Monthly Archives: June 2016

Is Amazon too tough on their workers?

June 10, 2016 by 123outsource
Categories: Management | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Rumors are that Amazon management tolerates nothing less than peak performance out of their workers. The workplace is intense and often cutthroat. Workers who have health problems, other personal issues, or who just can’t measure up often get penalized or fired.

Two Times reporters wrote a 7000 word piece on Amazon after they had interviewed many current and former Amazon employees. They wrote about the grueling and competitive conditions the workers had to endure. After Jeff Bezos read this featured article, even he wrote a letter stating he would not tolerate the “shockingly callous management practices” described in the article. He urged employees to contact her directly if they heard of abuses.

However, reviews on Glassdoor indicated that 82% of employees approve of CEO Bezos and most would recommend Amazon to a friend. A program manager in Seattle wrote that Amazon had small teams, interesting and innovative projects, and very smart people. There were quiet work areas, a beautiful campus, and a startup feel. To me, it sounds a lot like Google. There were many mixed reviews on Amazon with the pros commenting on the vibrant fast paced culture while the cons were more about the office politics.

My feeling is that the companies that are getting ahead today like Apple, Google, Amazon, etc. tend to embrace a high energy culture of overachievers who work in an innovative setting creating new and better ways for society to function, buy, sell, and enjoy life. If workers want to work in a slower paced company, an innovative front-line company doesn’t seem like a good place. Becoming a librarian in a small Tennessee town seems like a better idea for someone who wants a quiet, yet fulfilling life. But, on the other hand, companies that make their workers put in too many hours can burn people out. In the long run, we need quality of life, not just some success that leads to ultimate burnout. And when we get pregnant or have personal problems, it is nice if our company understands what we are going through. After all, we’re all human (my cat is nodding her head at this point.) Well, she is not human, but the rest of us are!

You might also like:

Is it time to Uber-size your outsourcing business?
http://bpo.123outsource.net/2016/05/10/is-it-time-to-uber-size-your-outsourcing-business/

Young workers want a positive social atmosphere
http://bpo.123outsource.net/2016/03/12/younger-workers-want-a-positive-social-atmosphere/

America invented and forgot about customer service
http://bpo.123outsource.net/2016/03/02/america-invented-forgot-about-customer-service/

Compilation of best managementv& success blogs
http://bpo.123outsource.net/2016/02/06/compilation-of-best-management-success-blog-entries/

To tweet or not to tweet, that is the question

June 4, 2016 by 123outsource
Categories: Humor | Tagged | Leave a comment

To tweet or not to tweet, that is the question
Whether ’tis Nobler in the Twitter feed to suffer
The Tweets and Shares of outrageous Fortune,
Or to take Arms against a Sea of articles,
And by opposing end them: to log out, to sleep
No more; and by logging out, to say we end
The eye-strain from staring too long at the monitor, and the thousand Natural shocks
That Flesh is heir to? ‘Tis a consummation
Addictedly to be wished. To log out, to sleep,
To sleep, perchance to Dream about Twitter; aye, there’s the favorite button,
For in that sleep of death, what retweets or mentions may come,
When we have shuffled off this mortal coil,
We become a bot, and we pause. There’s the respect
That makes Calamity of so long life…

My advice:
Tweet 30-40 times per day. Try to only tweet content that people will share. It is good to experiment, but only with content that you think has a good chance of being popular. If you want to do more, open a second account that can work in tandem with the first account. Tweet some beautiful photos periodically in your feed to attract those with good taste. And remember — every time you contemplate a tweet and its worthiness, ask yourself:

To tweet or not to tweet, that is the question…

You might also like:

18 ways to boost your social media in 10 minutes or less per day
http://bpo.123outsource.net/2015/05/05/18-ways-to-boost-your-social-media-marketing-in-10-minutes-day/

Pimp my Tweet – a BPO company specializing in Twitter
http://bpo.123outsource.net/2015/09/16/pimp-my-tweet-a-bpo-company-specializing-in-twitter/

Compilation of interesting posts from 2015

June 4, 2016 by 123outsource
Categories: Compilations, Of Interest | Leave a comment

Here is a complilation of our most interesting posts that are “of interest” rather than having a specific business value. We hope you like them.

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How to create a company culture like Google’s and have fun doing it
http://bpo.123outsource.net/2015/03/14/how-to-create-a-company-culture-like-googles-have-fun-while-doing-it/

In China, hot girls were hired to motivate programmers
http://bpo.123outsource.net/2015/08/24/in-china-hot-girls-were-hired-to-motivate-programmers/

Interesting startups from around the globe
http://bpo.123outsource.net/2015/09/27/interesting-startups-from-around-the-globe/

A good organization has people who take charge without being overbearing
http://bpo.123outsource.net/2015/06/19/a-good-organization-has-people-who-take-charge-without-being-overbearing/

An Indian BPO learns Japanese culture to boost teamwork
http://bpo.123outsource.net/2015/04/01/an-indian-bpo-company-learns-japanese-culture-to-boost-teamwork/

Jamaica has more female bosses than anywhere else in the world
http://bpo.123outsource.net/2015/11/20/jamaica-has-more-female-bosses-than-anywhere-else-in-the-world/

A coffeehouse guy gets hired by corporate America
http://bpo.123outsource.net/2015/04/29/a-coffee-house-guy-hired-by-corporate-america/

Pimp my tweet — a BPO specializing in Twitter
http://bpo.123outsource.net/2015/09/16/pimp-my-tweet-a-bpo-company-specializing-in-twitter/

Outsourcing a jihadi — a comedy about something not so funny
http://bpo.123outsource.net/2015/01/12/outsourcing-a-jihadi-a-comedy-about-something-not-so-funny/

The pen is mightier than the sword, but is flogging mightier than blogging?
http://bpo.123outsource.net/2015/01/31/he-pen-is-mightier-than-the-sword-but-is-flogging-mightier-than-blogging/

Does your downtime make you a better business person?
http://bpo.123outsource.net/2015/05/25/does-your-downtime-make-you-a-better-business-person/

My business karma improved — an interesting example
http://bpo.123outsource.net/2015/03/10/my-business-karma-improved-an-interesting-example-about-my-outsourcing-directory/

The Charlie Hebdo attack — terror or honor killing?
http://bpo.123outsource.net/2015/02/10/the-charlie-hebdo-attack-terror-or-honor-killing/

Do you have a mentor? A good one?
http://bpo.123outsource.net/2015/07/01/do-you-have-a-mentor-a-good-one/

A company has a board of directors, so why shouldn’t you?
http://bpo.123outsource.net/2015/06/18/a-company-has-a-board-of-directors-so-why-shouldnt-you/

What if you had your aptitude tested in the 1700’s?
http://bpo.123outsource.net/2016/01/11/what-if-you-had-your-aptitude-tested-in-the-1700s/

Should you work for a startup to learn how they operate?
http://bpo.123outsource.net/2015/09/05/should-you-work-for-a-startup-to-learn-how-they-operate/

How women can get even with men in the workplace
http://bpo.123outsource.net/2015/09/02/how-women-can-get-even-with-men-in-the-workplace/

The startup lab — simulations in business
http://bpo.123outsource.net/2015/12/09/the-startup-lab-simulations-in-business/

The water crisis — an international problem
http://bpo.123outsource.net/2015/07/08/the-water-crisis-an-international-problem/

Will power vs. decisive will power — what’s the difference?
http://bpo.123outsource.net/2015/07/17/business-will-power-vs-decisive-will-power-whats-the-difference/

Is it safe for women to take cabs in India?
http://bpo.123outsource.net/2015/08/22/is-it-safe-for-women-to-take-cabs-in-india/

Do you have the Rupee mentality?
http://bpo.123outsource.net/2015/09/13/do-you-have-the-rupee-mentality/

Do you see yourself as an entrepreneur or a CEO?
http://bpo.123outsource.net/2015/05/15/do-you-see-yourself-as-an-entrepreneur-or-ceo/

God and retirement income
http://bpo.123outsource.net/2015/11/10/god-and-retirement-income/

Change your brain by the people you are with
http://bpo.123outsource.net/2015/11/11/change-your-brain-by-the-people-you-are-with/

Facebook knows you better than you know your mama
http://bpo.123outsource.net/2015/10/03/facebook-knows-you-better-than-your-mama-but-how-well-do-you-know-your-customers/

The best business dream I ever had was about lions & giraffes
http://bpo.123outsource.net/2016/01/23/the-best-business-dream-i-ever-had-was-about-lions-giraffes/

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New Startups from San Francisco

June 2, 2016 by 123outsource
Categories: Startups | Tagged | Leave a comment

Here are some new startups from San Francisco

Honor
https://blog.joinhonor.com/
This startup helps people take care of their aging parents and relatives with on-demand care services. Elder care in America is dismal, but Honor has been helping solve that problem. They raised over $20,000,000 in 2015, and are still growing. Honor starts workers out at $15 and wants them to create long-term relationships with seniors instead of being an Uber type health care matchmaking database.

Checkr
https://checkr.com/
Checkr assists companies get quick background checks on perspective employees. Many employers are hiring freelancers more and more, and hiring them by using apps or website directories. You can find out within hours if your potential new hire is a criminal or pals with Osama Bin-Ladin!

Slack
https://slack.com/?story=video&v=3
Founded in 2013, Slack is a messaging app for teams. Users get a chat room where it is easy to share work files and work in a collaborative way. It is far more advanced than the annoying instant messengers with their pop ups. Slack received $340 in funding from various large groups including Google Ventures, Index, and Horizons Ventures.

AltsSchool
https://www.altschool.com/
AltSchool is an alternative educational system for elementary and junior high school students and is a popular choice in the Silicon Valley, San Francisco, and New York City. AltSchool emphasizes acadenics, social and emotional training, as well as a long list of projects that children can do together.

Navdy
https://www.navdy.com/
Navdy helps you navigate while keeping your eyes on the road by having a virtual monitor right in your field of vision while you are driving. Just use hand gestures and your voice to control it. Navdy — it feels like driving in the future.

Lever
http://www.lever.co/
Lever helps employers find people to hire who are high quality candidates. Lever boasts an applicant tracking system, collaborative email functions, and see the candidates entire history on one page. Lever has helped many companies grow from 10 to 10,000 like Lyft, Change.org, Netflix, Reddit, and others.

Chariot
https://www.ridechariot.com/
This ride sharing company crowd-sources new routes based on what its riders need in real-time. A person can suggest a route and if they get enough votes — voila!, a new route will be created. I believe that ride-sharing is the solution to traffic and the nightmare of public transportation — and Chariot makes ridesharing feasible and convenient!

After School
http://afterschoolapp.com/app/
This app is banned from many stores, but let’s teenagers gossip, create videos (selfie-videos), share photos, and protect themselves from cyber-bullying. It seems like a lot of fun if you don’t have too much homework.

Brigade
https://www.brigade.com/
Brigade created an app to handle political discussions. In an attempt to get millennials interested in politics (or something other than themselves). Brigade helps people find friends and neighbors with similar points of view so that they can sign petitions together with you.

21
https://21.co/learn/21-micropayments/
A system that allows bitcoin to change payments on the internet. The website doesn’t make it clear what is unique about these payments, or the process, so perhaps you can figure this out.

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You might also like:

More interesting startups from San Francisco
http://bpo.123outsource.net/2015/01/10/more-san-francisco-startups/

New Startups in the Techstars Accelerator
http://bpo.123outsource.net/2016/05/12/new-startups-on-the-techstars-accellerator/