Angela Ahrendts Says Apple Store Employee Retention Rate Rose to Historic High of Nearly 89% During Her Tenure

[MacRumors]

On a recent episode of the RBC Disruptors podcast with host John Stackhouse, Apple's former retail chief Angela Ahrendts revealed that Apple's retail employee retention rate rose from 61 percent to a "historic high" of "nearly 89 percent" during her five-year tenure at the company.

Ahrendts, left, with YouTube star iJustine​

"I don't feel that Apple retail is facing near the headwinds that maybe a lot of other retailers are because we've spent the last five years almost changing and evolving, and refocusing if you will," added Ahrendts, citing strong retention rates, redesigned stores, improved communication tools, and more.

Of course, with Apple being one of the world's largest companies, Ahrendts admitted that "there's a challenge a day."

"I think when you run a business that big and that global, and nearly 70,000 employees when I left, there's a challenge a day. I think that if it is a challenge, it's your job to fix the challenge. So when I came in, there were a lot of systems that weren't connected, there wasn't a way to communicate."

Under Ahrendts, Apple introduced new communication tools for its retail employees, including a "Hello" app that provides a daily summary of "need to know" information and a "Loop" app that allows retail employees to share useful tips and tricks amongst each other to help do their jobs better.

Ahrendts also reflected on being recruited by Apple CEO Tim Cook, her early days at Apple, her vision of the retail industry as a whole, and much more. The full interview can be listened to on SoundCloud or Apple Podcasts.

Ahrendts left Apple in April. Her position was filled by Apple's longtime human resources chief Deirdre O'Brien, who now oversees both HR and retail.

Article Link: Angela Ahrendts Says Apple Store Employee Retention Rate Rose to Historic High of Nearly 89% During Her Tenure

 

[yesjam]

To be expected considering that during Ahrendts' tenure Apple decidedly moved toward hiring retail workers with fewer skills and less opportunity outside the company.

 

[needfx]

would be weird if that phone was a xiaomsung

 

[PickUrPoison]

Those retention stats will upset the Angela-hate crowd, but they speak for themselves. Customers of the stores may not be so thrilled, depending on their local store and how they use it. Some stores are crowded and hard to get service or sales help, and others are a dream.

Hopefully Apple will add/expand as necessary and seek to improve the customer experience as much as they did the employee experience.

 

[Ubuntu]

I think it's considered notable given the narrative that Apple retail worsened on Ahrendts's watch. Might not be interesting to you but this site is for multiple people.

 

[Baymowe335]

I think it's considered notable given the narrative that Apple retail worsened on Ahrendts's watch. Might not be interesting to you but this site is for multiple people.

Employee retention isn’t the same as Apple retail flourishing.

Plus, people might have been staying for the wrong reasons...like a cush job with little responsibility.

Until we get the numbers for Apple retail stores, we can only speculate they struggled enough for Apple to make a change.

 

[DrJohnnyN]

I like her glasses. Stylish.

 

[now i see it]

quits Apple but can't seem to extricate herself from it

 

[BootsWalking]

I wonder if they used that newfangled store communication system to teach employees how to push customers seeking repairs on their throttled phones with defective batteries into shinny and expensive new iPhones.

 

[Rogifan]

It’s unfortunate she gets a bad rap. And often times for things not totally in her control. What most people complain about is the stores being too crowded. There isn’t really a way to solve for that outside of building a lot more stores. How much say did Angela have in the number of new stores built? Did she get to make that decision or was it something Cook and the board had to sign off on?

 

[tremlock]

and the Retail experience at the Apple stores is still terrible. Make an appointment and they will see you sometime within a 2 hour window once you arrive, just go stand over against the wall with all the other appointments

 

[Rogifan]

Employee retention isn’t the same as Apple retail flourishing.

Plus, people might have been staying for the wrong reasons...like a cush job with little responsibility.

Until we get the numbers for Apple retail stores, we can only speculate they struggled enough for Apple to make a change.

Only on MR would high employee retention rate be spun as a negative.

 

[Ubuntu]

Employee retention isn’t the same as Apple retail flourishing.

Plus, people might have been staying for the wrong reasons...like a cush job with little responsibility.

Until we get the numbers for Apple retail stores, we can only speculate they struggled enough for Apple to make a change.

Never said it was the same thing - you made the assumption there. Given people have been negative about Apple retail while Ahrendts was in charge this is seen as notable because it's a good thing that happened on her watch, which goes against the common narrative. This is great for stirring up controversy as no doubt people in this thread will come out of the woodwork to yell "But she's terrible, Apple retail sucks!" etc.

 

[Mr_Brightside_@]

Good on you, Angela. I quit during the John Browett days. THOSE were dark.

 

[Zimmy68]

It's great to work at a store where customers have to queue in a line to even ask you a question.
Also, everything is MSRP so no pesky price matching.
If you are a retail employee, I couldn't think of a worse gig.

 

[PickUrPoison]

You must be new here.

Good on you, Angela. I quit during the John Browett days. THOSE were dark.

Haha just a little sarcasm. I probably should have used the wink emoji lol.

 

[Abazigal]

Employee retention isn’t the same as Apple retail flourishing.

Plus, people might have been staying for the wrong reasons...like a cush job with little responsibility.

Until we get the numbers for Apple retail stores, we can only speculate they struggled enough for Apple to make a change.

Nevertheless, Angela's KPI would likely be employee retention and satisfaction, both of which seem to be pretty good under her tenure.

 

[Voenix Rising]

I'm sure the Apple Anon community would have a few things to say about THAT, Angela.

 

[PickUrPoison]

Nevertheless, Angela's KPI would likely be employee retention and satisfaction, both of which seem to be pretty good under her tenure.

Happy employees can make for happy customers, but same-store sales are pretty K as well.

 

[AppleWarMachine]

"YouTube star"....lol

 

[Kaibelf]

quits Apple but can't seem to extricate herself from it

Any complaints when people ask Woz for an opinion decades after he was around?

 

[PickUrPoison]

I'm sure the Apple Anon community would have a few things to say about THAT, Angela.

There’s an Apple Anon community? Yikes, thanks for the warning.

 

[LittleChief]

You must be new here.

Good on you, Angela. I quit during the John Browett days. THOSE were dark.

He who shall not be named! Now there was someone who genuinely didn't fit Apple culture in any way, shape or form! I think Angela was great, shame about all the negativity surrounding her tenure.

 

[supergt]

and the Retail experience at the Apple stores is still terrible. Make an appointment and they will see you sometime within a 2 hour window once you arrive, just go stand over against the wall with all the other appointments

It's like going to the doctor in the United States. At least we are well trained.

 

[HoneyCrispAF]

This is at best misleading, not to mention irrelevant to HER as an executive. I know many many employees and customers that found her irritating and are happy to see her leave. The retention rate has ZERO to do with her, and 100% to do with the flat economy for younger generations entering the work force or older workers laid off in the 2008 disaster.

Apple isn't a bad gig in your 20's and even early 30's as far as retail goes (health care, 401k, tuition reimbursement and the usual benefits package even at part time).

My time in an Apple Store I've meant some highly educated super bright employees, and often wonder why is he/she here doing this? I often let them speak and ask questions, even though I need limited help I'm interested in the company as a share holder. I find many of employees over qualified, extremely bright, over worked, and worst of all directed to be over attentive to a point of awkwardness by what id imagine is a directive from upper management?

The customers in these stores not happy with the service fail to understand the scale at which Apple operates, this is not a mom and pop shop. People buy these products in the 100's of millions, and they break them and things go wrong is a small percentage (true of ANY product). The expectation of the consumer is Apple's own doing, placate to every complaint for years and you have created the perfect monster. Angela created this dissatisfaction with her luxury brand background and hyper attentiveness and odd luxury item releases. A gold watch, really??

She has left the company's retail weaker through lack of vision of what the company has always stood for: Creativity, Innovation, and Being Freakin' Cool. All three of these are lacking in the stores as she walks off with her 73+ million dollar salary