Amazon shifts annual performance reviews to demand 'Proof of Productivity'

Corporate employees must now list 3-5 specific accomplishments in annual 'Forte' review to determine pay.

Amazon is formalizing a major shift in its corporate culture, explicitly requiring all corporate employees to provide three to five specific, high-impact accomplishments as the core component of their annual performance review cycle, known internally as Forte. This updated directive places a significantly greater emphasis on measurable individual productivity and tangible results compared to previous years.

The move, which reflects CEO Andy Jassy’s push for a more disciplined and accountable workforce, makes documented achievements the central driver of compensation, promotions, and career progression at the e-commerce and cloud giant.

From 'superpowers' to specifics

The overhauled Forte process replaces a previous, more subjective self-assessment style that asked employees broader questions about their personal contributions and "superpowers."

Employees must now submit a list of three to five "accomplishments" that best demonstrate their work and its impact on the company.

Internal guidelines specify that accomplishments are "specific projects, goals, initiatives, or process improvements that show the impact of your work." Managers are also encouraging staff to highlight situations where they took calculated risks or innovated, even if the effort did not fully succeed.

Compensation link

Forte ratings, which take into account these accomplishments, peer feedback, and adherence to Amazon’s Leadership Principles, are the primary mechanism for assigning an "Overall Value" rating.

Part of a broader tech industry trend

Amazon’s new requirement mirrors a tightening of performance standards across the technology sector, moving away from subjective assessments toward quantifiable output, especially following a wave of industry layoffs.

The change is consistent with CEO Jassy's efforts to flatten the organization and foster a high-urgency, startup-like mindset. It follows his previous mandate for corporate staff to adhere to a full return-to-office policy and an earlier revamp of the pay structure to primarily reward top performers.

Other major tech firms, notably Meta, have also long used similar metrics to enforce accountability.

Looking forward

This new formalization ensures that every one of Amazon's roughly 350,000 corporate employees must now be able to articulate and defend their specific value to the organization based on concrete, measurable outcomes.

However, there are concerns that the move prioritizes individual contribution over collaborative efforts, which risks increasing internal competition and diverting time from actual problem-solving.