Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Apple Human Resource Management Policies
Apple Human Resource Management Policies
Job Description
A job description indicates the undertakings, obligations and restraints that are all a
part of any venture. It identifies what is done, why it is done, where it is done, and
briefly, how it is done (Mathis & Jackson 2007, p. 221). The description of the job is
done by elaborating the tasks to be performed, equipment to be used, the working
conditions and the performance standards (Dessler et al 2007, p.100). According to
Stone a good job description should elucidate and focus on the job and the position
and not on any particular individual that fills that position (Stone 2005).
Job Summary
Aspirants having established credentials and performance history in the field of
freighting or shipping, along with complicated and intricate client related matters
1
within limited timeframes and meeting deadlines are favored by Apple. This requires
active involvement and participation on behalf of the project manager in matters such
as industry or company evaluation, operational blueprint reviews and consultations,
statistics structuring meets, experimentation, proof-of-concept, management of dealer
relations, etc.
Responsibilities:
• Oversee all aspects of project information for multiple projects including timelines,
resource allocation, scope and definition
• Drive business, functional, financial, and reporting requirements, often writing them
yourself
• Own overall cross-functional project schedules including development on the iTunes
Store, back-end financial systems, and other Apple groups
• Collaborate with IS&T, Treasury, legal, Tax, finance, operations and other
organizations both within and outside of Apple to develop solutions for partnerships
and promotions and other new business.(Apple Inc. 2009)
Qualifications:
• At least 4 years of project management in software development.
• Outstanding communication and presentation skills, written and verbal, at multiple
levels of the organization.
• Ability to participate in and possibly facilitate requirements brainstorming sessions.
• Strong technical proficiency: server architecture and development, SQL, and bonus
for past programming experience.
• E-Commerce and business experience: orders, billing, tax, payments, invoicing,
royalties, licensing, etc.
• Digital media experience, SAP integration experience. (Apple Inc. 2009)
Job/Person Specification
• Experience: 8 - 10+ years of experience in Operations related project management.
• Proven track record leading large and complex system projects.
• 3 -5 years experience managing Business Process design or Re- engineering
activities, PMI training.
• Consulting experience considered a plus. (Apple Inc. 2009)
Accountability
A manager is answerable for any undertaking that he takes up and must be strictly
observed at all times by the governing bodies within the organization. He must adhere
to all the regulations and guidelines of the organization and must thereby operate
within the boundaries of professional ethics (Dessler 2004). A project manager should
act as a guide and share complete knowledge of the overall activity as a part of his job.
Employment Conditions
The successful candidate has to fulfill certain needs before becoming a part of the
organization officially, which means before finalizing the selection the following
2
conditions have to be fulfilled.
General Conditions
Lucrative aspirants must acquire and preserve a suitable safety sanctions and some
other essential conditions (De Cieri & Kramar 2003).
• Proof of identity and legal right to work in the United States as required by and in
accordance with the process and procedures of the U.S. Immigration reform and
Control Act (IRCA).
• Due to US Department of Commerce requirements, if not a U.S. citizen, U.S.
permanent resident, Canadian citizen, political refugee, or political asylum holder, you
will be required to sign an assurance regarding obligations not to export controlled
technical data or software to certain countries.
• Must sign the Intellectual Property Agreement and return the signed agreement.
• Must receive a satisfactory background check in accordance with Apple policy.
Probationary Period
The successful candidates would have to sign a 12 month probationary period
agreement which includes training and performance management to determine the
satisfactory work capabilities (Bartlet 2002.) Apple closely monitors its new project
manager`s performance as a large portion of responsibility is rested on the shoulders
of a manager of iTunes, which also controls a number of other departments in the
organization. Apple may terminate a contract during this probationary period in case
of unsatisfactory performance of the candidate.
3
Link with Apple`s Goals and Strategies
Apple has predefined certain objectives for its project managers such as portfolio
management, business planning, project planning and execution. A perfect alignment
of these activities leads to the portfolio element being fed by strategy, the project
management element being fed by the portfolio and the team`s execution is fed by the
project manager. In certain cases, establishments handle all enterprises and
undertakings in a similar manner, irrespective of the entrepreneurial tactic or
stratagem that the establishment opts for (Pinto 1989 & Covin 1989). Therefore, if the
enterprise’s business tactic is converted into project related objectives, its .Thus, when
the organization's business strategy is translated into project-level goals, its
specialized rareness and exclusivity is amplified multifold. (Mathis & Jackson 2007).
3. Recruitment
Commence Recruitment
The Director of Human Resources at Apple Headquarters in Cupertino completes the
following documents before there is an announcement for a position:
• Recruitment request form
• Job description
• Job classification and suggested salary range
• Interview questions
• Test/Skill evaluation tools
• Criteria for evaluating candidates
Announcement of Positions
The Human resource department announces the open position and draft
advertisements. The job descriptions are circulated to about 340 agencies, universities
and organizations. The Hiring Unit has to bear the cost of all other advertising
expenses.
Advertisements
Advertising is a prominent source to build a pool of Candidates:
• Print media – Newspapers: State, national or local; Other: specialist
magazines/journals (See Appendix 8)
4
• Other media – radio, television
• Decisions must be made as to which media to use and how the advertisement should
be designed to target suitable applicants
Reference Check
Before an offer can be made to the selected candidates a reference check has to be
done by the Hiring Manager. This manager would personally contact all the references
to complete the Candidate Reference Check.
• Academic references
• Prior work references
• Financial references
• Law enforcement records
• Personal references
Compliance Review
Once the desired aspirant has been chosen by the department manager, certain
documents to be assessed must be handed over to the human resources director,
namely:
• Request to recruit form – offer section completed
• Affirmative action compliance report
• The rationale behind selecting the final aspirant
Medical Examinations
The applicant must endure a fitness assessment test. Often, the job is offered to an
5
applicant only once it has been confirmed that he is physically stable and enjoys good
health after having taken the test. The physical examination/test is done for following
purposes:
• To detect if individual is carrying any infectious disease.
• Determines whether the applicant is fit to perform work.
• Determines if there are certain physical capabilities, which differentiate successful
and less successful employees.
• Medical check-up protects the applicant from undertaking work that would be
hazardous to his health (Stone 2005).
Appointment of Candidate
The Hiring Department forwards the Non-Academic Appointment Form to the Human
Resources Department. The newly hired project manager has to complete all the forms
and return them to the Human Resource Department before joining. The induction
program cannot commence till all these formalities have been completed (San Jose
State University Research Foundation 2004).
Induction Program
The induction program provides a planned introduction of the job, organization and
the environment. It is a quintessential part of recruitment as it provides familiarity
with the roles and responsibilities within the rules and norms of the organization`s
culture (Stone 2005). Induction programs have been found to contribute to improved
socialization and to increase organizational commitment. Helps to reduce new
employees’ stress levels and assist them to settle into their new role more quickly.
Apple uses the buddy system – a method of linking every new employee with an
existing employee who then assists them to settle into the workplace (San Jose State
University Research Foundation 2004).
5. Remuneration Management
Remuneration implies the pay packet given to any staff member for the work done by
them, their efforts and services. Sum total of the remuneration comprises of all the
ways of payment and gratuities and incentives that may be both fiscal and non-fiscal,
and that are presented to the staff. Two types of remuneration are direct remuneration
that basically consists of monetary rewards such as a pay packet or other value add-
ons, and indirect remuneration that are non-monetary rewards such as reimbursements
or such other services, that although are fiscal in nature, yet cannot be accepted in the
form of money. However, these benefits can be traded with money (Dessler 2004).
The strategies and policies have to be implemented for a just and balanced reward
management system where the rewarding would be fair and consistent without any
bias (Armstrong & Murlis 2007).
6
• Collective agreements (EBAs)
• Individual arrangements (AWAs or common law contracts)
• Awards