employees - Tag Archive

Will Apple take retail salaries to new heights?

2 Replies Katheryn Rivas

Early on Monday, June 18th, Business Insider reported that all Apple Store employees would be getting $4 per hour raises. Later on the 18th, Business Insider edited their article on this subject and asserted that they weren’t sure anymore if all Apple Store employees would actually be getting raises of this kind.

Business Insider’s initial claim about the wide-scale increases in pay was based on information provided to them by one source at Apple, who claimed that the technology giant was giving its retail employees significant raises after many of them had expressed disappointment with their wages on Apple employee satisfaction surveys. Since Business Insider initially published the news story on this subject, other sources at Apple have publicly announced that they haven’t heard anything about the $4 per hour pay increases.

If all Apple Store employees do actually get a $4 per hour increase in pay, Apple will certainly make history in the retail arena, where 2% raises every year are the norm. In some areas of the U.S., Apple Store employees only make around $9 per hour. So, a $4 per hour raise would mean that their pay was increasing by almost 50%. If this happened, the Apple Store would certainly not only become a more attractive place for college students to work if they were trying to maximize their pocket change and minimize their student debt. It would also become an attractive place to work for just about everyone who’s unemployed right now. You couldn’t necessarily live in the lap of luxury on an Apple retail salary (even with the $4 per hour raise), but it would certainly beat many other minimum wage alternatives by a long shot in terms of pay.

Lots of Apple Experts

Specialists who work in Apple stores – known as Apple Experts

News sources had previously reported that Apple employees would be getting 5% increases in pay at some point this summer. A 5% increase in pay is nothing to laugh at, but it pales in comparison to a 50% raise. No one’s sure yet of whether any of the recent rumors about raises at Apple are true, but we can assume that Apple retail employees are hoping for the $4 per hour raises, especially after Business Insider and quite a few other news sources got their hopes up.

Although a $4 per hour raise for all Apple Store employees does seem unlikely, it’s not completely unrealistic. Apple makes a lot of money off of their retail employees, and working at the Apple Store does require some technical knowledge that working at other retail stores generally doesn’t require. Plus, Apple’s call center employees have noticeably higher salaries than most other call center employees, and Apple offers them outstanding health benefits and tuition assistance if they want to go to college. Apple treats its corporate employees well, for the most part. So, it might be time for Apple to show its retail employees some love too.

At this point, there’s no reason for Apple employees to expect $4 per hour raises, but here’s to hoping that it will happen!

Advantages of working for a startup

9 Replies Susan

Ask any recent college graduate today what their number one worry is and it will no doubt be “getting a job”. Today we are bombarded with the discussion of a failing economy, record unemployment, and the impossibilities of landing a job.

It’s a terrifying thing to face when the past four years your life has consisted of all night study sessions in the library, drunken weekends, and the endless hopefulness of a soon-to-be college graduate.

Graduation papers and a graduation hat

Graduation doesn't guarantee a job

While landing a job is no doubt extremely difficult in today’s society for any individual, there are numerous opportunities available out there for young graduates.

One idea is to apply for jobs at startups and SMEs, rather than applying to those cushy jobs at the major corporations, which are in high demand.

Here are three reasons working for a startup company might be a better choice than that corporate office high-rise.

More Responsibility

Yes, more responsibility means more work, which can also mean more opportunities. Responsibility is a good thing in the working world. Not only will job functions and demands that require more responsibility look better on a resume, it will also make your daily work more interesting and rewarding.

One thing about working in an ‘entry level’ job at a big corporation that can be really discouraging, is how little control and say you often have in the operations of things. At a startup company you will likely be working with a small, close-knit group of individuals.

Startups look for individuals with specific skill sets and drive, that are unique and useful for their specific job description. This means that you will be unique among your peers. You will have a voice within the group that wants to be heard. Much of this has to do with the mere scale of the operations.

At a startup company, operations are small and groups are small – every voice and idea is important. More responsibility means more work, but more work means more experience and more experience means greater rewards – potentially money. The bottom line is that it is easier to move up and forward in a small startup than it is in an established corporate office.

That said, startups often have flatter organisational structures, so there are less chances for promotion than in larger firms.

The Startup Atmosphere

If you’re looking for buttoned down corporate America, a startup is most likely not the right path for you. Due to their size and calibre, most startup companies exude an extremely relaxed atmosphere.

You won’t have to go out immediately after graduation and spend a small fortune on business attire. Typically, jeans and casual wear will cut it at a startup company. Of course, this casual atmosphere isn’t always the case and it will depend on the type of business the startup is involved in. You do get big corporations that have similar relaxed or non existent dress codes too, but it is usually more common among SMEs.

Furthermore, in a startup, the offices are typically small, young, and cohesive, hence the atmosphere in the office is more relaxed. I’m not saying you should count on this and this should not be your sole reason for seeking a job at a startup company, but it certainly can be a perk for a recent college graduate, or anyone who doesn’t like the idea of always having to wear a suit and tie.

Work Will Be Recognized (Good and Bad)

One of the most common complaints you hear from those in the working world is that their constant hard work goes unnoticed. This can be an extremely difficult thing to deal with. Feeling like you are putting in your greatest effort and doing a good job at it, but getting no recognition in return can be extremely disheartening. It seems that big corporations are the biggest offenders for this.

Of course, it can be nearly impossible to give your employees due credit for the hard work when you have hundreds (if not more) of them to oversee.

At a startup company, because numbers are so small and every ounce of work really matters, it is nearly impossible for hard work to go unnoticed. Typically startup employees work in small teams where every task completed is essential and credit is given. Your coworkers and boss know what projects you’ve contributed to.

This is a great way to feel that your work is being recognized and is a wonderful way to stay motivated to do the absolute best job that you can.

If things are noticed when everything goes right, things are certainly noticed when they go wrong as well. This will keep you on your toes, so that you produce work that both you and your employer are proud of.

There are also advantages for working for big corporations, however your personality and preference will determine which you are best suited to work for. Don’t think startups are the answer, but don’t rule them out either!

Is remote working the future for business?

7 Replies Christopher Roberts

In previous articles I have talked about how technology and business interact, and what the future of technology might hold for the world of business. In this article I am going to explore the idea that in the future, almost all business will be conducted remotely.

The number of people who permanently work at home in the UK, (known as teleworking) was estimated to be 1.3 million in 2010. The working population of the UK at the same time is believed to be around 30 million, therefore around 4.5% of the UK’s population (in 2010) were teleworkers. That said, is is estimated at the same time that 3.7 million UK workers sometimes worked from home, and sometimes went into their place of work. That means that of the working population, around 12.5% were, at some point, working remotely.

The figures are similar for the USA, and other developed nations. More and more firms around the world, are offering their employees the opportunity of working from home, but why?

Cost Advantages

Many people do not realise it, but it is often much cheaper to give employees access to the technology they need to work at home, than it is is to provide them with a workstation in an office unit. Yes that might mean you need to buy every employee a laptop, printer and make sure they have an internet connection, however that is often much cheaper than maintaining a workstation, in a fixed location.

If employees work in an office, then the firm either has to purchase or rent the premises – this can be very costly. Furthermore, an (often very expensive) IT mainframe system needs to be in place, to ensure that the entire building is connected internally, and with the outside world – including offices in other locations. Most employees will need a computer to work at, so why not buy them a laptop, give them their own printer, make sure they are internet connected, and tell them to work from home? It is often much cheaper.

Technological Advancements

Improvements in technology mean that working from home is more viable than ever before. Thanks to online storage systems, which allow simple, easy and effective file sharing among workers, employees are able to connect with each other, and share data from almost anywhere in the world. Outsourcing such tasks is often a much cheaper option for firms, than maintaining their own expensive IT infrastructure.

Advancements in communication technologies have also improved the viability of teleworking. I have previously wrote about QB Robots, robots which are effectively your eyes and ears in the office, which you can remotely control, whilst you are not in the office. These sort of devices mean that you can still connect with other workers, almost as if you were there in the room with them.

Anybots QB Robot

The head of one of Anybots QB robots – notice the webcam eyes and screen inbuilt into the head – such robots can improve the potential for remote working

You don’t necessarily need a QB robot to stay in communication with others though. Technologies like webcams, and VoIP mean that it is really easy to stay in contact, and in the loop, so you are just as up to date, as you would be, were you in the office.

Service Improvement Through Better Access

Technology has made it easier to work remotely, and it is often cheaper, but another advantage of teleworking, and a reason which I believe will be one which causes further growth in the industry, is the improvements in accessibility that teleworking offers.

In his recent article ‘Five changes in video conferencing for the next decade‘ Rashed wrote about how improvements in connectivity could improve the prospects for services like telemedicine. Being able to connect to people remotely, means that those who live/work in more remote areas, are more likely to be able to become connected.

Improvements in Productivity

Many studies have shown that working from home can actually boost productivity and reduce the time employees take off ill.

British Telecom claims that its teleworkers save it an average of £6,000 per year (per worker) due to the reduction in the costs of having to provide a workstation, the reduction in commuting costs, and through the increases in productivity. BT claims that its teleworkers are 20% more productive and take fewer sick days. This is probably due to the reduced stress associated with working at home, due to employees not needing to deal with the hassles of commuting, and the occasional hassles presented by co-workers, arguments and misunderstandings can cause stress!

In addition to this, the less time employees spend commuting, the more time they have to themselves, and the more time they can spend working. Say an employee spends an hour and a half commuting each day (two 45 minute journeys) then they could spend an  get an extra 45 minutes working, and get an extra 45 minutes to themselves.

In Summary

To conclude, working remotely is often a much cheaper option for both firms and employees, it has been made more viable thanks to technological improvements, it can improve the services that a firm can offer, and also improve the productivity of the workforce. These are some of the reasons, why I believe teleworking will become much more common in the future.