What you need to know
- Apple is slowing down the hiring of Genius Bar positions for some stores.
- The company has reportedly told some stores it will not backfill positions.
- It has also gone back on some verbal job offers.
Apple has reportedly slowed down the hiring of Genius Bar positions in what is being characterized as a cost-cutting move.
As reported by Bloomberg, "people with knowledge of the matter" said that the company told some stores that it would not backfill positions and also retracted some verbal job offers.
In recent weeks, Apple informed some stores that it won't be filling Genius positions that became available after employee departures, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the situation is private. The company also retracted verbal job offers for such roles in some cases. Still, Apple hasn't laid off workers or enacted a widespread hiring freeze, according to the people.
Employees at affected stores see it as a move to lower the overall headcount in the store due to a drop in customers over the course of the pandemic.
The slowdown has resulted in five or more technical-support positions going unfilled at individual stores, according to employees. The employees described the changes as part of an effort to lower headcount at locations that aren't seeing as many customers as they did before the pandemic.
Apple declined to comment on the story, but it makes sense that the company would adjust headcount at stores that are seeing a consistent drop in customer traffic. While the Genius Bar has been an iconic part of many Apple Stores, the company has adopted a different approach in the Genius Grove for its more modern retail locations.
Despite cutting some headcount levels, Apple is expected to report impressive financial performance at the company's Q2 2022 earnings call on Thursday.
