E-commerce giant Amazon has introduced a significant change to its annual performance review process, internally known as Forte. Corporate employees are now required to submit three to five “accomplishments” that best reflect their work. This directive, detailed in an internal guideline and reported by Business Insider, mandates employees to share “specific examples” of their delivered work, the impact achieved, and their plans for continued growth within the company.

The internal guideline defines accomplishments as “specific projects, goals, initiatives, or process improvements that show the impact of your work.” Employees are encouraged to consider instances where they took risks or innovated, even if the desired results were not fully achieved. This marks a pivotal shift, as it is the first time Amazon has explicitly formalized Forte around individual accomplishments. Previous review cycles typically included a self-assessment component with broader questions, focusing on aspects like employees’ “super powers,” areas of interest, and how they contribute at their best.

The outcomes of Forte play a crucial role in determining employee remuneration. Managers evaluate these submissions alongside peer feedback, adherence to Amazon's Leadership Principles, and job-specific skills to assign an “Overall Value” rating. This rating directly influences annual pay adjustments, underscoring the importance of this new focus on quantifiable achievements.

This revised initiative aligns with Amazon CEO Andy Jassy's ongoing efforts to cultivate a more disciplined workforce and foster a unified corporate culture. Since 2025, Jassy has implemented a full return-to-office policy, streamlined management layers, and overhauled Amazon’s pay structure and performance review processes to primarily recognize top performers. This move is part of a broader trend observed across the tech industry, which has become increasingly demanding.

The shift towards greater accountability and detailed reporting of achievements has precedents in the tech sector. Elon Musk initiated a similar change in 2022 by requiring Twitter staff to report weekly achievements, followed by Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s emphasis on increased intensity. Even Google has adopted more stringent performance measures. At Amazon, some teams, such as the advertising and IMDb video divisions, had previously pilot-tested a similar Forte question. Paul Kotas, then head of advertising, noted that highlighting specific achievements facilitated more productive dialogues with managers, foreshadowing the company-wide formalization of this approach.