For most gigantic tech companies, the most furious growth happens early on. As in so many areas, however, Amazon is a fascinating exception to conventional behavior. Beth Galetti, Amazon’s HR chief—whom I profiled for our May issue—is currently presiding over the biggest hiring spree in the company’s history. With a headcount of 647,000, the company has more than six times as many employees as it did when she arrived in 2013 and is adding an average of 337 additional workers a day.
Here’s a look at how a tiny online bookseller has endlessly expanded its ambitions—and staffed up to achieve them.
1995, 11 employees
The fledgling amazon.com book site makes its first sale, to a customer named Wainright. Eventually, it celebrates his purchase by naming a building after him.
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