When the New York Times described Amazon as a cutthroat workplace with unkind leaders where employees cry at their desks, it apparently came as news to the CEO, Jeff Bezos. He wrote to employees, saying that's not the Amazon he knows, and he asked them to notify him directly if they experienced the harsh management style the Times described.

The article has been criticized as loosely sourced and anecdotal, but some of the Times story, like the data-driven management style or the way employees can report on each other directly to higher-ups, is part of the workplace design. And while some see it as a grim place to work, others might call the challenges Amazon poses to its employees as the way of the future.

Money Talking host Charlie Herman discusses what makes a good workplace with Patty McCord, the former Chief Talent Officer of Netflix, which has a reputation for being one of the friendliest places to work, and Nikki Waller, management and careers editor at the Wall Street Journal.