Apple's new strategy for hiring retail employees

To begin, appropriate applause for apple recognizing the fact, recognized by numerous posts above, they're currently understaffed, let alone facing a position of staffing needs for all of their future openings.

As to my experience, I'd have to side with the "taken-abacks" here and say my experience at 'Apple' store in Columbus Ohio was dampened by the elitist attitude exhibited by employees/associates.

As to "new" strategy? An employee-referral program is not that new a concept. I would have thought they'd have kicked it up a notch.

As to rants? None here. I'm not saying I've lived within a Mac Environ for ages, let's just say I was the one that caught the hammer on the other side of the screen. :) And one of the first phools to design a 24 x 36 inch poster on a Mac Plus screen. ;)

Hmmm, now there's an HR undiscovered angle... Target near-retirees that have breathed apple dust for over two decades.

if that is the case, the recruiters at the Domain apple store in austin texas need to get to recruiting. the last time i was in that store(a few weeks ago, when i was having the annual checkup on my blackbook) i couldn't find a single salesperson( meaning not the geniuses) that could tell me anything helpful, i had questions about ipod docking stations and questions about accessories for my blackbook. i was very dissatisfied to say the least. i have been in apple stores in at least 5 states, and this was by far the worst experience i have ever had.

Latinos and African Americans get better service than European Americans at apple stores. It's called "reverse profiling" and is aimed at better diversity in the customer base.

As a former Apple employee (Mac Specialist and Creative,) I can definitely say that what goes on behind the scenes is 180° from what was seen on the floor in the Red Zone and Family Room.

I wasn't paid enough ($12hr @ the end) in my two years to provide consistently "AWESOMELY SWEET!!!" service to every rude person that walked in with a frozen iPod, (and a pissed off expression that said "How dare Apple make subperfect products that break when I drop them in the toilet?!") but I tried to be as patient as a human could be in a retail environment that was usually in the same shopping centre as a Tiffany's, Gap, and Victoria's Secret stores.

That comes off as bitter and arrogant, I'm sure, but let's face it, after seeing a thousand + people a day, most of whom have zero patience or any manners themselves, you tend to get burnt out on the whole credo. You try, and for awhile, there is a honeymoon period, but after a year you find yourself wishing they at least had commission to make things a little less humiliating.

Overall, working for Apple is great if you can get past the rude customers ( 1 in 10 can ruin a mood for an hour) and you don't mind all the behind the scenes work... obviously, I couldn't handle it, and will therefore accept any flames for this post as best as I can.

Nice bit of fluff masquerading as reporting. What's missing is how the card is the tip of the one-way trapdoor function: you apply but you get no feedback at all. Nor is there any way to track your application, speak to a human, etc. To say the system is poorly implemented would be the understatement of the year.

I received one of these cards in San Francisco (main store) after spending several hours helping customers with technical questions about which the staff hadn't a clue: Penryn chip? No we use Intel.

I even filled out the application, noting my continuous use of the Mac (from Lisa days on), my experience in Apple's Customer Quality Feedback QA group, etc.

Cricket, cricket, cricket. It's only been three months. You think I'll be getting some feedback soon? Not that it matters. I'm back to Java coding, but not as near to my family as either SF store would have been.

Card, my arse.

I would say most of the time I go to an Apple Store, the people who work there are pretty arrogant and irritating. I think when the stores first opened, they actually got old school Mac people who really knew what they were talking about, but after a few years, they left for better jobs, and now all we have are smart asses who think that just because they have used a Mac for a few years (if that) and work at the Apple Store, they know everything.

Apple's hubris as a company is trickling down to the stores and they would get called on a bit more often. Sure, there are a few people at the stores who are genuinely helpful and cool, but really, most of the time they just seem to be more interested in hanging out with other employees than helping you out or are just too cool to deign to talk with you. I think Apple needs to inject some humility into their culture--it was hubris that brought them to their knees in the 90s, and the way the economy is now, with people not making as much and perhaps not able to afford to join the Apple tribe these days...well, I just think they should watch out.

If you are wondering, the store that I have encountered the most arrogance have been The Grove store in LA. Man, there are so many jerks there...

If you do want to work there, just remember that not everyone is an expert at the Mac and that just because people have questions does not mean they are idiots.

This is kind of random, but I have an interview for my local Apple store and was wondering if anyone knows if they drug test for new employees or even periodically?

I hope they don't depend on current Apple Store geeks to vet the recruits. I was in my local store today, and asked for a legitimate, retail product. The first Apple-seed didn't know what I was talking about (new Kensington auxiliary/external battery for iPhone), and the second kind of rolled his eyes and said it didn't exist, that "they HAD made a battery for old iPods but . . . ."

Like, if you're not looking for, like a Mac Air, like, you don't exist.

Still waiting for an Apple Store here in Wichita, KS *Knock on Wood*

Generally the apple store people have been very helpful and friendly. A far cry from average Worstbuy and CircuitShiddy staffers.

Anyone else sport wood when they see the 30" ACD?

Anybody?

Bueller?