Angela Ahrendts treats Apple Store employees like execs, retained 81% of workforce in 2015
Apple Stores saw employee retention rates of 81 percent coming out of 2015, the highest ever recorded according to retail chief Angela Ahrendts, who attributes the statistic to a feeling of connectedness unique to Apple.
Also a likely contributor is Ahrendts' attitude toward those in her charge. As she said in a recent interview with Fast Company, Apple retail employees "don't feel like they're just somebody over here working with customers," their jobs have meaning.
"I don't see them as retail employees. I see them as executives in the company who are touching the customers with the products that Jony [Ive] and the team took years to build," Ahrendts said. "Somebody has to deliver it to the customer in a wonderful way."
After visiting Apple Stores in 40 markets during her first six months on the job, Ahrendts came to understand why Apple is one of the most successful companies in the world. Like devotees who see beyond the products and branding, Apple employees benefit from a deeply entrenched sense of culture, which Ahrendts said manifests in "the pride, the protection, the values."
"The company was built to change people's lives," she said. "That foundation, that service mentality, that drive to continue to change lives -- that is a core value in the company. And Tim [Cook] then has added his on: He says it's also our responsibility to leave it better than we found it. So you have these two amazing pillars and a culture built around that."
That ingrained sense of service is the lifeblood of Apple, but those tenets might not be clear to outsiders. Ahrendts herself only understood after spending time assessing the team, saying Apple culture is "deeper than you would ever imagine" and not only affects employees at the company's Cupertino headquarters, but workers at its Apple Store satellites.
Ahrendts' recent comments echo those made during a November interview in which she offered perspective into Apple's current retail operations, as well as plans for the future. At the time, Ahrendts said Apple is a "pretty flat organization," noting she communicates with her staff directly via email, an uncommon practice for a high-level executive.
Also a likely contributor is Ahrendts' attitude toward those in her charge. As she said in a recent interview with Fast Company, Apple retail employees "don't feel like they're just somebody over here working with customers," their jobs have meaning.
"I don't see them as retail employees. I see them as executives in the company who are touching the customers with the products that Jony [Ive] and the team took years to build," Ahrendts said. "Somebody has to deliver it to the customer in a wonderful way."
After visiting Apple Stores in 40 markets during her first six months on the job, Ahrendts came to understand why Apple is one of the most successful companies in the world. Like devotees who see beyond the products and branding, Apple employees benefit from a deeply entrenched sense of culture, which Ahrendts said manifests in "the pride, the protection, the values."
"The company was built to change people's lives," she said. "That foundation, that service mentality, that drive to continue to change lives -- that is a core value in the company. And Tim [Cook] then has added his on: He says it's also our responsibility to leave it better than we found it. So you have these two amazing pillars and a culture built around that."
That ingrained sense of service is the lifeblood of Apple, but those tenets might not be clear to outsiders. Ahrendts herself only understood after spending time assessing the team, saying Apple culture is "deeper than you would ever imagine" and not only affects employees at the company's Cupertino headquarters, but workers at its Apple Store satellites.
Ahrendts' recent comments echo those made during a November interview in which she offered perspective into Apple's current retail operations, as well as plans for the future. At the time, Ahrendts said Apple is a "pretty flat organization," noting she communicates with her staff directly via email, an uncommon practice for a high-level executive.
Comments
Look at all the companies with unhappy retail staff! Their share price is higher! Cook needs to make his employees miserable or get off the pot!
Next up, respect the customer: €114 to cover an iPad mini 4 front and back is an insult. Put more than 16 GB in base devices. I'd say something if the devices were cheap—they are not. Provide the value you claim is in them. 32 GB base devices at a minimum. Don't cripple base iMacs. Don't cripple Fusion Drives. Fix graphical firmware issues across your devices. My 5K iMac should be able to start without the Apple logo flickering once during progress bar. Bring back software quality and quit adding so many features. Fix the ongoing buginess with the third party iOS keyboards implementation. Magic Trackpad 2 = €149? 32 GB Apple TV = €179? New Apple TV remote here doesn't include Siri and costs €89? WTF.
According to this Bloomberg story, retail turnover is about 5% a month. My mother works at Kohls (yes I know you can't really compare it to an Apple Store) and people are leaving all the time. They have a hard time getting good people in and most of the people they do get in quit or just don't show up for work. So I would say 81% is pretty good.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-03-06/why-retailers-are-suddenly-desperate-to-keep-their-least-valuable-workers
Please keep in mind Ms Ahrendts had a $25M salary last year. Put into real terms that's $96,000 per workday Monday through Friday.
The "executives who touch customers with Jony's products" make how much???
I wonder if she has made those difficult new display decisions detailed in the 60 Minutes video?
he was a seagull manager. Flys in, makes a lot of noise, shits on everything and then fucks off.
Wall Street clearly does not believe that Apple has a bright future. But if Apple does have a bright future, then the stock is incredibly cheap. Apple employees are the people best positioned to know what Apple's future might look like. They also are best positioned to affect what that future will be. They should be the owners -- they are the ones who believe in the company, they are the ones who will make it a success, so they are the ones who should profit.
Suppose Apple spent $50 billion a year buying up AAPL and putting it into employee retirement plans. In 10-20 years, the company could be completely employee owned. And long before it reached 100% ownership, employees would have majority control.
She doesn't carry a bag.
She has no need for a bag.
She wears pants just like the men do.
She carries 10 pounds of stuff in her pockets just like the men do.