I chose the job of “Picker”, which was the only job available (the four main jobs at Amazon Fulfillment are Receive, Stow, Pick, and Pack). My interview consisted of a mouth swab for drug testing, picking a job task, day or night shift, signing up for an on-site orientation, and receiving my ADP card where my paycheck would automatically be sent. About 25-30% of the people that waited with me during this video loop got up and left, saying under their breath things like, “Man, forget this, I don’t have time for this!” I couldn’t help but think that this friction was a planned winnowing. A group of us sat and watched an 8-minute video in repetition for about an hour and 15 minutes before I was called over for my interview. My name was called, my picture was taken, and then I was directed past about a dozen desks of staffing employees to a rear waiting area of about 20 chairs in front of a television. Others came in and applied on desktop computers that were in the waiting area, which consisted of about 30 chairs steadily occupied by the rotation of applicants coming in and out. When I signed in, the person at the desk asked if I had applied online or not, and because I had, I was asked to take a seat and wait. The following day I arrived at a sleepy, predominantly vacant shopping center and entered a single large room with several half-wall partitions. If you saw someone stealing something, what would you do?Īfter completing the application, I was directed to visit one of their local staffing agency offices anytime during business hours. I applied online on a Monday, through a third-party staffing agency where I filled out all my personal information and then took an assessment that asked questions like: What was the journey like for the constant stream of packages arriving at my door? My wife begrudgingly, but graciously, entertained my curiosity and let me wander down the Amazon rabbit hole.

I’ve been driving by this facility for a number of years and always wondered what actually happened inside.

Around this time last year, I began noticing the annual deluge of radio and billboard seasonal hiring ads for our area Amazon fulfillment center.

First day at amazon warehouse