Diversity, equity and inclusion at Amazon

We pride ourselves on our unique culture. We honour and respect the differences that each employee brings, and we seek to include those perspectives in our solutions for our global customer base. We also seek to build the diverse community of creators and developers who we are proud to call customers.

Our diverse perspectives come from many sources including gender, race, age, national origin, sexual orientation, culture, education, as well as professional and life experience. We are committed to diversity, equity and inclusion, and we always look for ways to scale our impact as we grow.

Amazon’s ability to innovate on behalf of our customers relies on the perspectives and knowledge of people from all backgrounds.

We believe that building a culture that is welcoming and inclusive is integral to people doing their best work and is essential to what we can achieve as a company. We actively recruit people from diverse backgrounds to build a supportive and inclusive workplace. We take steps to ensure employees have a sense of belonging, value, and opportunity.

We have 13 affinity groups (employee resource groups) with more than 87,000 employees across hundreds of chapters around the world. We actively recruit diverse candidates through our partnerships with universities, institutions and colleges. We also have initiatives that focus on gender diversity and inclusion, building skills for tech leaders from diverse backgrounds, empowering the next generation with opportunities in STEM programmes, celebrating our LGBT+ community, military initiatives and more.

Boosting gender diversity and inclusion in the UK with Amazon Amplify and AWS Get IT

In March 2019 we launched Amazon Amplify – a series of initiatives designed to further increase the number of women in technology and innovation roles across our UK business.

The programme builds on existing diversity-focused initiatives at Amazon, including initiatives to ensure diverse interview panels and increase volumes of women applicants, affinity groups for women, LGBT+, BAME and disabled employees, and transgender guidelines for managers and employees to support transgender staff and their allies. While the initial focus has been on gender diversity, we designed Amplify from day one to help participants from all backgrounds with actionable tips that enable them to speak up, become a better ally and lead inclusively, as well as highlighting the importance of inclusion to delivering better outcomes.

AWS GetIT – created by Amazon Web Services (AWS) – encourages girls aged 12-13 to consider a career in tech, challenging long standing gender stereotypes. Running between the autumn and spring terms of the school year, AWS GetIT invites teams from different schools to an app-building competition to solve real issues faced by their school or community. Along the way, participants learn practical digital and IT skills, experience working as a team, and gain self-confidence by presenting ideas to wider audiences – all while being exposed to IT as a potential career.

Since launch in 2018, the programme has captured imaginations of students across the UK. The diversity of the competition submissions reflects the varied issues and pressures facing young people today. App concepts include managing stress and mental health and helping teenagers speak about their sexuality, encouraging consumption of recyclable products and planning ahead to complete school work. AWS also introduced the programme to the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland for the first time in Autumn 2020.

Amazon in the community

We’re here to make a difference in the world, in a way unique to Amazon. With a culture built around solving “impossible” problems, we take a different, more hands-on approach to what is traditionally known as corporate philanthropy. We know that money is important, but we believe our true superpower is to dive deep and work side-by-side community partners to find solutions to the world’s most pressing problems.

We have provided long-standing support and a partnership with Magic Breakfast, a charity that provides free breakfast meals to school children at risk of hunger. When UK schools closed during the pandemic, Amazon expanded this partnership to help Magic Breakfast deliver meals right to the doorsteps of these children.

Our Black Employee Network (BEN) has also partnered with Huddersfield-based community organisation Conscious Youth to provide them with donations, access to technology education programmes and workshops.

Diverse Creators and Builders

Through our technology we have created a set of services to help enable our diverse sellers, creators and developers to pursue their dreams. Kindle Direct Publishing has enabled over a million authors of all backgrounds to publish their books, while businesses of all sizes are able to sell their products to hundreds of millions of Amazon customers. Recently, we launched the Amazon Saheli Store, which empowers women entrepreneurs in India.

In AWS we are working to build skills in cloud computing for technical leaders from all backgrounds, and highlight the stories of diverse developers to inspire the next generation. Partnering with AWS Training and Certification and AWS Educate, We Power Tech enables diverse builders from all walks of life to innovate and shape the future of the tech industry. In November 2017, AWS held their first We Power Tech Diversity Series. This included sessions and networking events during AWS re:Invent, AWS’s annual education and learning conference.

Amazon’s Military Talent initiatives in the UK and abroad

In 2017, Amazon and AWS were two of the first companies to sign up to the Armed Forces Covenant in the UK – a promise to ensure that those who serve or have served, and their families, are treated fairly. Early on we recognised how the skills and experiences of Service personnel, from logistics to communication, would benefit our business in delivering for customers, so in 2011 we introduced our military veterans’ recruitment programme in the UK. Since then, we have employed almost 400 men and women into Operations management and engineering positions across our network, and many have been promoted into senior leadership positions. We’re really proud of the contribution these ex-Service personnel make every day at Amazon.

In May 2016, Amazon pledged to hire 25,000 veterans and military spouses by 2021, and to train 10,000 more in cloud computing skills through AWS Educate. Amazon’s Military Talent initiatives promote veteran hiring and engagement across multiple Amazon business units and geographies including the US, Canada, Japan, China, India, UK and the EU.

In 2024, Amazon was ranked 1st in a definitive ranking of the top 50 employers of veterans in the UK by the prestigious GREAT British Employers of Veterans programme, a comprehensive guide to the leading companies supporting the Armed Forces community.

We are proud to be recognised our support for the military veterans who work across our business.

Funding students through the Amazon Future Engineer Bursary

The Amazon Future Engineer supports lower-income students studying computer science at universities across the UK. Through the bursary scheme Amazon provides financial support of between £3,500-£5,000 per year for up to four years, as well as providing mentoring support, careers advice and networking opportunities.

Through Amazon Future Engineer we seek to inspire, educate and enable one million students from low-income backgrounds to pursue careers in technology or other jobs of the future. We have also teamed up with education bodies to launch Maths4All, an online storefront providing free, curriculum linked maths resources in the UK.

Code.Org and Amazon Future Engineer are working together to train future programmers.

Training young people in digital skills through AWS re/Start

AWS re/Start is a skills development and job training programme, launched by AWS, which prepares learners from unemployed and underemployed populations for entry-level careers in the cloud – at no cost to the learner. The 12-week, skills-based training programme covers fundamental AWS Cloud skills, alongside practical career skills such as communication, time management, collaboration, interviewing, and CV writing. AWS re/Start also covers the cost and prepares participants for the AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner exam, validating their cloud skills with an industry-recognised qualification.

The programme focuses on diverse groups of learners, such as young people, veterans or people made redundant from non-tech careers. Learners are supported by professional mentors and accredited trainers. The programme builds a diverse pipeline of new talent and is designed to accommodate differing levels of experience; even those with no previous technical knowledge can apply. On completion of the programme, graduates will be connected with potential employers.

At the end of last year, we launched AWS re/Start in Edinburgh, and we are now expanding to Bristol and Cardiff for the first time. This is in addition to existing programmes in London, Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds, Sheffield, Newcastle, and Blackpool. AWS re/Start is currently available in 12 countries around the world including Australia, Belgium, Canada, France, Ghana, Ireland, the Netherlands, Nigeria, South Africa, Spain, UK, and the US, and is part of our commitment to help 29 million people around the world grow their tech skills with free cloud computing skills training by 2025.

AmazeCon

Every year, we host AmazeCon, our largest internal conference at Amazon, to highlight the importance and business benefits of gender diversity.

Over 4,700 Amazon employees participated in our 2017 conference, hearing from leading scientists, artists, and businesspeople. Megan Smith, the former Chief Technology Officer of the US Government, spoke about the history of gender representation in technology and government, and how that history informs us today. Kimberlé Crenshaw, Professor of Law at UCLA and Columbia Law School and a co-founder of the African American Policy Forum, led the Intersectional Diversity track, discussing two concepts she pioneered: critical race theory and intersectionality.

Jill Soloway, a two-time Emmy winning comedian, playwright, writer, and director spoke about their experiences and the importance of holding space, leadership, and allowing for all people to make amazing things happen. There were 20 main-stage speakers and deep-dive breakout sessions on topics such as career development, technology, intersectionality, and mentoring led by internal and external leaders in their fields.

Inspiration and recognition of diversity

We are passionate about creating a diverse workforce to reflect our global customer base and ensure we have diverse perspectives.

That’s why our senior female leaders regularly speak at events across the country telling the story of their career journeys to attract the best talent and inspire the next generation. Initiatives supported include:

• IoD: Enterprising Women’s Summit - Bringing together some of the country’s most inspirational and influential women leaders in business, providing a unique opportunity to meet and hear from female business leaders working in a diverse range of sectors

• Management Today: Inspiring Women in Business - One-stop shop for career progression

• Scotland Women in Tech Awards - Championing and celebrating women, and the companies and networks around them, who are achieving success in the technology industry in Scotland

• WeAreTechWomen - Aimed at women in the tech sector who are looking to broaden their technology horizons, learn new skills and build their technology networks

• Women in Silicon Roundabout - Created to inspire, celebrate and connect women working in technology

Amazon and our senior leadership in the UK have earned nominations and award wins for our efforts to champion diversity in the business and across the sector:

• HERoes Women Role Model Lists 2020 – We were delighted to have several of our leaders recognised

• TechWomen100 2020 – Rashada Harry, Enterprise Technologist at AWS named winner

• British Ex-Forces Business Awards 2019 - Amazon named Employer of the Year and Gillian Russell named Advocate of the Year

• TechWomen 100 2019 - Suzie Miller, Solutions Architect at AWS named winner and Ramat Tejani, Marketing Manager at AWS shortlisted

• TechWomen100 Awards 2018 - Marija Pinkute named winner

• OUTstanding 50 LGBT+ Future Leaders 2018 – Christon Mallett named as a top 50 future leader

• Everywoman in Retail Awards 2018 – Dave Brittain named winner of the Male Agent award

• Investing in Ethnicity 2018 Awards – Aisha Suleiman Top 8 BAME Future leader

• FT HERoes - Lauren Kisser, Jacqui Chin, Fiona McDonnell and Lauren Gemmell

• EMpower Ethnic Minority Role Model list - Katie George

• British LGBT Awards 2018 – Luca Sale named Top 10 Inspirations Leader

• TechWomen50 Awards 2017– Lauren Gemmell named winner

• Everywoman in Retail Ambassador 2017 – Lauren Kisser named winner of Retailer Ambassador of the Year

• Everywomen in Retail Ambassador 2016 – Jacqui Chin named winner of Retail Ambassador Award

• Timewise 2015 Part-time Power List - Katie McQuaid

• European Diversity Awards 2017 – Alison Barlow shortlisted for Head of Diversity of the Year and Women@ shortlisted for Outstanding Employee Network Group of the Year Awards

• Pink News Awards 2017 – Amazon shortlisted for the Business Equality Award

• Women of the Future Awards 2017 – Amazon shortlisted for the corporate category award

• National Equality Award 2017 – Amazon founder and CEO, Jeff Bezos, accepted the award from the Human Rights Campaign, the largest LGBT+ advocacy organization in the United States.

AWS also sponsor the Heropreneurs, a community of successful businesspeople that offers support and mentorship to help ex-military personnel develop their business ideas.

Our Affinity Groups bring employees together across businesses and geographies. With executive and company sponsorship, these groups play an important role in building internal networks for career development, advising Amazon business units, leading in service projects, participating in policy discussions, and reaching out to communities where Amazonians live and work. Since 2016, enrolment in Amazon’s affinity groups has more than doubled in more than 90 chapters worldwide.

Learn more about our various Affinity Groups that bring together Amazonians across disciplines and locations.

AmazonPWD supports employees with disabilities by raising awareness, supporting career development, participating in community outreach and improving accessibility for all employees and customers. The group sponsors programs and classes, and partners with external organisations to recruit people of all abilities to work at Amazon.

AmazonPWD welcomes both people with disabilities and their allies. Every year, AmazonPWD is a big part of Amazon’s Global Accessibility Awareness Month and supports Accessibility Customer Experience Labs throughout the company.

They also partnered on multiple customer-facing business initiatives, including Amazon’s talking lockers and Alexa programs including captioning, and Tap for Alexa.

Amazon Women in Engineering (AWE) is dedicated to making Amazon a great place to work for technical women. With more than 30 chapters at Amazon locations around the world, the group creates networking, training, leadership, and community building opportunities for both employees and interns. The chapters also engage in community outreach to increase the number of girls entering STEM fields.

BEN’s primary purpose is to provide a support structure for Black employees at Amazon, whilst championing inclusion and diversity throughout the business. BEN launched in the UK during Black History Month, in October 2017. BEN hosts a variety of professional and social employee events throughout the year, as well as partnering with community out-reach organisations.

Glamazon helps make Amazon a great place to work by educating and informing employees about LGBTQ+ issues and opportunities. The group mentors fellow employees (both LGBTQ+ and allies) and promotes diversity and visibility in recruiting and throughout Amazon. The group makes Amazon more visible within the LGBTQ+ community-at-large by sponsoring events and PRIDE parades around the globe.

Women@Amazon is the global affinity group for women, non-binary employees and allies. We are a community for both business and technical employees interested in increasing gender diversity at Amazon. The mission of Women@Amazon is to make Amazon the premier global destination for women across job functions. We focus on the following three areas:

• ENGAGE: When women come together, change happens. We focus on recruiting and retaining top women, especially in leadership positions.

• EVOLVE: The nature of progress is the process of accumulating advancement over time. We continue to support career advancement across Amazon for women.

• EMPOWER: Together, we are increasing the capacity of women to make choices and to transform those choices into desired actions and outcomes. This community is to give members a place to support and build each other.

Families@Amazon’s mission is to share knowledge, foster career growth, and cultivate community connections among families, while advocating for policies that help make Amazon a great place to work. This group supports working families—whether biological, adoptive or foster families, or those connected-by-choice—and employees in many other caregiving roles around the world. Families@ partners with other Amazon Affinity Groups to explore shared and unique needs, in pursuit of what Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos calls "work-life harmony."

Warriors@Amazon include current and former active military personnel, their families, and the Amazon employees who support them. This group provides members with a professional network, organizes community outreach programs, and assists veterans during their transition into civilian life within Amazon. In 2018, Warriors@ produced a Veteran’s/Armistice Day event for employees across the US, UK, and India.

Women in Finance Initiative

WiFi UK and Ireland’s vision is to make Amazon Earth's most sought after long-term career choice for Finance Professionals, regardless of gender. WiFi aims to foster an inclusive and supportive community of women and allies by implementing change in the workplace. They focus on recruitment, retention and advancement through training, career development and community engagement. They have also worked to improve the recruiting and onboarding experience of new candidates and hires, and host networking events.

WISE
We are proud partners of WISE, a high-profile campaign which aims to increase the participation, contribution and success of women in science, engineering and technology. Joining Wise helps Amazon to support the development of female talent in STEM sectors across the UK.

Business in the Community
As a member of Business in the Community (BITC), part of the Prince of Wales’ Responsible Business Network, Amazon supports the gender equality campaign to maximise women’s success at work. The campaign aims to drive further opportunities for women in the workforce, improving recruitment and retention levels, and ultimately, contributing to business success as a whole.

Stonewall
As part of our continued work to support diversity in the technology sector, we are members of Stonewall’s Diversity Champions programme. Stonewall is the largest LGBT rights charity in Europe, currently working with over 700 of the world’s leading organisations to create fully inclusive workplace environments by integrating diversity and inclusion into all parts of the business.

At Amazon, it is always Day 1. Diversity, inclusion, and equality are core values for us, and they are embedded in our DNA through our Leadership Principles: You Are Right, A Lot, when you “seek diverse perspectives, and work to disconfirm your own beliefs.” We have a lot of work to do and we are innovating in diversity, inclusion, and equality like we do in all areas of our business: using data, thinking big, and building disruptive solutions. We seek diverse builders from all walks of life to join our teams, and we encourage our employees to bring their authentic, original, and whole selves to work.

We are committed to creating a diverse organisation where employees thrive. Career progression is merit-based with a structured yearly review and 360-degree feedback, through which we enable and encourage employees to openly discuss their development and career ambitions. We take professional and personal development very seriously. We have a number of employee affinity groups, mentoring schemes and training programmes to support employee growth at Amazon. 

The UK Government requires all companies with 250 or more employees to publish details of their gender pay and bonus gap. The gender pay gap is the difference in the average pay and bonuses of all men and all women across an organisation. Our gender pay gap for our total UK workforce, in 2023, is -1.5% (in favour of women) for median pay gap, compared to a UK national average of 14.3% in favour of men. Also, at Amazon, 96.1% of women and 96.2% of men received a bonus.

Find out more about our commitments and initiatives.