Steve Jobs is known as an icon associated with the world-famous bitten apple logo. Besides creating distinctive products, Steve Jobs also had a very unique art of personnel management. Let’s join 1Office to explore 8 noteworthy lessons from Steve Jobs’ management style!

1. Tech Engineers are the Operators

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The people involved in Apple’s daily operations are the engineers, not any other management component. The company’s project teams are divided into small groups, and most members of these projects are tech engineers.

According to long-time HR managers at Apple, most of the company’s managers started as tech engineers. This is because they have a deep understanding of technology, know what the project needs, and make the process of working with other members easier.

2. A Culture of Mutual Respect Between Managers and Employees

This is an unwritten rule in personnel management. Here, the concept of “subordinates obeying superiors” does not exist. Instead, a very special culture is present everywhere: mutual respect between managers and employees. This is because both managers and employees have a certain understanding and experience in technology. They support and interact with each other within a team to complete projects, and this is one of the key reasons for Apple’s success.

3. Employees Have the Freedom to Build and Develop Products

Unlike most other businesses, Steve Jobs’ policy allowed his employees to freely correct their own mistakes without going through any procedures. Therefore, sometimes the most outstanding results bear the strong personal mark of the employees.

4. Creating Challenges for Employees

Steve Jobs was truly talented at managing his employees and equipping them with the necessary skills for self-development within the company. Each of his employees might be assigned tasks that exceeded their capabilities to encourage them to be creative, complete the work, and thereby gain more motivation to overcome other challenges.

5. No Room for Delays

Contrary to what many people think, the personnel management system at Apple is quite strict and disciplined. Employees may have the freedom to do as they please to get the job done, but there is one noteworthy principle: being late is not allowed. Deadlines are set strictly and somewhat autocratically; you can have no excuse for your delay.
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There is no excuse for an employee’s delay…

6. Saying No to the Feature Game

The products of the “Bitten Apple” focus more on how to achieve the initially set goals without comparing themselves to competitors. This culture directly influenced the way employees work. They concentrate intensely on their own products rather than studying competitors’ products.

7. Hiring People Who are Passionate About Your Products

“Personally, I’m a huge Apple fan. That’s a good thing, not a bad thing. I’m willing to work twice the time and effort for the company just because I believe it’s my whole life” – shared Agarwal, a former long-time engineer at Apple.
This love for the brand makes employees more enthusiastic and energetic in their work, and this is the key to success in the art of personnel management as well as for the entire company.

8. Balancing Work and Life

Work-life balance is always emphasized here. Steve Jobs wanted his employees to work hard but also encouraged and created conditions for them to rest in their own way. Therefore, all Apple employees love the work environment here because they feel like they are truly enjoying their own lives.

Conclusion

Personnel management is the foremost administrative art of a leader. Hopefully, these insights into Steve Jobs’ management style will provide you with more knowledge and valuable tips in this field.

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