Page 50 - The Apple Experience

page in Pages that included a picture of ourselves. At this point

I was feeling pretty good because I have quite a bit of
experience with Pages and most of the people there, even

though they had called themselves Mac fanatics not ten

minutes ago, barely even knew what Pages was.
5
Now think about what had just happened. Ten minutes earlier some

people in the room were bragging about how much technical knowledge they

had about Macs and the programs. But recruiters were not looking for

technical know-how; they were looking for confident team players who were
also humble enough to acknowledge what they didn’t know. Fearlessness is

not arrogance. Arrogance covers up insecurities. Fearless applicants speak up

in a group without trying to impress the group with how much they know.

Step Two

Step two involves candidates sitting in front of a five-member panel made

up of managers, trainers, and employees who work in the “red zone,” the

front part of the store where the sales take place. Again, the panel will ask

some technical questions, but it’s perfectly fine if the candidate doesn’t know
all the answers. Apple customers are demanding. It’s nearly impossible to

predict all of their questions and concerns. An arrogant candidate stands little

chance of getting through the next round. The panel is looking for some

technical knowledge, the confidence to ask for help, and the commitment to

make sure the customer walks out of the store with a smile on his or her face.

Managers are judging whether the candidate can go toe-to-toe with Steve

Jobs, but they also want to determine that the potential employee can offer a
Ritz-Carlton level of customer service.