CASE STUDY: APPLE INC.
Abstract
Apple Inc. is an American multinational technology company that specializes in consumer
electronics, computer software, and online services. Apple is the world's largest technology
company by revenue (totaling $274.5 billion in 2020) and, since January 2021, the world's most
valuable company. As of 2021, Apple is the world's fourth-largest PC vendor by unit sales, and
fourth-largest smartphone manufacturer. It is one of the Big Five American information
technology companies, along with Amazon, Google, Microsoft, and Facebook. Apple Inc.'s
corporate vision is “to make the best products on earth, and to leave the world better than we found
it.”
Apple was founded by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and Ronald Wayne in 1976 to develop and sell
Wozniak's Apple I personal computer. It was incorporated by Jobs and Wozniak as Apple
Computer, Inc. in 1977, and sales of its computers, including the Apple II, grew quickly. Over the
next few years, Apple shipped new computers featuring innovative graphical user interfaces, such
as the original Macintosh, announced with the critically acclaimed advert "1984". However, the
high price of its products and limited application library caused problems, as did power struggles
between executives. As the market for personal computers expanded and evolved through the
1990s, Apple lost considerable market share to the lower-priced duopoly of Microsoft Windows
on Intel PC clones. Steve Jobs, replaced Amelio as CEO and Apple returned to profitability under
the revitalizing "Think different" campaign, launching the iMac and iPod, opening a retail chain
of Apple Stores in 2001, and acquiring numerous companies to broaden their software portfolio.
Apple mission is “to bringing the best user experience to its customers through its innovative
hardware, software, and services.” In 2007, the company launched the iPhone to critical acclaim
and financial success. In 2011, Jobs resigned as CEO due to health complications, and died two
months later. He was succeeded by Tim Cook.
Apple Inc. is on a journey to launching iPhone 14 in the fourth quarter of the year. The iPhone 14
will be a 256GB phone with the highest RAM of 8GB and the best product ever produced. With
this plan, there is the need for a Senior Software Engineer. The candidate must be ready and willing
to work hard and meet all the required qualifications. This job will first be open to all employees
internally and then also advertised externally. Since Apple Inc. Company utilizes both internal and
external recruitment and selection methods in an effort to enhance its workforce. This position will
be advertised using an in-house staffing method. Senior software engineers will be required to take
leads in projects related to software development. To be in charge of determining the needs of the
organization, checking whether there are feasible solutions to challenges, software updates and
creating plans for the development of software solution, and bring new innovative skills and ideas
to Apple Inc.
Background
Because of Apple’s ever-growing infrastructure that has to support services and products while
enabling seamless update processes and new feature releases, hence the need for a Senior Software
Engineer saddled with the responsibility of ensuring uninterrupted operations of a disparate and
inhomogeneous infrastructure supporting mission-critical systems.
Recruitment and selection process – Senior Software Engineer
Recruitment and selection process forms a core part of the central activities of the operation and
management of an organization. The human resource management of the organization is
responsible for the acquisition, development as well as for the rewards of the employees.
Nevertheless, human resource forms an important part in shaping the overall framework of an
organization. The HR manager must possess the important repository and up-to-date knowledge
and skills. As pointed out by (Zhang et al., 2014), recruitment process is a planned rational activity
that comprises of certain sequentially linked phases that might be included in the HR management
strategy. Creating a positive employment relationship in the workplace, results in improvement of
the productivity of the organization. The role of human resource managers holds the greatest
importance in respect to such criteria.
In order to maximize employee strength, to meet the employer's strategic goals, visions and
objectives, shortlisting and selecting the right candidates for the filling the role of a Senior
Software Engineer becomes inevitable. This position fits into the organization because, this role
will come with the responsibility of:

Minimizing or preventing downtimes of the company’s products and services. It’s 2020;
customers are used to their apps being online 100% of the time with updated versions
readily available. Prolonged downtime of our offerings will mean huge financial and
reputational losses.

Assessing risks and mitigating them. A cybersecurity breach can be devastating for any
business, so in planning for contingency and prepare countermeasures in advance, a need
for a Senior Software Engineer to oversee all works is mandatory.

Shortening development cycles. By automating software delivery and establishing best
practices, Engineers can reduce the development overhead and help deliver your products
in a faster and more predictable way.

Stimulating monetary gains. No wasted and idling resources while meeting all our
customer demands during peak time - a dollar saved is a dollar earned. Add a significantly
reduced risk of downtime, and this is why a Senior Software Engineer should be hired.
The corporate culture at Apple Inc. is that, employees are specialists in their field and are not
exposed to functions outside their area of expertise. Steve jobs found it as the way of having best
in class employees in every role. The company is also known for enforcing accountability.
According to which each and every project is kept under one person, who in turns becomes directly
responsible for its good and bad. Other than this, unlike other major U.S. companies Apple
provides a relatively simple compensation policy for executives that do not include perks enjoyed
by other CEOs. The company typically grants stock options to executives every other year. With
so many ways to contribute, chances are good that one find a way to do what one love. They need
the best of the best to create hardware and software, and expect nothing less from the people who
market, support and manage their products, their process, and their people. (Misgeld, 1996).
Internal and external factors impacting Apple Inc. as relating to staffing and recruitment are:
1. Selection and Recruitment:
Apple focuses on its primary objective of hiring the talented and right candidate. The selection
process is based on verbal communication by identifying the person who hold out of the box
thinking and ready to commit himself or herself to the company.
2. Forcing Unique Thinking:
Apple provides a considerable amount of opportunities to its employee to develop prospective
careers. The intern who showed high performance will automatically get hired. In fact to force
free-thinking, designing team are allowed to attend the meeting twice in a week. “This led anyone
to brainstorm and about the ideas changes which can be made" (Schaarschmidt, 2019).
3. Employee Rewarding and Appreciation:
Apple runs APPLE FELLOW PROGRAM to recognized employee major contribution to the
company. Those employees are rewarded and later on designated as leaders. This is how the
company appreciates employee contribution who became a star player (Sharma, 2019).
4. Benefits and Compensation:
To attract talented staff, apple provides competitive packages, flex benefits, periodical stock grants
for their contribution to the company. They are also entitled to the products discounts.
Apple Inc. Company utilizes both internal and external recruitment and selection methods in an
effort to enhance its workforce. When job vacancies occur or new jobs are created, the company
more often substantially blends a mixture of internal and external process by advertising internally
and externally. This is an avenue for launching long-term careers and growth within the company.
References
Misgeld, Dieter. (1996). Review of Michael W. Apple Cultural Politics and Education. Department
of Theory and Policy Studies The Ontario Institute for Studies in Education of the
University of Toronto. Department of Political Science: 416-978-2846 416-9785566
Schaarschmidt, M., Homscheid, D., & Kilian, T. (2019). Application developer engagement in
open software platforms: An empirical study of Apple iOS and Google Android
developers. International Journal of Innovation Management, 23(04), 1950033.
Sharma, Vaishali., & Sharma, Jyotsana. (2018). Organisational Innovation through HR Practices:
A Review Based Analysis.
Wikipedia: Apple Inc. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_Inc.
Zhang, Y., Song, J., Tsui, S., and Fu, P. (2014. Employee responses to employment and
recruitment practices: The role of psychological empowerment and traditionality.
Journal of Organizational Behavior, Vol. 35 no. 6, pp.809-830.