Amazon boss Andy Jassy calls for a return to office

In the memo, Jassy explained that working remotely, hybrid and in person for almost three years has led the company to decide “we should be back in the office together most of the time (at least three days a week). .”

He explained that the call was made during a senior leadership team (the S-Team) meeting earlier this week, adding that the decision boiled down to the executives prioritizing “what Amazon would best enable, life.” to make its customers better and easier every day and tirelessly inventing to do so.”

It starts with increasing employee performance, Jassy wrote, adding that he thinks it’s easiest to learn from others, mentor and experience culture when Amazonians are in the office with their peers.

“When you’re in person, people tend to be more engaged, more observant, and more attuned to what’s happening in the meetings and the cultural cues that are being communicated,” he said, explaining that people are more likely to have ad hoc Ask questions and understand how people process information. Being in the office will also give new employees the opportunity to learn and be mentored, he added.

It also encourages idea generation before and after meetings, Jassy said, explaining that he thinks brainstorming comes from more spontaneous interactions.

“Collaboration and invention are easier and more effective when we are personal. The energy and riffing on each other’s ideas happens more freely,” he wrote in the memo. Face-to-face meetings, he stressed, would help teams feel more connected.

Jassy acknowledged that it will take time to figure that out, as Amazon’s work-from-home policy was previously left to team leaders.

Just last September, Jassy had a different stance on remote work.

“We have no plan to ask people to come back,” Jassy said at the Code conference in Los Angeles. “We don’t have that at the moment. But we will be adaptive as we learn.” Still, he indicated at the presentation that he prefers working in person, adding that inventing in a remote space is more difficult.

Amazon had a tough few quarters: After a weak third-quarter earnings report, the company’s value fell below $1 trillion in November for the first time since early 2020. And like much of Big Tech, Amazon announced major layoffs and cut 18,000 jobs. Jassy was quoted as trying to rally the remaining employees, saying they were “redefining” the company in a transformation likely to be “misunderstood” by the market.

In response to requests for comment, Amazon Fortune referenced the post, and a representative said they had “nothing more to add” at this time.

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