“I have one of those ‘my mom doesn’t know what I do’ kind of jobs,” quips Nidhi Thakkar, head of creator programs at Amazon. Affectionately known as ‘The OG Influencer,’ Thakkar partners with content creators aka Influencers to develop video shopping content on Amazon Live for a more interactive customer experience.
Launched in October 2022, Amazon Live is a place where people can watch, chat and shop live. Customers can directly interact with content creators who showcase products, get questions answered in real-time, participate in polls, and benefit from limited-duration deals.
Amazon Live has 21 hours of real-time programming every day. Thakkar’s team is always on the lookout for captivating concepts that resonate with audiences.
What’s the best part of her role at Amazon? “I get to work with the smartest people, I get to focus on what I love doing which is content and creative thinking and there’s just the sense of ownership that I have to move my charter forward,” Thakkar tells stand-up comedian and artist Rahul Subramanian.
The ‘showrunner’ focused on young adults
Meet Anand Jain, a Series Development Manager, who plays a key role in creating shows on miniTV. “In simple words, we make entertaining series for people who want to watch them. We find people who want to tell stories, we curate them and we nurture them,” he says. Amazon miniTV is an ad-supported streaming service that lets you watch various mini-movies, web series and TV shows through the Amazon shopping app. In less than 3 years, miniTV’s award-winning content has become a hit with young adult audiences, thanks to popular shows that resonate with their lives, such as Half CA, Highway Love, Campus Beats, Slum Golf, Hip Hop India and more.
The allure of Jain’s job lies in the freedom and responsibility it offers. “Amazon gives you wings to fly, a lot of purpose and ownership, which is rare,” he explains.
Everyone wants to tell content but Amazon enables you to tell it in a responsible manner, to tell it with strategy, fun and purpose.
Amazon’s in-house artist
For Manish Chopra, work transcends the confines of a typical office; it unfolds in the vibrant setting of a studio. His role? Scaling up aesthetics on Amazon.in. Chopra— a Senior Art Director—spends the lion’s share of his time making sure that products on the marketplace are visually shot in the right way for customers to make informed decisions.
“We collaborate with stylists, art directors, photographers, merchandise coordinators, and digi-techs who take care of technical aspects,” Chopra tells Subramanian. “It’s a place where the visual narrative of everything that is sold on Amazon is orchestrated,” says Chopra.
Every day brings new challenges and opportunities for creative expression. “The fun part of the job is that you may have to shoot something as simple as a tray. But it requires certain elements to be added. You're not just shooting one product; you're creating an experience, and shaping the customer experience,” he says. As an organisation, Amazon continues focusing on customers in a way that allows employees to invent on behalf of customers all the time.
Striving to be the Earth’s Best Employer
Amazon's dedication to providing an inclusive, safe, and a modern work environment is enshrined in its Leadership Principles—Strive to be Earth's Best Employer. Amazon has also been recognised as one of the best workplaces in India in LinkedIn’s Top Companies list for 2023, with skills training and opportunities for growth standing out as key differentiators.
We have roles that allow people to follow and live their passion every day.
"We want people to understand the different roles we provide and help them to relate to these roles by showing that they match the skills of the communities in which we operate,” Deepti Varma, Vice President, People Experience and Technology, Amazon - India and Emerging Markets, tells Subramanian.
Further, Amazon employees are also encouraged to enter different roles to take on new challenges and learn new skills. Amazon’s internal transfer opportunities and other expanding career-development programs help all employees build their careers.
Using technology to redefine employee experience
Amazon’s HR organisation is called People Experience, and Technology (PXT), as the company uses technology to make Amazon a great place to work. A case in point is Amazon’s use of Alexa for onboarding employees. Alexa is a virtual buddy for new hires, guiding them through essential queries about leave entitlements, medical insurance and more. This fosters a sense of support and belonging from the outset.
