Amazon Mandates Employees Detail Achievements from the Past Year

U.S. e-commerce behemoth Amazon has recently directed its workforce to address a fundamental question: What did you accomplish last year?

According to sources familiar with the matter and an internal guide, as part of this year's performance review process—internally codenamed "Forte"—Amazon is requiring employees to submit three to five "achievements" that best exemplify their contributions.

The guide further stipulates that employees must furnish "specific examples" to substantiate their accomplishments and articulate the actions they plan to take to advance their careers within the company.

The internal guide specifies, "Achievements refer to concrete projects, goals, initiatives, or process improvements that demonstrate the impact of your work. Consider instances where you assumed risks or pioneered innovations, even if the ultimate outcome fell short of expectations."

Insiders reveal that this marks the first time Amazon has formally instituted the "Forte" review program with a core focus on individual achievements. These individuals requested anonymity due to the private nature of the internal affairs.

While the company's performance evaluation system has long incorporated a self-assessment component, previous reviews posed broader questions, such as inquiries into employees' "superpowers," areas of interest, and "what you contribute when you are at your best."

This latest initiative reflects CEO Andy Jassy's ongoing drive to cultivate a more disciplined workforce and a more cohesive corporate culture. Last year, he implemented a comprehensive return-to-office policy, streamlined management layers, and overhauled Amazon's compensation model and performance review process to more explicitly reward top performers.

Certain teams within Amazon, including the advertising division and the IMDb video unit, began piloting similar Forte-style questions several years ago. At that time, Amazon's advertising chief, Paul Kotas, informed employees that sharing specific achievements "helps facilitate more productive conversations with managers."