Apple is one of the most successful and influential companies in the world, with a market value of over $3.51 trillion in 2024. [1] At the heart of the Apple hiring process is a rigorous and multi-faceted approach designed to identify candidates who bring both expertise and a fresh perspective to drive continuous innovation. Let’s take a closer look at the Apple hiring process and see how recruiters can improve their hiring efforts.
What is Apple’s Hiring Process?
Apple is known for its innovative products and services, but also for its high standards and expectations for its employees. The company’s recruitment process is designed to attract, develop, and retain the best talent in the industry. It is a comprehensive approach that includes the following elements:
Sourcing
Apple looks for people who possess a passion for excellence. The global tech organization also seeks diversity and inclusion in its workforce, as it believes that different perspectives and backgrounds can foster creativity and innovation. [2]
One of the strategies that the company uses to find top talent is the rule of 3 E’s [3]:
- Enthusiasm: A passion for the company’s mission, vision, and values. Candidates who are enthusiastic about Apple’s products and services are more likely to fit the company culture and contribute to its success.
- Expertise: A deep knowledge and skill in a specific domain or field. Apple believes that talent who are experts in their areas of interest are more likely to bring innovation and quality to their work.
- Experience: A proven track record of delivering results and solving problems. Candidates who have experience in relevant projects and roles are more likely to handle challenges and adapt to changes.
Having a clear guideline of what kind of candidates you desire is good. But oftentimes, you can’t help but struggle informed decisions about candidates based solely on their CVs. You need to learn more about the candidate's skills, experience, and personality to determine if they are the right fit for your company or not. This is why most recruiters use a tool like Manatal’s ATS to make things easier. You can get a more holistic view of your candidates with its Candidate Enrichment feature, as it migrates candidates' available online profiles into a single database within a few clicks.
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Training and Development
The iPhone company invests heavily in the training and development of its employees, both new hires and existing staff. Apple offers a variety of programs and resources to help employees learn new skills, enhance their performance, and advance their careers. Some examples are:
- Apple University is an internal training program that offers courses on leadership, culture, and strategy to Apple employees.
- AppleCare College Program is a work-study program that trains students to become technical support advisors for Apple products and services.
- Apple Developer Academy is a global network of educational centers that teaches coding and app development to students and entrepreneurs.
Performance Management
Apple has a rigorous and transparent performance management system that evaluates employees based on their results, behaviors, and potential. The company uses a 360-degree feedback mechanism that involves self-assessment, peer review, manager review, and customer feedback.
According to some sources, some of the features of Apple’s performance management system are:
- 360 annual performance reviews: Employees are reviewed by three or four executives, as well as by their direct reports and peers, on three categories: teamwork, innovation, and results. Employees receive ratings and annual raises based on their performance.
- Weekly feedback: Employees receive feedback once a week from their managers or peers, which helps them understand their strengths and areas for improvement.
- Cascading goals: Employees’ goals are aligned with the company’s vision and strategy, which are reinterpreted for every function and department. Employees are expected to make decisions and execute their tasks based on these goals.
Rewards and Recognition
The tech Titan rewards and recognizes its employees for their contributions and achievements through various means, such as:
- Stock grants and discounts: Apple allows its employees to own a share of the company through stock grants, and also offers them a discount when they buy Apple stock.
- Product discounts: Apple rewards its employees with discounts on its products, and also lets them get free or low-cost products for themselves or as gifts.
- Volunteering incentives: Apple supports its employees’ passion for social causes by matching their donations and volunteer hours to eligible organizations, up to $10,000 per year.
- Parties and events: Apple treats its employees to fun and festive parties and events, such as the annual Apple Beer Bash, which has featured live performances by Weezer and Falloutboy. Employees can also enjoy exclusive screenings, concerts, and lectures by celebrities and experts.
- Recognition programs: Apple recognizes its employees’ achievements and contributions with various programs, such as the Apple Fellows program, which honors those who have made outstanding technical or leadership contributions to personal computing; the Golden Apple program, which celebrates those who have worked at Apple for more than 10 years; and the Applause program, which allows employees to send e-cards, thank-you notes, and digital badges to each other.
Key Competencies Sought by Apple
Non-Competitive Talent Pool
Instead of solely focusing on recruiting from within the tech industry, the Apple hiring process also aims to draw talent from non-competitive sectors. This strategy allows Apple to bring in fresh perspectives and diverse skill sets that may not be found within their direct competitors. For example, Apple hired Angela Ahrendts, the former CEO of Burberry, to lead its retail division in 2014. [4] Ahrendts brought her expertise in luxury branding and customer experience to Apple, transforming its stores into more engaging and interactive spaces.
Four Key Traits
Apple’s CEO, Tim Cook, looks for four essential traits in potential employees:
- Passion: Cook believes that passion is the key to innovation and excellence, as it drives people to pursue their vision and overcome challenges. He once said, “The only way to do great work is to love what you do.” [5]
- Collaboration: Apple’s products are the result of close collaboration between different departments, such as design, engineering, marketing, and operations. Cook seeks talent who are able to work well with others, can communicate effectively, and can contribute to a diverse and inclusive culture.
- Curiosity: Cook believes that curiosity is essential for innovation and learning. He says that he wants people who are always asking questions, seeking new perspectives, and exploring new possibilities. [6]
- Integrity: Upholding high ethical standards and honesty is a crucial trait that Apple looks for in its employees. Cook expects his employees to act with integrity and honesty in everything they do, from developing products to dealing with customers. He also holds himself and his company accountable to the highest ethical standards, such as protecting user privacy, promoting diversity and inclusion, and reducing environmental impact.
Top 10 Apple Interview Questions
It is not just tech positions at Apple. There are others like retail, accounts, marketing, operations, administrative, and more! This means each role has its own set of interview questions. Here are some of the top interview questions that Apple uses, along with explanations on how you can adapt them for your own recruitment process:
Background and Motivation
1. Tell me about yourself
Purpose: This question helps you to understand candidates’ backgrounds, skills, and career aspirations.
Adaptation: Use this to get a holistic view of their professional journey and gauge their fit for the role.
2. Why do you want to work at Apple?
Purpose: To assess candidates’ motivation and alignment with the company’s values and goals.
Adaptation: Tailor this question to your company’s unique culture and mission to see if their values align with yours.
3. If we hired you, what do you want to work on?
Purpose: To gauge candidates’ enthusiasm and alignment with the role.
Adaptation: Tailor this question to specific projects or goals within your company to see if their interests align with your needs.
4. What would you want to do 5 years from now?
Purpose: To understand candidates’ long-term career goals and aspirations.
Adaptation: Use this to gauge their ambition and whether they see a future with your company.
Problem-Solving and Challenges
5. Describe a time when you faced a difficult challenge at work and how you resolved it.
Purpose: To evaluate candidates’ problem-solving skills and resilience.
Adaption: Ask for specific examples of challenges faced in their previous roles to understand how candidates handle adversity.
6. Tell about a time when you had to collaborate with a difficult team member.
Purpose: To assess candidates’ teamwork and conflict resolution skills.
Adaption: Use this to understand how they navigate interpersonal challenges and contribute to a positive environment.
7. How would you recover from a situation of total failure?
Purpose: To assess resilience and the ability to bounce back from setbacks.
Adaptation: Ask for a specific example to help you understand how candidates handle failure and learn from their experiences.
Interpersonal Skills and Emotional Intelligence
8. How do you handle criticism?
Purpose: To gauge emotional intelligence and receptiveness to feedback.
Adaptation: Use this question to assess how a candidate accepts and learns from constructive feedback, which can indicate their potential for growth and improvement in the role.
9. How do you stay up-to-date with technology trends?
Purpose: To evaluate candidates’ commitment to continuous learning and staying current in their field.
Adaptation: Gain insights into their commitment to continuous learning, adaptability to new technologies, and how they stay informed about industry developments.
Strengths and Achievements
10. What do you consider your greatest achievement?
Purpose: To highlight candidates’ strengths and accomplishments.
Adaptation: Use this to understand their values and how they measure success.
By adapting these questions, you can gain deeper insights into candidates’ skills, motivations, and fit for their roles. This approach helps you ensure a more thorough and effective hiring process.
How Apple Makes Hiring Decisions
From the interview questions above, we can say that Apple’s hiring decisions are driven by a rigorous and structured process designed to identify the best talent. It all started with a recruiter call or an online assessment, followed by a technical phone screen and an onsite interview. The tech giant places a strong emphasis on evaluating both technical skills and cultural fit, ensuring that candidates not only have the necessary expertise but also align with the company’s values and work ethics.
Additionally, Apple’s hiring decisions are influenced by its organizational structure, which emphasizes collaboration and expertise. They believe in “experts leading experts,” creating an environment where employees are encouraged to share knowledge and work together to drive innovation.[7] This approach helps Apple maintain a workforce that is both highly skilled and deeply committed to the company’s mission of creating exceptional products and services.
What You Should Take Away from Apple’s Approach
There are some key lessons that you can learn from Apple’s recruitment process and adapt to your hiring strategy:
- You can use similar channels and methods as Apple to reach out to potential candidates, but you should also tailor your message and criteria to your target audience. For example, highlight the benefits and challenges of working for your organization, the skills and qualifications you are looking for, and the impact and value of your products or services. Also, use social media, blogs, podcasts, or webinars to showcase your brand and culture, and to attract and engage with candidates.
- It’s a good idea to offer programs and resources in the same line as Apple’s to train and develop your employees. Just keep in mind to align them with your business objectives and priorities. You can design courses or workshops that teach your employees the core values, vision, and mission of your organization, the best practices and standards of your industry, and the latest trends and innovations in your field. You can also provide mentoring, coaching, or shadowing opportunities to help your employees learn from each other and from experts.
- Take inspiration from Apple's performance management to evaluate your employees. The trick is you should customize it to your organizational culture and context. For instance, you can define the KPIs and competencies that are relevant and important for your company, the frequency, and format of feedback and reviews that are appropriate and effective for your employees, and the tools and methods that are convenient and reliable for your managers.
- Lastly, follow Apple’s rewards and recognition program to motivate and appreciate your employees. Ensure to diversify them to suit your employees’ preferences and needs. You can provide monetary or non-monetary incentives, such as salary increases, bonuses, stock options, gift cards, vouchers, or tickets. You can also recognize your employees’ achievements or contributions through formal or informal ways, such as certificates, plaques, trophies, badges, emails, newsletters, or announcements.
Conclusion
Part of the reason why Apple is one of the most successful companies in the world is because it knows how to hire and retain the best talent in the industry. Apple looks for candidates who are curious, idealistic, creative, and collaborative. Aside from that, the global tech Titan uses a rigorous and unique recruitment approach. It’s a good idea to learn from Apple’s hiring strategy, take inspiration, and adapt it to your strategy.
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