I got laid off from Amazon. The lack of transparency about why certain people were let go made the whole process extremely robotic.

• Amazon laid off a total of 18,000 employees over the past couple of months, more than expected based on reports. 
• The final round of layoffs came on January 18. Insider spoke with a recruiter who was part of those layoffs. 
• She said the process felt "extremely robotic" and wished the company had been more transparent about its plans.  

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with a former Amazon employee laid off on January 18 as part of the company's 18,000-person job cut. She spoke on condition of anonymity to protect her career, but Insider has verified her identity and former employment. The conversation has been edited for length and clarity.