Apple Onboarding Experience

The Apple onboarding experience for new employees is a challenging and exciting process, just like for every other company! If you’re looking forward to learning or adapting some of Apple’s best practices into your company, make sure to thoroughly check this article!

The employee onboarding experience is the process of welcoming the newly hired persons and integrating them to the company. Even though it may sound simple, this process can serve as a potent strategy to ensure employee’s satisfaction and maximize their journey in your company. Different studies show that the onboarding experience increases the employee’s productivity and retention long term. 

Bonus reading: We've already reported on Facebook's onboarding experience

What is an Employee’s Onboarding Process?

Usually, companies and organizations divide their onboarding process into the 4 following phases: 

1. Pre-onboarding process, that starts from the day an employee accepts the letter of joining to the day he joins as an employee.
2. Orientation process, starting from their first day of joining where they welcome new hires.
3. Role-specific training of new hires.
4. Completion of probation period after which the new hires are termed as the permanent employees of the company.

First Impression Matters

Onboarding helps the organization welcome new users and reconnect with the old ones. An onboarding experience that’s fast, fun, and educational about the company can create a great first impression for your new employees. 

Apple for example holds a more significant slam in the quad once every few weeks, where it serves free brew and tidbits to the new workers as the Apple new employee welcome pack. The organization gets melodic visitors to perform as well, for example, One Republic, which showed up to praise Mac’s 30th commemoration in January 2014.

Some employees saw Apple’s driving decisions as a positive part of working at the association, including the van organization that transports employees from parts of the Bay Area to its grounds in Cupertino. Apple similarly gives an installment to help deal with the cost of employees driving by transport, train, and various means, which is included in the Apple Welcome package.

 There is also a remote Apple onboarding experience process that involves housing at essentially every level:

•  Having the capability to drop ship an unconfigured device;
• They have an automated enrollment and configuration process that the individual can perform unaided;
• Automatic and secure onboarding process.

New Employees Procedure and Welcome Pack

Most modern businesses have a tradition of giving you a cultural welcoming onboarding experience when you start a new job. However, it varies “depending on the culture”. According to reviews by new employees, the companies that send inspiring letters to new employees before joining, help them understand that they are there for a great purpose. It reminds them that the job is not about a title, a paycheck, or a daily routine for which you would give up a weekend.  

Different from other companies where a member of HR, the manager, or some odd training person escorts you to your desk and hands you a thick booklet to read about the business, Apple follows a slightly different procedure:

• Before getting hired to work at Apple, a potential employee must pass a grueling series of interviews.
• After fulfilling all the necessary job conditions, the company welcomes the new employees.
• The direct manager is helpful with their acclimation during the first 90 days. Managers should remain active during the journey of onboarding new employees.
• The corporation is well-prepared for the new employees joining the company on their first day.

For a lighter start on day one, our icebreaker questions for work offer 420 questions sorted by type and meeting, with a random generator.

 How is the First Day at Work as an Employee at Apple?

At first, the company doesn’t bother the newbies with much information, but they make sure to offer a great time on your first day at work. Half of the day goes by during the orientation process, and later, they’re gifted with a premium iMac as a part of Apple welcome package. 

 Apart from that, they receive some goodies, including company stickers with a lovely welcome note and a t-shirt that mentions their year of joining! 

General Impression of Apple Onboarding Experience

 Employees working at Apple concluded that their onboarding experience was overall successful. Like earlier mentioned, the way a firm presents itself on the very first days clearly impacts the workers. Therefore, the employees at Apple give positive feedback every week or once a month.

Further, the Apple employees’ reviews tell us that they are often served tasty snacks, that they feel that they instantly get solutions when asking for help and their colleagues are always ready to help. 

Employees at Apple have an exclusive access to a list of the benefits:

• Health & wellbeing focus
Apple focuses on the health and betterment of every employee. The company also offers an Employee Assistance Program (EAP).   

• Commuting benefits
Apple takes a lot of steps to offer an easily commutable environment, especially for its female employees. They offer discounts for local public transportation and a cycle-to-work scheme.  

• Incentives for hard-workers
The on-site cafeteria provides complimentary meals to those who work weekends and night hours. 

What other companies can copy from Apple’s onboarding

Three habits in the Apple approach are easy to copy. Welcome new starters as a group, with food and a chance to meet people outside their own team. Make sure a new hire always knows who to ask for help, and that the answer comes quickly. Plan the first weeks in the four phases described above: pre-onboarding, orientation, role training and the end of probation.

For more examples, see our guides to onboarding at Amazon, the onboarding process at Microsoft and Facebook onboarding and new employee orientation.

Apple onboarding: common questions

What is the Apple onboarding process?

It follows the usual four phases: pre-onboarding after the offer is accepted, an orientation on the first day, training for the specific role, and the end of the probation period.

What is in the Apple welcome kit or welcome pack?

This article describes the welcome as a gathering where new employees are given free drinks and snacks and meet colleagues. See the section on the new employee procedure and welcome pack above.

What is the first day at Apple like?

New employees report a friendly first day, with colleagues ready to help and quick answers when they ask for support.

What can HR teams learn from Apple onboarding?

Make the first days welcoming, give new hires easy access to help, and keep the stages of onboarding clear from offer to the end of probation.

Further Reading

Structured Workplace Learning: A Complete Guide
Best Gratitude Wall Ideas To Cultivate A Happy Workplace
Employee Champion Role: What Is It And Why Do You Need One?