I am a former Apple employee and contractor that worked for Apple starting in the early 80's for 13 years with a employee number under 5000. In those days Working for Apple was like winning the lottery as it was one of the most desirable companies to work for. Salaries were great, but not excessive and benefits were outstanding. For the most part, with a few exceptions, employees were valued and well-treated. Now it no longer seems to have a distinction of being a a desirable company to work for.
DJ Novotney, one of Apple's top hardware engineering architects, is leaving Apple for Rivian Automotive, Bloomberg reported over the weekend.
Novotney has worked at Apple for 25 years and been highly influential in the development of the iPod and iPhone over multiple generations of the hardware. He also helped lead development of the iPad and bring the Apple Watch to market, according to the report's sources at Apple.
Novotney was also involved in "Project Titan," the company's stalled attempt to develop an autonomous electric vehicle. Most recently he was the senior executive in charge of developing future home devices, with a special focus on robotics and AI. Apple is said to have explored a future high-end HomePod speaker that could include an iPad connected via a robotic arm that tracks and follows users around a room.
Novotney will become senior VP of vehicle programs at Rivian, which makes electric SUVs and pickup trucks. The executive informed colleagues of his exit on Friday, according to the report.
Several senior Apple executives are leaving or have left the company in recent years. Notable figures among them include Tang Tan, Apple's VP of product design for the iPhone and Apple Watch, who is joining Jony Ive's LoveFrom design firm next month, and hardware technologies leader Steve Hotelling, who left Apple last year.
Article Link: Apple VP of Hardware Engineering Leaving Company After 25 Years
Since Tim Cook took charge that has all changed. From what I have heard and read; employees are now treated like cannon fodder. The majority of the benefits have all but disappeared. So has much of the innovation. The majority of products released under the management of Tim Cook were first conceived when Steve Jobs was in charge. Most of the 'innovation' seems to be minor tweaks and enhancements of existing products or products in the conceptual stage years ago.
From my perspective Apple has shifted its paradigm from being a customer focused company to a maximum profit centered company. For instance, Steve Jobs salary of $1 a year with some Apple stock options has morphed into Tim Cooks salary according to Alexa is $49 million a year. According to BARD: " Since 2017, Apple's board has mandated that CEO Tim Cook use only private jets for all business and personal air travel due to security concerns. While Apple doesn't directly own the jets used by Cook, they cover the expenses associated with these flights, which in 2022 amounted to over $767,000."
Additionally, Apple has limited escalation of AppleCare support to Apple Senior Support Advisors for difficult issues. Historically it could be escalated to an executive office team when Support was unable to resolve the issue. Just recently they also closed the company store. This to me reflects additional customer isolation from the company.
Rumor has it, and I do not have any concrete evidence of this; that Apple for many years has run Silcon Valley programming 'sweatshops', hiring H1B programmers from 3rd world countries and working them in unlabeled, almost windowless office buildings around Silicon Valley where they are monitored constantly for productivity, with carefully measured breaks and lunchtimes that barely meet government requirements and paid the minimum salary that Apple can get away with. I have also heard through the rumor mill that if they protest or complain within or outside of Apple, retaliation occurs with them being laid off thus under H1B regulations they are sent back to the countries from which they came. As I stated at the beginning, this is all rumor generated from comments or alluding to from other former employees, newspaper articles and other individuals. While I have no evidence that this is actually true, I would not be surprised if it was.
So, from my perspective there are really two Apples; the one under the leadership of Steve Jobs that was forces on the customer experience; and the current one under the 'leadership' of Tim Cook that only seems focused on profits at any cost. In my opinion, the current Apple is rotten at its core.
Historically I used to take pride in the fact that I used to work for Apple. Now sometimes I am ashamed to admit it.
So, given the changes, I can fully understand and appreciate why executives with values are leaving the company in droves. If I was still working for them, it is something I would consider doing as well.
Given their current behavior, and being fully retired, if for some reason I was offered a temporary testing contractor position for Apple, which was one of the positions I formally held, I would refuse it, as Apple is now a company that I would NOT want to work for any amount of money, though I would really enjoy doing the work, even as an unpaid volunteer.
