Apple’s

HR System
Haram Lee 2018281054
Jungwook Kim 2019232034
Huyen My Doan 2023901014
TABLE OF CONTENTS

01 02 03
Intro to Apple &
Apple in Korea. Recruitment & Selection Training

04 05 06

Performance Appraisal &

Discipline and Separation Conclusion
Compensation
Intro to Apple
History:
-Apple Computers, Inc. was founded on April 1, 1976, by college dropouts Steve Jobs and
Steve Wozniak, who brought to the new company a vision of changing the way people viewed
computers.

-Jobs and Wozniak wanted to make computers small enough for people to have them in their
homes or offices.
 Apple in Korea
-Operated under the name of Apple Korea Limited Corporation ( 애플코리아 유한공사 )

-HQ Location: Gangnam, Seoul

-Established in 1998

-Number of employees: 740 (as of September 2022)

-5 offline stores (Garosu-gil, Yeouido, Myeong-dong, Jamsil, Gangnam)

 RECRUITMENT
& SELECTION
Overall evaluation: Recruitment & Selection is a key aspect of Apple’s HR Strategy
What’s so good?
- Ideology “Dedicated search
- Criteria for candidates
- Methods for A Players in the
+ Employer Branding workforce”
+ Interview Process
+ Interview Techniques
Recruitment & Selection Ideology
Apple follows an intentional non-egalitarianism ideology:

- Define business critical roles

- Fill 95% of those roles with A-level quality employees

-> Ensures maximum productivity & efficiency

Egalitarianism = spreading
star talents across all roles
- Comparison between Microsoft >< Apple

Microsoft - Vista Apple - iOS 10

10,000 engineers 600 engineers

5 years 2 years

- Apple ranked 2nd place of Revenue per employee of

Tech companies in 2021
CRITERIAS for candidates
Expertise
2E Employability
Expertise

Apple Retail: Expertise >< Education, Tech & Back-end

Experience
- Requires high level of expertise
- Most employees don’t have retail
- “Wicked smart people”
experiences
- Past careers: teachers, musicians,
artists,...

-> Relevant skills applicable to Apple’s

work
 Employability
Collaborative: People who can work in teams

Creative: People who do not accept the status quo

Curious: People who is not afraid of being “dumb”

 METHODS: Focus on External

Interview
Employer Process Interview
Branding Techniques
 Employer Branding
- The world’s leading brand: well-known for
their challenging hiring process
-> Desire of a prestigious status

- Topnotch environment & benefits

- Inclusivity & Diversity: Apple creates

collaboration of races, ethnicities and
genders
 Apple’s INTERVIEW PROCESS

Technophonic Facetime Position Final Interview

Interview Interview Assessment

Application Apple Assessment

1-2 interviews ~5 interviews 1 big interview (5-6
Center:
Submission 15-30 minutes 30 minutes - Written small)
Brief + Review resume Test behavioral and - Group
5-6 hours
and background info technical skills
Test technical
knowledge and culture
fit
Interview TECHNIQUES

Bizarre unexpected questions Create the right atmosphere

- Nonsense questions: “Is coconut a - Apple acknowledges that people might

fruit?” be nervous or naturally quiet
-> Creates interruptions in candidates’ thought + Give candidates an applause on their
-> Test composure, focus, professionalism, entrance
openness + Use ice-breaking questions

- Sensible questions: “Are you smart?”,

-> Make candidates feel welcomed &
“Tell me about a time when you got
something you don’t think you deserved” comfortable
 What’s bad then?
The Issues The Effects

Restrict growth opportunities

Mainly focus on just external recruitment Not utilizing internal sources
Cost more time & money

Do not actively nurture

Cannot acquire passive job seekers
or approach candidates

The interviewing process

Discourage talented candidates from applying
is too complicated

Set a “Love products made by Apple” standard for

Restrict themselves from potential talents
candidates
Training
Training Policy
-No designated training course.
-By assigning multiple tasks, Apple encourages
employees to learn on their own.
-To enhance culture of free thinking and
innovation, the teams meet twice a week.
-All employees are required to complete online
Respect at Apple and Privacy trainings.
-Focused live training is also arranged
periodically on Business Conduct and other
relevant topics
Good Aspects

a) Apple enables employees to be independent and constantly productive.

b) Apple encourages free discussion among employees, which boosts creativity

and open corporate culture.
Bad Aspects

a) With non-designated training method, it could impose a challenge when it comes to

motivating all employees.

b) Training without specific purpose could make employees perplexed.

 Performance Appraisal
& Compensation
Overall evaluation: Apple’s “Cascading Goals” and “ESG” bonus
 Way to measure performance and reward.

“ESG” Other
Cascading bonus methods
-Maintain design -Sustainability assessment -Peer review
consistency criteria -Welfare
Performance Appraisal - Cascading

What is cascading? Increase…

Transform organization’s vision -Consistency
and strategy into measurable
objectives
-Organizational Power
Limitation - Cascading goals.

Impairs creativity and Confusion of business

collaboration. importance

-Creative ideas are stuck in the -employee think lightly when

frame the work is not included in
cascading goals
Compensation - ESG Bonus

Social
Environment Governance
Compensation - ESG Bonus

Advantage Increase…

Transform organization’s vision and -Reflects the company's vision

strategy into measurable objectives -Sustainability
Limitation - ESG Bonus

1. Unbalanced 2. Goal attainment

distribution of ESG limits across
bonuses departments

-Pays ESG bonuses to top -not actually reflect the

management, usually. contribution of employees.
Discipline and
Separation Process
Discipline Process

Discrimination & Assets & Individual

Harassment Information Accountability
Protection

Accuracy in Records Public & Press Codes of Ethics

and Reports Inquiries
Separation Process

a) Every former Apple employee’s title gets erased and replaced with a generic title in job databases
used by employers to verify resume information.

b) Apple changes the job title for every employee, whether they’re a PhD in computer science or a
product manager, to “associate.”

-> Problem: It is hard for Apple’s former employees to have their experience verified,
hindering their future employment.
Good Aspects

a) Apple covers a wide range of legal issues preventing confusion and further
issues

b) With such strict standards, they help maintain company’s overall sense of
discipline.
Bad Aspects

a) Apple undermines its former employees’ job title.

b) Rules related to confidentiality and surveillance policies deter employees from discussing issues
such as pay equity and sex discrimination with each other and the media.

c) Ashley Gjovik, former Apple senior engineering manager, cited a 2021 email from Apple Chief
Executive Tim Cook that allegedly sought to stop workers from speaking to the press and said 'people
who leak confidential information do not belong here.'
 CONCLUSION
Overall, what should Apple do to improve their HR system?
 HR Aspect Recommendations

- Incorporate internal recruitment

- Do external recruitment towards passive job seekers
Recruitment & Selection - Create networks to start nurturing talents early
- Simplify interview process
- Remove the criteria “Love products by Apple”

- Provide employees with designated training courses to enhance professionalism and enrich
Training
expertise

Performance Appraisal & - Set goals with lower-level staff not just between senior management
Compensation - ESG achievement Mileage scheme

- Prevent confusion of future employers of former Apple employees who are applying for a new
Discipline and Separation job by giving them a proper job title that they worked for.
Process
- Address the issue of mistreatment of employee properly.