HRD
HRD
CHAPTER PAGE
INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................................. ii
Political factors
Problems such as terrorism, geopolitical uncertainties, health issues and government policies can affect
the sales of Apple products in the world. Apple has outsourced in different countries including China,
Czech Republic, and Korea among other countries to reduce its operations cost (Jarvis, Mittleman, Xu &
Tam, 2014). In the case of political instability, Apple stands to lose a market as result of the delay in the
manufacturing process.
Economic factors
The purchasing power of consumers relies upon the prevailing economic conditions. In the past years,
different countries have experienced rising cases of unemployment. This has affected the purchasing
power of consumers leading to decreased sales of Apple products. The increased oil prices in the world
also resulted in inflation thus affecting the economy. The consequences of these economic factors
reduced the purchasing power of consumers. This led to decreased sales of the Apple products.
Competition
Apple is a large corporation that runs a variety of products. As such, the company is faced with
competition in the market (Jarvis, Mittleman, Xu & Tam, 2014). The major competitors of Apple include
Samsung, Nokia, HPQ, Google, HTC and RIM among others. Apple has managed to withstand the
competition by investing in technology and talented employees. As such, they have been able to get high
returns to sustain the growth of the firm. Apple has penetrated the market by manufacturing high-quality
products that have enabled it to create customer loyalty (Bau, 2013). The ability to produce superior
products has allowed it to gain a wider market share in different parts of the world.
Apple has based its success on the strength of its employees. The HR strategy employed by the
company is the primary reason behind its continued growth and excellent performance in the market
(Grant, 2016). Apple has some of the great talents, and the management has been equipped with the
best talent management approaches. This is to ensure that the company attracts and retain the talented
workforce. Great talents and efficient management skills are the primary reason why Apple has become a
leader in the manufacture of consumer electronics.
Apple Inc. marketing strategy focuses on the expectations of the customers. Apple products are aimed at
improving the lives of the users (Jarvis, Mittleman, Xu & Tam, 2014). The company is committed to
understanding the needs of the consumers before launching a new product in the market. Besides, the
customers are provided with different skills and tools to enable them to use the products efficiently. The
marketing policies of Apple are based on creativity and innovation. They are also responsive to the needs
of their clients as stated in the mission statement of the firm. The primary objective of the company is to
promote personal computing among various groups of people including creative professionals, students,
consumers, and educators (Jarvis, Mittleman, Xu & Tam, 2014). This has been made possible through
their software, internet and hardware offerings. Therefore, Apple Inc works in an environment full of
challenges. However, it has been structured to overcome such challenges. The internal structure of the
company adopts best practices that attract and retains talented force.
The HR of Apple Inc. works towards maximizing the returns on investment by minimizing the financial
risks while capitalizing on human capital. The human resource management of Apple Inc is charged with
various responsibilities including recruitment and selection, leadership development, incentive
compensation, employee development, and employee relations among others (Storey, 2014). These
activities are carried out by human resource managers efficiently and consistently. The key strategic
human resource functions are discussed below.
Recruitment and Selection
Recruitment and selection are the keys to the success of most organizations (Sparrow, Brewster &
Chung, 2016). Apple has invested a lot in recruitment process with the primary objective of getting the
right talents who can fit the organizational culture (Storey, 2014). The company requires employees who
are hard working and committed to the activities of the enterprise. Apple uses a different recruitment
strategy which is different from other employers. Apple does not promise its employees on career
progression. The employees are required to own their career (Rees & Smith, 2017). In this, case the
company does not support career path. The workforce is expected to seek information concerning their
jobs. The company also relies on pirate raiding of talented workers from other businesses. The
recruitment process is designed in such a way that only employees who fit the organizational culture are
hired. The selection process is based on the verbal interview. The recruitment and selection model
enables the company to get right talents to serve the organization.
Career opportunity
The recruitment policy of Apple focuses on the suitability of the candidate to fit the organizational culture
as opposed to the level of skills and experience (Grant, 2016). Apple gives the employees opportunity to
advance their skills while working for the organization. It provides an opportunity for training and
development. Employees are encouraged to learn on the job. Besides, the company provides on-the –job
training to allow employees to advance their skills on the job.
Apple also absorbs employees through an internship. Those who are on internship are provided with
actual learning experiences that allow them to develop in their prospective careers. The internship
opportunity attracts the most talented students. They are provided with the opportunity to develop their
skills to equip them for future employment opportunities (Rees & Smith, 2017). At the end of the
internship, the interns who display outstanding performance are employed. Besides, those who are not
fortunate to get employment from the company can get jobs immediately. This is because Apple provides
a real learning experience that other firms cannot provide. The interns from Apple are promptly employed
by other companies within the industry.
On-the-job training provides junior staff opportunity to interact with the experienced and talented
workforce (Storey, 2014). In this case, they can overcome challenges that they are likely to experience in
the course of their duty.
To enhance the culture of free thinking and innovation, the teams meet twice in a week. During the
meetings, they can brainstorm to come up with something new full of innovation. Apple does not prepare
training programs, but employees are encouraged to learn on their own (Rees & Smith, 2017). This type
of learning allows the employees to receive incredible returns that contribute to the development of the
company. The challenges experienced during the projects encourage employees to become proactive
about what will be taking place the following day (Grant, 2016). The employees of the Apple can learn on
their own without training. This strategy has enabled the company to nurture and develop talents that
have made the company to achieve international recognition.
The strategic human resource management approach used by Apple Inc. is aimed at attracting the best
talents and retaining them at the same time (Grant, 2016). These strategic HR practices have enabled the
firm to become the leading provider of consumer personal computing products in the world.
Recommendations
Apple has some of the best HR management strategies. However, there are some changes that they
need to implement to enhance their ability to attract and retain the best talents. Some of the new HR
approaches the organization should embrace include the following:
Organizational Culture
The HR managers should implement policies that embrace the collaborative culture. Collaborative culture
promotes operational excellence that translates to organizational growth. A corporate culture that is
devoid of control and encourages employees to participate in decision-making improves work
commitment and performance (Rees & Smith, 2017). This strategy will help the organization to retain its
best talents and attract a competent workforce.
Conclusion
It is evident that Apple has the best talents that have enabled it to be rank as the best company in
providing personal computing. However, its corporate culture does not promote the morale of the
employees. The HR strategy should be aligned with the overall organizational strategy to ensure
imminent and sustainable long-term success. Apple should adopt HRM policies that encourage
systematic practice where employees are involved in decision making. This will enable the company to
manage a diverse workforce and realize sustainable growth.
References;
Armstrong, M. and Taylor, S., 2014. Armstrong’s handbook of human resource management practice.
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Bau, C.V.S., Switcheasy Limited, 2013. Combination of protective casing and stand for portable
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Grant, R.M., 2016. Contemporary strategy analysis: Text and cases edition. John Wiley & Sons.
Jackson, S.E., Schuler, R.S. and Jiang, K., 2014. An aspirational framework for strategic human
resource management. Academy of Management Annals, 8(1), pp.1-56.
Jarvis, D.W., Mittleman, A.D., Xu, M. and Tam, C.Y.J., Apple Inc., 2014. Portable electronic device.
U.S. Patent 8,731,618.
Rees, G. and Smith, P. eds., 2017. Strategic human resource management: An international
perspective. Sage.
Sparrow, P., Brewster, C. and Chung, C., 2016. Globalizing human resource management. Routledge.
Storey, J., 2014. New Perspectives on Human Resource Management (Routledge Revivals).
Routledge.