John Ternus could borrow from Microsoft’s playbook to reinvigorate Apple
Apple faces a productivity and innovation challenge due to senior employees in 'rest and vest' situations who are coasting while the company hires conservatively, resulting in visible quality issues particularly in software. A voluntary early retirement program modeled on Microsoft's approach could inject fresh talent and boost organizational performance during Apple's leadership transition. This strategic workforce refresh would allow Apple to modernize its talent composition without aggressive spending or disruptive layoffs.
Microsoft recently announced something rather interesting – a voluntary employee buyout. In short, if your age and tenure at the company add up to 70 or greater, you’re able to voluntarily leave the company, retire early, and receive a (likely) hefty payout. It’s a less hostile form of layoffs, and while I don’t think Apple would implement it for the same reasons as Microsoft, I think it could serve a unique purpose for transforming the company. more…