The system is so opaque it took reporters from The Seattle Times and Insider for actual Amazon employees to find out what it entails. The first rule of Focus is: You do not talk about FocusIn February, after my team's performance evaluations, my manager told me I'd been rated as a low performer. He told me the company policy is not to inform employees they are on Focus unless they ask directly. My manager didn't agree with the decision, but the director of engineering had the final say. A spokesperson for Amazon said the company regularly reviews performance ratings and other people processes to ensure they are fair and effective.

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