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​The Women at Amazon affinity group is an employee-led community that empowers women and non-binary people to thrive at Amazon and AWS. The group’s initiatives include mentorship programs, events for education and women empowerment, and corporate advocacy.Members work closely with local chapters to address the most important issues in each region, ensuring the voices of their community are heard and real changes are made. Members are passionate about educating and empowering others and believe in the importance of supporting and inspiring other women in their careers.Research supports that investing in the development of women is valuable not only for diversity of thought and reaching a wider customer base, but also for retaining valuable and talented female leaders. The Women at Amazon affinity group plays a crucial role in creating inclusion across Amazon and AWS organizations, and its programmatic support is important for the retention of female leaders.Life at AWS chatted about the affinity group’s mission, programs, and current priorities with Sydni Steen, a strategic program manager on the AWS Industries Digital Innovation team and vice-president of the Women at Amazon global board of directors, and Kris Howard, AWS head of developer relations for Asia Pacific Japan, and the Asia Pacific (APAC) regional lead for Women at Amazon.​Life at AWS: Tell us about the work that the Women at Amazon affinity group leads and why this work is important to the group.Sydni Steen:Women at Amazon Global focuses on issues that women and non-binary individuals face in the workplace. We have initiatives around mentorship with our SPARK program, events that educate and empower our community such as our Leadership Series, and working with our global chapters to empower them to make local changes. Each year, we do a “think big” intake to hear from our community on issues they want addressed and we source our goals based off those ideas. This is crucial to our success and reach because it keeps our customers—our community—top of mind. We work to ensure these voices are heard and work to influence real change both internally and externally.  Kris Howard:At a regional level, Women at Amazon supports our members and mission through localized chapters. Each local group has their own sponsors, board, vision, and tenets, and they run their own events and programs to address the issues and goals that are most important in their region. To give you an idea, I’ve spoken to chapters that have focused on donating menstrual products in their communities; chapters that have launched mentoring and sponsorship programs for aspiring leaders; and chapters that run monthly online book groups.What motivated you to get involved with Women at Amazon?SS:I have been volunteering the last four years with Women at Amazon (as long as I’ve been employed here), because of the community. I am wildly passionate about educating and empowering others, especially women, and jumped at the opportunity to become involved with the events committee. I am a voracious reader and being able to bring in female authors to speak to our community and spread knowledge was a dream. Getting feedback on how those speakers led to women embracing different aspects of themselves or feeling more confident has fueled me.KH:I joined my local chapter in Australia not long after I joined AWS. As a woman in tech, I’ve been a minority throughout my career. I learned along the way how important it was to support other women, and to not “pull the ladder up” as you climb the ranks. After two years as a member, I relocated to Germany and realized that my local Women at Amazon chapter was a great way to make new friends. I learned of the global board’s new Europe, Middle East, Africa (EMEA) regional lead position and decided it was time to give back to the community. I’ve been on the board for almost two years now, and recently changed positions to APAC regional lead as I’ve moved back to Sydney.​​​​​"It is crucial that women continue to inspire other women and be honest about hardships so we can lend helping hands and support to each other."​​Sydni Steenstrategic program manager on the AWS Industries Digital Innovation team, vice-president of the Women at Amazon global board of directors​​​​Why is it important as a women to pay it forward and inspire other women to pursue their career dreams?SS: As within every field, we rely on our predecessors, our larger groups, our combined resources, and our collective knowledge. It is crucial that women continue to inspire other women and be honest about hardships so we can lend helping hands and support to each other.I wrote my master’s thesis in 2022 on Workplace Factors in High-Tech that Promote Female Leadership Retentionthat touched exactly on this question. Some highlights from my research showed that female leaders stay in their leadership roles when they have a path to development, feel included, and have a network of support. Investing in female leaders, professional development, true inclusion, mentorship, and flexibility of working will contribute greatly to the retention of female leaders long-term, and offer hope for junior women to follow their paths.KH:Being a minority in tech hasn’t been easy. I was lucky in that my mom was an early role model for me, and I’ve benefitted so much in my own career from women mentors, coaches, and friends. I’ve gotten job referrals after I was laid off, encouragement to ask for pay rises, and advice for negotiating. I’ve been recommended for high-profile conferences and opportunities in my field. I owe it to all of them to help the next generation after me, to make sure that they have it a little bit easier than I did. Tech companies are among the best in the world to work for—you get to work on interesting problems with clever people, and they pay you to do it! Who wouldn’t want that?What’s the work environment like for women at Amazon and AWS? Were there any surprises about our work culture when you joined?SS: The leadership and teammates I found at AWS were kindred spirits and thoughtful conversationalists when it came to the experience of women and other underrepresented groups in our field. I have been incredibly lucky to be in an organization that focuses so heavily on diversity, equity, & inclusion (DEI) efforts every day, and is so willing to have conversations around how we do better for everyone. The transition to feeling anchored with teammates who don’t shy away from hard topics has been very real and one that I am so incredibly grateful to have made.​How do Amazon, AWS, and the Women at Amazon affinity group help employees feel supported and included?KH: It’s wonderful that Amazon funds the Global DEI team and all of the affinity groups each year. I’ve worked in many orgs where DEI work is something that committed people do on the side, not something that has support and funding at the highest levels. I have also been impressed with the engagement of our executive sponsors within Women at Amazon, who make the time to connect with us and provide feedback and advice.In terms of hiring, I’m a Bar Raiser—which means I’m a tenured interviewer and have gone through additional training to ensure we continue to Hire and Develop the Best. One thing we do that I love is that our interview feedback system flags when you use gendered pronouns or the candidate’s name. It ensures that you focus on data and remove subjective impressions when you write your feedback.I was also very happily surprised and proud to see when I recently moved back to Sydney that the office now has all-gender bathrooms available. The amazing folks in Glamazon—Amazon’s LGBTQIA+ affinity group—were the main drivers there, but this is a really nice step forward for gender inclusion at work.Finally, this might sound trivial, but as a woman in tech, it’s amazing how many tech T-shirts are straight-cut and black or grey. Yet I’ve been able to get Women at Amazon shirts that are curvy cut, comfortable to wear, and in different colors. It’s such a small thing, but it goes a long way in making people feel included.​​"I have had the privilege of working alongside some of the most welcoming and supportive folks I’ve encountered in my career. I also feel like working at Amazon has opened incredible doors for me in my career—to explore new roles, move internationally, and establish my credibility as a leader in a male-dominated industry."​​Kris HowardAWS head of developer relations for Asia Pacific Japan, Asia Pacific (APAC) regional lead for Women at Amazon​​​​​​What should current and future women employees at AWS know about working here?SS: Everyone will tell you that you own your career here at AWS, and it’s true. But where do you start? Women at Amazon and our other amazing affinity groups help give direction, support, and community in what seems like an endless sea of options. I want current and future women to know that your work makes us better, your voice helps lead us, you are part of the backbone of this community, and Women at Amazon is here to support you in any way.KH: I initially had reservations about coming to work at AWS. For the most part, every one of my concerns was unfounded. I have had the privilege of working alongside some of the most welcoming and supportive folks I’ve encountered in my career. I also feel like working at Amazon has opened incredible doors for me in my career—to explore new roles, move internationally, and establish my credibility as a leader in a male-dominated industry.Anything else we should know about Women at Amazon?SS:Women at Amazon is for everyone! As much as we bias for female perspectives, we are a resource for all. It is vital that we have allies, sponsors, and interested parties to help support our community. We are a volunteer organization and always welcome people who are interested in joining us.KH:I am always delighted to see when men join chapters and pitch in to help with the organizing. We need our male allies—all are welcome to help us build a more diverse and inclusive Amazon.​​​Learn how the AWS GetIT program helps employees find professional and personal fulfillment as they inspire the next generation of women to pursue their dreams. ​

​Two Singaporeans working in AWS Seattle reflect on their time away from home. Singaporean AWS software development engineer Peh Jun Hao will be diving into a potluck meal with other friends in Seattle on Aug. 9. The potluck meal is a Singaporean party favorite, where all in attendance contribute a dish to the gastronomic spread. This will be the last year Jun Hao is celebrating his special overseas National Day tradition, as he is returning to Singapore in October 2022, after working for six years in the city which houses Amazon’s global headquarters. "My BTO (Built-to-Order) four-room flat is ready,” he replied, when asked why he is coming home. He had applied for the Build-to-Order flat – a rite-of-passage for young Singaporeans who are buying their first homes – five years ago. As he is getting ready to leave Seattle, he reflects on his work stint which has been life-changing. He moved from Singapore to Seattle when he joined Amazon in 2016, because he wanted to explore new opportunities."I like to ask myself every two years – are there new challenges I can work on? Is there anything more I can learn and do?​​​​​​​​Peh Jun Hao | Software Development Engineer at AWS​​​​​“Joining Amazon was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, because it’s a huge company with many chances to learn, and contribute to different teams. I like to ask myself every two years – are there new challenges I can work on? Is there anything more I can learn and do?”, said Jun Hao.Jun Hao has contributed to three teams in less than six years. First working on merchant platforms for third-party sellers, he moved on to boost the customer experience for gamers on the Luna Gaming platform.He now works in the AWS Marketing Response Center team, where one of his responsibilities involves acting as a “bridge” for senior engineers in Seattle to the team in Singapore. He shares business updates and tech developments across Asia and other regions with the U.S. team, which helps AWS align on decisions as a global business to roll out solutions that benefit our customers.Uplifting work which makes a differenceJust like Jun Hao, his Singaporean colleague Lyanna Lim, has spent five years in Seattle in a number of diverse roles. She is currently a senior technical product manager at AWS, where she and her team have worked on transformative deals with AWS’s largest enterprise customers. This includes implementing Database Freedom incentives for customers, a unique program designed to assist organizations to migrate from legacy, on-premises commercial databases to AWS database systems and analytics services, by providing technical advice, migration support, and financial assistance.“AWS builds technology that advances diversity, equity, inclusion, and creates sustainable solutions. I am proud to play a role in enabling this through the projects that I work on. We have an impact on underserved markets, non-profit organizations, government sector, startups, and many more,” said Lyanna. More recently, she cites how AWS stepped up its disaster response in Ukraine, by bringing AWS Snowball devices (compute and storage hardware) to help the government secure, store, and transfer data to the cloud.“Working at AWS is definitely challenging, but rewarding. Seeing the far-reaching impact our work has is uplifting, and keeps me hyper-charged and motivated,” said Lyanna.Life in Seattle as parentsBeyond work, both Jun Hao and Lyanna took on one of the most important roles of their lives while in Seattle: They became first-time parents.​​​​"Giving birth away from home without the usual circle of family support was challenging, but right now, I am loving every moment of spending time with Mira and watching her grow."​Lyanna Lim | Senior Technical Product Manager at AWS​​​​​​​Lyanna and family​​Lyanna gave birth to a baby girl, Mira, in May. “Giving birth away from home without the usual circle of family support was challenging, but right now, I am loving every moment of spending time with Mira and watching her grow,” she said. As for Jun Hao, when his wife – a former marketing manager who accompanied him to Seattle – gave birth to their first child Gwen in April 2018, the new father rose to the occasion admirably.With up to six weeks of paternity leave, Jun Hao supported his wife by churning out hearty, delicious food for his wife including Singapore staples like chicken rice and Hokkien mee.Even when he returned to work, he would cook lunch in the morning and bring a packed lunch to the office. Sometimes, his wife would even bring Gwen – with lunch in tow – to eat together with Jun Hao at work.Jun Hao believes AWS has a strong family-friendly culture. “We are able to work at different hours. Everyone here understands if you need to go off for your kid’s 4pm soccer event,” he said.What’s the first thing he will do when he returns to Singapore?“I’d probably enjoy a breakfast of kway chap!” quipped Jun Hao, on the Singapore dish of flat rice noodles with pork cuts, including offal. “I can cook most other things, but I do miss home-grown authentic flavors!”​​​

​A robust employee assistance program, an active global support group, and leaders driving authentic conversations have made mental health and well-being a priority for AWS. When Beijing-based AWS digital marketing manager Wang Ziwen needed a listening ear, her manager suggested that she turn to AWS’s employee assistance program (EAP). Since then, Ziwen has had five sessions with a professional counselor and has benefited from the EAP, a free 24/7 service to support mental health and well-being which is offered to all AWS employees and their family members. “The counseling greatly helped me get through tough times,” Ziwen said. “I felt respected, cared for and loved.” As the world emerges from the pandemic, mental health and well-being continues to be a global concern. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that globally, anxiety and depressive disorders rose more than 25%during the first year of the pandemic. This year, WHO’s theme for World Mental Health Day, which falls on Oct. 10, is “Making mental health and well-being for all a global priority”. At AWS, mental health and well-being is a top priority. Employees are supported via formal support programs, as well as informal support communities, which have transformed over time to provide strong levels of support. Bridget Cameron, a senior HR manager with the AWS Global Builder Experience Team, has spent five years in Amazon and AWS and has witnessed that change. “It’s clear that mental health and well-being affects the way that we interact with our family, our friends, and our community,” she said. “Ultimately, AWS recognizes that our people matter, as individuals.”Robust Employee Assistance ProgramOne of the biggest changes Bridget has seen is the improvement in the provision of EAP services. According to Bridget, the level of service offered under EAP has progressed by leaps and bounds. Bridget recalls a time when counselors would sometimes not be available, which led to employees providing feedback to improve the service. “The team took our feedback on board and did the audits to make sure we have the right providers,” she said. “Now, there is the best available support for any employee in every country where we operate.”Active affinity groupIn addition to the EAP, a mental health and well-being affinity group was started within Amazon in 2020 to create a safe community where employees can come together and mutually support each other. While this group was one of the newest affinity groups, it has quickly grown to thousands of members globally. The affinity group provides self-help resources, organizes events where members can meet up, and shares videos on a broadcast channel featuring a wide range of topics including stress in the workplace, anxiety and depression. Bridget, whose belief in the importance of mental health and well-being was sparked over 10 years ago when she started looking into those issues for marginalized communities in Australia and the United Kingdom, leads this affinity group. "AWS business groups and teams would get together to watch the videos and have a reflection afterwards over a cup of coffee,” she said. ”It’s great for awareness that people are open and talking about mental health and well-being.”Leading conversationsIndeed, Bridget notes that there is a greater willingness to talk about difficult mental health issues within AWS, part of which is due to how leaders and managers are leading these conversations. “We have come a long way, that’s for sure. In terms of conversations, we are more openly discussing mental health and well-being. We have moved away from treating it as a taboo topic to a situation where everyone feels a lot more comfortable talking about it,” she said. “I love the fact that we have leaders talking and sharing their stories about mental health, and how they go about taking care of their own well-being.” Managers and how they take care of their teams is a critical part of the equation, as managers are the first point of contact for employees. To that end, Bridget says that she is getting regular invitations to train managers on the topic. “I’m asked to educate managers and leaders on how to support their team members. There have been situations where they ask how to best bring their team together to talk about mental health”AWS is looking to put more structures in place so that those who have to start managing teams are equipped with the best knowledge to take care of mental health and well-being, as part of their manager onboarding programs. “The seeds are effectively being planted,” said Bridget. Leaders at AWS also appreciate that mental health is just one element of well-being. Bridget, who recently gave a presentation on well-being at a regional AWS summit, says that other aspects which affect how well we feel include socializing with friends, purposeful work, regular exercise, sufficient sleep, and financial security. AWS initiatives which were introduced to address these include designated “no meetings” days on the last Friday of each month, in AWS offices in the Asia-Pacific, Japan and China. Employees are encouraged to enjoy personal development activities, or take care of their own wellness. For enterprise account manager Shin Sung Woo, who is based in Korea, he makes sure he fits in a workout session and meditation session every day. “If I have a challenging day at work, I go to the Crossfit gym and focus on the day’s workout. It helps me clear my mind, forget what I felt earlier at work, and I feel better,” he said.Walking the talkAs an AWS leader, Bridget walks the talk. “Questions that I like to ask of my team members are ‘Are you OK? How is your resilience?’ It’s that simple,” she said. Likewise, she is not afraid to show her own vulnerability. During the pandemic, Bridget re-located from Singapore to Seattle to London in the last three years, and each move was stressful. She said, “With my leaders and my team, I am open to telling them that I am struggling at the moment and they fully understand. As an individual, I feel 100% supported by AWS.” She also likes to impart this advice to her team members: “Sometimes we put ourselves second and put everyone else first, but we need to be a little bit selfish and prioritize our own mental health and well-being first. Beyond ourselves, we need to encourage, support and advocate for each other because we are part of a community.” If you are thinking about becoming part of a work community where your mental health and well-being is a priority, check out the opportunities here.