Apple Training and Development for Employees

This paper will help you to identify the actions Apple employee training and development includes. In relation to the Apple Incorporation, there is a very strong talent management strategy to provide employees’ growth and motivation to perform optimally.

Executive Summary

Apple is one of the leading American electronic manufactures that has specialized in the production of personal computers, Smartphone, iPod media player, tablet computers, and online services. It has its headquarters in California with global market coverage. Apple has 425 stores across 14 countries and mostly it sells its products through retailers across the world. The Apple Inc. has a stable training and development policy that cover talent management, promotion, and performance. However, the human resource management department does not have policies that reinforce customized training and development among the employees.

Unfortunately, there are scenarios where the human resource management department of the Apple is not efficient and therefore fails to take up key control issues in time. There is no proper schedule for periodic and continuous employee training and development within the Apple Inc., which has a quantifiable module for tracking the feedback and level of engagement among the employees. As a result, it is almost impossible to monitor the performance of each employee against the set targets. Besides, the lack of training and development may be attributed to low employee morale and redundancy at the organization. It is therefore necessary to establish the most appropriate and sustainable training and development strategy for Apple Inc. Incorporation to monitor and micromanage its employee productivity.

The field of human resource management is often wide and complex. Reflectively, the field captures issues on labor management, performance review, and training of the staff to meet the targets and goals of a company. In relation to the Apple, there is a very strong talent management strategy to ensure that employees grow continuously and are motivated to perform optimally. The strategies used to achieve optimal talent management at the incorporation include training, rewards, continuous appraisal, and focused employee-employer relationship. The strategies have become effective in ensuring that employees are retained. However, the current training and development strategy has not been very effective.

For instance, there is no proper schedule for periodic and continuous employee training and development within the Apple Inc., which has a quantifiable module for tracking the feedback and level of engagement among the employees. Therefore, this research will assist the Apple to implement effective employee training and development strategies that promote efficiency and sustainability of employee performance feedback. It is a compilation of best human resource management strategy practices. The study provides recommendations on how the Apple Inc. can effectively manage its employee performance in order to guarantee employee satisfaction through continuous and customized training and development plan called the Continuous Orientation-Performance Portion Training.

Apple Training and Development for Employees Overview

The Apple endeavors to have a pipeline of talent to work towards achieving long-term objectives. In support of the goals, the Apple Inc. has organized several tailored training and development schemes designed to help its people fulfill their potential. The training and development programs are both on-the-job and off-the job. For instance, the Apple Incorporation initiated the ‘lead to succeed program’. It is build around the core business values and is firmly aligned with the business strategy – developing skills that will support future growth of the business (Caldwell et al. 178). The program is designed for senior managers. Since it was launched, over 300 senior managers have completed the program.

Training and development forms part of organizational strategy mostly because the Apple Inc. has been characterized by numerous expansions both without and within the region. Consequently, there is a need to merge organizational skills, knowledge and culture with the new challenges and demands (Osterman 406). The Apple Incorporation uses training and development largely because it is operating in a highly competitive retail sector. The HRM team of the Apple Incorporation has used the outcomes of trainings and development in decision making relating promotions and transfers within the organization, especially in the sales and marketing department.

The Apple has undertaken several career development programs tailored towards attracting and retaining human resource base. The team provides job compensation structure that supports the organizations as well as individuals’ growth and development perspectives. The Apple also evaluates employees and produce succession pipe-lines for vital job positions in the organization. In view of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, management of the Apple Inc. always strive to create room for recognition, promotional opportunities and a chance for career growth (Peetz et al. 411). This has boosted self actualization of employees to some extent.

Current Challenges in Apple’s Training and Development Strategies

Currently, the human resource management department does not have policies that reinforce customized training and development among the employees. In many jurisdictions, it is mandatory to have an independent training and development management function in an institution. Unfortunately, there are scenarios where the human resource management department of the Apple is not efficient and therefore, fails to take up key control issues in time. There is no proper schedule for periodic and continuous employee training and development within the Apple, which has a quantifiable module for tracking the feedback and level of engagement among the employees. As a result, it is almost impossible to monitor the performance of each employee against the set targets. Besides, the lack of training and development may be attributed to low employee morale and redundancy at the organization. It is necessary to establish the most appropriate training and development strategy for the Apple Inc. to monitor and micromanage its employee productivity.

Despite the fact that the Apple Inc. spends several millions on training seminars and internal programs, the training modules have not been modified to fit within the organization’s corporate culture. This research paper will establish the most appropriate approach that the Apple should adopt to improve on its training and development strategies. The Apple Inc. will greatly benefit from appropriate training and development strategies, which translate into better employee development and client satisfaction (Revels and Michele 66).

The need for employee efficiency in the Apple Inc. necessitates more research in the area of management styles and their impacts on organizational performance within the US. It is for this reason that the research will attempt to provide a framework for organizational performance as directly influenced by the type of management strategies at the Apple (Peetz et al. 413). At the end of the research, the Apple, which wants to further improve organizational performance and increase its commitment to efficiency, will have mechanisms that it can use to decide on the most appropriate management style.

Significance of Apple Employee Training and Development

The main effect of improving training on the employees is that it will create quality service environment. The management would have to restructure the organization in a way that allows for the implementation of the proposed employee training plan (Klotz et al. 111). The staff would need to adapt to the new requirement of learning the dynamic communication system in a bid to accomplish the organization’s goals.

Apple Goals

1. Ensure that the various available methods appeal to the financial health of the organization.
2. Improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the current mode of communication between the employees and the organization through incorporation of multicultural training.

Apple Objectives

For goal i:

1. To increase the number of clients that the organization handles on a daily basis in a bid to accomplish the organization’s objectives.
2. To ensure that the organization improves the standard of the working environment.
3. To ensure smooth flow of information within and without the organization.

For goal ii:

1. To increase the number of staff available to attend to clients without creating undue pressure on the finances.
2. To avoid expenditure that would jeopardize the running of the organization’s basic activities.
3. To improve accountability towards the involved stakeholders.

Apple Implementation

The strategies in this plan require the organization to take a collaborative perspective in dealing with the subject matter. In essence, this aspect means that the plan requires the management and staff of the Apple Inc. to work together. The main requirement for the creation of such a set-up is an exchange of information and knowledge relevant to the project (Perri et al. 14). Actualization of the tactics that this plan proposes requires the management of the organization to work closely with the staff and allow the staff freedom to associate with clients and form networks with other organizations as they accomplish their duties (Klotz et al. 112).

Apple Recommendations

With regards to the above findings, there is need to make the training programs more proactive and performance oriented. The goals of this recommendation are to progress the competence of the current mode of training between the employees and the organization through incorporation of multicultural training and to ensure that the various available methods appeal to the financial health of the organization. This recommendation will address the objectives of ensuring that the organization improves the standard of the working environment, increasing the number of clients that the organization handles on a daily basis in a bid to accomplish the organization’s objectives, and ensuring level flow of information within and without the organization. The proposed program is summarized below.

Continuous Orientation-Performance Portion Training (applying LAMP framework)

The main objectives of the Continuous Orientation-Performance Portion Training at the Apple include passing of teamwork, time management, and customer service skills. Besides, the program aims at addressing conflict resolution, complaints acceleration, and intra and inters personal communication skills. Basically, the training program is meant to restore the employee confidence, personal adjustment within the organization culture, and intra and inter personal interaction with other employees and customers.

Significance of the Continuous Orientation-Performance Portion Training

Reflectively, “self evaluation skills on individual concentration level during training encompass actual and expected outcome” (Peetz et al. 413). The process of learning within the Apple for employees will be conducted through the employee orientation and continuous organization behavior modification. Learning in this organization is a major prerequisite to the realization of managerial and operational changes. The four main categories of intervention strategies in organizational development highlighted in the proposed program include strategies that are based on the human processes, structural technological orientation, techno-social orientation and organizational alteration (Klotz et al. 112).

The success evaluation criteria for the proposed employee orientation program functions on the feedback from the employees after the end of each stage of the training. The plan does not aim to disseminate any particular message, as its core purpose is to improve communication between the organization and its clients in the daily running of the organization’s affairs. The strategies in this plan require the organization to take a collaborative perspective in dealing with the subject matter. In essence, this aspect means that the plan requires the management of the organization, the staff, and the clients to work together. The main requirement for the creation of such a set-up is an exchange of information and knowledge relevant to the project. Actualization of the tactics that this plan proposes requires the management of the organization to work closely with the staff and allow the staff freedom to associate with clients and form networks with other organizations as they accomplish their duties (Klotz et al. 112). This aspect allows the staff to collect feedback from clients.

Apple Measurement and Evaluation

It is difficult to establish the exact timeframe within which the organization shall complete the communication training program due to the variation of learning capabilities among trainees. Most options available for incorporation into the training program are cost-effective and they work towards the sole purpose of furtherance of the organization’s goals and objectives. The solutions also cater for the main stakeholders, the organization’s management, staff, and clientele. When properly implemented, the current production, human resource, and organizational culture will become more proactive and sustainable. This is summarized in the table below.

Training Module	Required Resources	Leadership responsibility	Steps taken	Barriers	Performance Indicators
Employee empowerment to be more participative	Outsourcing the appropriate training expert and necessary materials.	Supervisors and head of departments	Done after every three months for the first one year. This will be followed by trainings after every six months thereafter.	Responsibility and skills of the employees in different departments	360 degree feedback indicator
Invention of series of motivational programs	Creation of a healthy participating environment	Head of departments and supervisors	Creating clear goals	Incorporation of team building needs	360 degree feedback indicator

(Source: Caldwell et al. 178)

Apple Delivery and Evaluation Methods

The success evaluation criterion for the proposed program functions on the method of delivery. The training will be delivered through a video, booklets, and a PowerPoint presentation. The main delivery method is appropriate since the training program is practical oriented (Caldwell et al. 177). Reflectively, these factors are internalized in the training program of the proposed program to foster proactive attitude among the staff towards performance.

Evaluation methods

The aspect of planning for the proposed program is important to demystify poor performance. As opined by Osterman (2010), “proper use of competency review system is directly proportional to employee performance, since the magnitude of success depends on social interaction skills” (Osterman 405). These policies will be incorporated in the employee-employer relationship model and personalized performance reviews.

The strategies in this recommendation require the Apple Inc. to take a collaborative perspective in dealing with the subject matter. In essence, this aspect means that the plan requires the management and staff of the Apple Inc. to work together. The main requirement for the creation of such a set-up is an exchange of information and knowledge relevant to the project (Caldwell et al. 179). Actualization of the tactics that this plan proposes requires the management of the organization to work closely with the staff and allow the staff freedom to associate with clients and form networks with other organizations as they accomplish their duties (Klotz et al. 111). The success evaluation is summarized in the table below.

Strategy	Goal setting	Feedback Channel	Exception Criteria	Evaluation Criteria
Proactive employee empowerment	Setting attainable assignments and allowing employees to consult on the same	Creating interactive sessions for the workforce	Establishing the organization culture and ethics	Review of performance periodically after every stage of training
Creating more motivational programs involving team work activities	Fixing motivational programs in annual calendar	Performance comparison between teams	Defining limits for responsive training	Testing team spirit and insight

Conclusion

The improvements on the proposed employee training and development program should incorporation a people subsystem. The people subsystem may be effective when the objectives are properly matched with the responsibilities assigned to an individual in an organization. As a result, there will be optimal performance within acceptable organization behavior, which will make an employee to be responsive to team work and learning initiatives. Training and development forms part of organizational strategy mostly because human resource department is characterized by constant dynamics in management since labor market is constantly affected by market swings. Consequently, there is a need to merge organizational skills, knowledge and culture with the new challenges and demands. Generally, the people subsystem may be declared effective when there is a balance in each of the above elements in a learning organization environment such as the Apple.

References

Caldwell, Cam, Do Truong, Pham Linh and Anh Tuan. “Strategic Human Resource Management as ethical stewardship.” Journal of Business Ethics 98.1 (2011): 171–182. Print.

Klotz, Anthony, Serge Veiga, Ronald Buckley and Mark Gavin. “The role of trustworthiness in recruitment and selection: a review and guide for future research.” Journal of Organizational Behavior 34.1 (2013): 104–119. Print.

Osterman, Paul. “Job design in the context of the job market.” Journal of Organizational Behavior 31.2 (2010): 401–411. Print.

Peetz, David, Margaret Gardner, Kerry Brown and Sandra Berns. “Workplace effects of equal employment opportunity legislation: the Australian experience.” Policy Studies 29.4 (2008): 405–419. Print.

Perri, Kennedy, Seung Chyung, Donald Winiecki and Robert Brinkerhoff. “Training professionals’ usage and understanding of Kirkpatrick’s Level 3 and Level 4 evaluations.” International Journal of Training and Development 18.1 (2013): 1– 21. Print.

Revels, Mark and Morris Michele. “Technology impacts in organizational recruitment and retention.” Franklin Business & Law Journal 12.1 (2012): 61–69. Print.