Amazon in the top 10 in its Australian Top Companies list for 2021. Using data from LinkedIn’s 740 million members, the annual list is designed to help professionals identify the best companies to grow their careers.
LinkedIn evaluated how companies attract and retain the best talent in a competitive market, considering opportunities for professional development, learning new skills, and promotion. The research also looked at diversity of hiring, and the extent to which a company is open to employees with different educational backgrounds.
Amazon is focused on continuing to innovate on behalf of our customers, and improve our efforts to be Earth’s Best Employer and Earth’s Safest Place to Work. We currently employ more than 3,500 people in Australia across our Amazon.com.au, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Amazon Devices, and Audible businesses. In the past year we created more than 1,000 new local jobs, and have plans to continue to grow our local team. We offer a wide range of jobs from entry level opportunities to specialised roles in a range of professions including data scientists, robotics, product development, logistics, creative content producers, interface designers, and many more.
We spoke to some local Amazonians about their perspective of our unique culture, and why they believe Amazon Australia is an exciting and innovative place to work.
Driving a positive change through culture champions
Aashmeet Kalra joined AWS as a Senior Solutions Architect three years ago, and is part of a team of thought-leaders responsible for influencing the use of AWS in companies at the forefront of innovation. Aashmeet evangelises, sets architectural direction, builds pilot products, and shares best practices throughout the tech community. She is a well-respected woman in tech, and an Inclusion ambassador at AWS.
“Inclusion and diversity are crucial as it leads to innovation. When you hire people from diverse backgrounds, nationalities, and cultures, you’re bringing a fresh array of perspectives, experiences and thought patterns to the table. These unique perspectives lead the breakthroughs in ideas, increases the potential for increased productivity and improves creativity and cultural awareness,” said Aashmeet.
“When people feel like they're part of the team, they tackle challenging tasks with higher level reasoning and greater intelligence. Hence, with diverse culture you are bringing out the very best of the people and allowing them to reach their full potential,” she said.
The flexibility to innovate
Janice Chung joined Amazon Australia as an Operations Manager in 2017, and was part of the initial team that launched Amazon in Australia. In May 2018, she was promoted to the role of the Operations Excellence Manager for Australia. In her role, she is responsible for ensuring processes run smoothly and efficiently across our growing Australian operations network, so that customers receive their deliveries on time.
She grew up in Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia and decided to pursue her tertiary studies and career in Melbourne, Victoria. For the past decade, Janice has had a successful career in environmental, health, and safety in the chemical and food manufacturing industry.
“I’m a working mother, in what is a male-dominated industry, but I’ve always felt respected and supported in my career at Amazon. We work hard but there is also flexibility – it’s never been an issue to leave early for a school event or work from home if my child is ill,” said Janice.
“I’ve always felt that I have the ability to carve out my own path here. Everyone has a voice, regardless of experience level, gender or any other potentially differentiating factor. I feel motivated by the fact that I’m always treated with respect and my opinions are valued.”
It’s always Day 1
Hwei Loke joined Amazon nine months ago as the Creative Marketing Lead for Amazon Prime Video Australia and New Zealand. Her role drives the strategy and development of all creative marketing assets for Prime Video in the region. Hwei started her career in broadcast with Viacom International Media Networks – working on creative marketing campaigns for MTV and Nickelodeon.
Since then, she’s worked across networks like Australia’s Special Broadcasting Service (SBS) launching marketing campaigns for channels World Movies, STUDIO and SBS 2 before moving to Singapore where she spent five years leading marketing and creative for The Walt Disney Company in Southeast Asia. After relocating back to Sydney, Hwei joined the Amazon Prime Video team during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic last year.
Despite the challenges of virtual onboarding, Hwei hit the-ground-running. She has been instrumental in leading the creative for Australian Originals, such as the recently released AFL docu-series Making Their Mark.
“I believe the key to developing great creative starts with storytelling and most importantly storytelling with heart. I love that every day at Amazon is Day 1 – and it’s how I approach each and every one of my campaigns in order to drive fresh, innovative creative for Prime Video,” said Hwei.
Affinity groups at Amazon Australia
Amazon in Australia fosters an inclusive culture through a number of different programs, including six local affinity groups: Women@ANZfocus on increasing gender diversity at Amazon; GlamazonANZ for LGBTQIA+ issues, events, meetings and information; Asians@ promotes cultural exchange and awareness; PWD@ provides a representative voice for Amazonians with Disabilities; and Indigenous@, which represent First Nations people.
We’re excited to be recognized as one of LinkedIn’s Top 10 Australian Companies, and will continue to strive to make Amazon the best place to work for all of our employees.
To apply for a job at Amazon, visit www.amazon.jobs. For more information about the 2021 LinkedIn2021 Top Companies list, visit here.
