Apple, Inc. Diversity video narrated by new VP of Human Resources Denise Young-Smith
A new Diversity film Apple published as part of its report on employee demographics is narrated by Denise Young-Smith, who the company internally promoted to lead human resources in February.
Smith, who previously served as Apple's VP of Global Retail Stores, was promoted to replace Joel Podolny, who left his position as the head of HR to run Apple University full time.
At the time, Apple's Kristin Huguet provided a statement to Bloomberg saying, "we are excited that Denise Young Smith will expand her role to lead Apple's worldwide human resources organization. Apple University is an increasingly important resource within the company as we continue to grow, so Joel Podolny will be focusing full-time on developing and scaling the university he helped establish."
IFOApple noted that Smith "is an original Apple retail employee, recruited in 2000 as director of retail HR and eventually promoted to retail vice-president."
The retail-focused site also observed that "few retail executives have moved upward through the company," noting that "since Sr. VP Retail Ron Johnson left the company in June 2011, several other top and mid-level executives departed rather than seek promotions."
Apple's Sr. VP of Retail position was ultimately filled by Burberry chief executive Angela Ahrendts, who joined Apple this summer.
In April, Smith topped a listing compiled by Business Insider of "the most important African-Americans in technology." In addition to working as a corporate executive, Smith is a soprano recording artist who has performed at Carnegie Hall.
Smith, who previously served as Apple's VP of Global Retail Stores, was promoted to replace Joel Podolny, who left his position as the head of HR to run Apple University full time.
At the time, Apple's Kristin Huguet provided a statement to Bloomberg saying, "we are excited that Denise Young Smith will expand her role to lead Apple's worldwide human resources organization. Apple University is an increasingly important resource within the company as we continue to grow, so Joel Podolny will be focusing full-time on developing and scaling the university he helped establish."
IFOApple noted that Smith "is an original Apple retail employee, recruited in 2000 as director of retail HR and eventually promoted to retail vice-president."
The retail-focused site also observed that "few retail executives have moved upward through the company," noting that "since Sr. VP Retail Ron Johnson left the company in June 2011, several other top and mid-level executives departed rather than seek promotions."
Apple's Sr. VP of Retail position was ultimately filled by Burberry chief executive Angela Ahrendts, who joined Apple this summer.
In April, Smith topped a listing compiled by Business Insider of "the most important African-Americans in technology." In addition to working as a corporate executive, Smith is a soprano recording artist who has performed at Carnegie Hall.
Comments
I didn't like the video.
I'd rather see a video of Apple's products. I believe that Apple should stay out of political issues and not push liberal propaganda.
Howaahh....Eddy was there!
Tim is Gentleman. I like him.
Didn't watch the video yet, but you've got to find some humor in the preview image of the 'diversity' video. 90% white dudes, a couple of white women, two brown people and an Asian guy.
Hence why basing diversity off of skin color or gender Is stupid. If the employees in that photo with Cook were in any way involved in brining the nMP to market then they get a huge thumbs up from me regardless if what they look like.
Rogifan is exactly right, payeco. Not all diversity is visually apparent. How do you know there aren't some physically disabled people in that picture. Or some military veterans. Or they could all be bisexual. The point is inclusion and acceptance.
I didn't like the video.
I'd rather see a video of Apple's products. I believe that Apple should stay out of political issues and not push liberal propaganda.
It's a pity that some people believe fairness, equality, and creating & maintaining a supportive & non-threatening workplace is just politics and liberal propaganda. If true, then I'm all for ensuring we elect a 100% liberal congress and executive branch in the next cycle.
Diversity video...who gives a flying ****?
I want Apple to make the revolutionary products that has made them famous. I couldn't give two shits about diversity.
Diversity, schmersity. It's true that diversity is the contemporary cool thing that you're supposed to celebrate and encourage if you want to be politically correct and feeble-minded. It's still a pile of wank.
There is nothing good about diversity. If you want to own a winning team of basketball players of black people, knock yourself out. If you want to surround yourself with people like yourself, be my guest. If you want to immerse yourselves in other people's cultures and acquire lots of friends from around the earth, the world's your oyster.
But diversity has nothing to do with excellence, which is the only thing Apple should be interested in.
Didn't watch the video yet, but you've got to find some humor in the preview image of the 'diversity' video. 90% white dudes, a couple of white women, two brown people and an Asian guy.
Hence why basing diversity off of skin color or gender Is stupid. If the employees in that photo with Cook were in any way involved in brining the nMP to market then they get a huge thumbs up from me regardless if what they look like.
And that's really all that needs to be said about 'diversity.' The only diversity Apple need to exercise is discriminating between those who are the best for the job (the A players in Steve Jobs's words) and those who aren't.
I suppose he was there because he's Cuban?
What does Cuban have to do with it? There were a lot of white dudes and everyone else in there too. They probably grabbed him for a quick shoot.
Didn't watch the video yet, but you've got to find some humor in the preview image of the 'diversity' video. 90% white dudes, a couple of white women, two brown people and an Asian guy.
Hence why basing diversity off of skin color or gender Is stupid. If the employees in that photo with Cook were in any way involved in brining the nMP to market then they get a huge thumbs up from me regardless if what they look like.
Rogifan is exactly right, payeco. Not all diversity is visually apparent. How do you know there aren't some physically disabled people in that picture. Or some military veterans. Or they could all be bisexual. The point is inclusion and acceptance.
No. There is no point to inclusion and acceptance. Apple aren't some family who need to harbour people. They are a ruthless company in a mean world who will only flourish if they hire the best people.
And that's really all that needs to be said about 'diversity.' The only diversity Apple need to exercise is discriminating between those who are the best for the job (the A players in Steve Jobs's words) and those who aren't.
Apple is a business so of course they pick the best person for the job. Do you really think they make those amazing profit margins by meeting quotas and promoting less qualified individuals based on their skin color? This is a PR video so it is accurate but it is also the way they want to be perceived. This is no different than the anti-child labor and green initiatives Apple has recently publicizing. They figure if they lead the way, many other companies will follow their lead and embrace diversity not for diversity's sake but to "inspire creativity and innovation" as they put it.
I didn't like the video.
I'd rather see a video of Apple's products. I believe that Apple should stay out of political issues and not push liberal propaganda.
It's a pity that some people believe fairness, equality, and creating & maintaining a supportive & non-threatening workplace is just politics and liberal propaganda. If true, then I'm all for ensuring we elect a 100% liberal congress and executive branch in the next cycle.
Non-threatening workplace? What is this, a creche? How the hell do you define 'non-threatening'? In my experience, adrenalin tends to focus the mind and make me perform a lot better. It's not like Apple are a building company, where safety makes a difference.
So no doubt you mean that all those nasty men need to be dissuaded from raping everyone, or even thinking of it, in between their coding and pizza-eating. Not condescending or anything. Got it.
And that's really all that needs to be said about 'diversity.' The only diversity Apple need to exercise is discriminating between those who are the best for the job (the A players in Steve Jobs's words) and those who aren't.
Apple is a business so of course they pick the best person for the job. Do you really think they make those amazing profit margins by meeting quotas and promoting less qualified individuals based on their skin color? This is a PR video so it is accurate but it is also the way they want to be perceived. This is no different than the anti-child labor and green initiatives Apple has recently publicizing. They figure if they lead the way, many other companies will follow their lead and embrace diversity not for diversity's sake but to "inspire creativity and innovation" as they put it.
Such a dumb post. 'Embracing diversity' can only mean positive discrimination. You directly contradict yourself in one paragraph. You start by saying that Apple obviously pick the best person for the job. They can only do that by not embracing diversity. You finish by saying that giving a false impression of diversity in a promo video, it will encourage other companies to embrace diversity. So it's okay for other companies to not pick the best person for the job, but it isn't okay for Apple? Maybe it's a subtle ploy to degrade other companies' workforces!
Diversity video...who gives a flying ****?
I want Apple to make the revolutionary products that has made them famous. I couldn't give two shits about diversity.
Diversity, schmersity. It's true that diversity is the contemporary cool thing that you're supposed to celebrate and encourage if you want to be politically correct and feeble-minded. It's still a pile of wank.
There is nothing good about diversity. If you want to own a winning team of basketball players of black people, knock yourself out. If you want to surround yourself with people like yourself, be my guest. If you want to immerse yourselves in other people's cultures and acquire lots of friends from around the earth, the world's your oyster.
But diversity has nothing to do with excellence, which is the only thing Apple should be interested in.
Did you miss the end of every keynote for the past 5 years? Apple is the intersection of the liberal arts and technology. Believe it or not, Apple is making a public statement about their position in the tech industry. This is just a PR video that expounds on that idea. Calm down.
Such a dumb post. 'Embracing diversity' can only mean positive discrimination. You directly contradict yourself in one paragraph. You start by saying that Apple obviously pick the best person for the job. They can only do that by not embracing diversity. You finish by saying that giving a false impression of diversity in a promo video, it will encourage other companies to embrace diversity. So it's okay for other companies to not pick the best person for the job, but it isn't okay for Apple? Maybe it's a subtle ploy to degrade other companies' workforces!
You have an amazing ability to tell who is most qualified based on their look. You should be hired by CEOs all over the world to pick out the best man for the job. Oh wait, I can do your job too. Let's just pick pick white guys to do all tech jobs. It's all Asians and Indians nowadays. Don't you know anything. Am I being serious or am I being a racist?