The forthcoming presidency transition has prompted numerous corporations to reevaluate their long-established policies, covering areas such as content moderation and DEI initiatives.
However, as previously reported, Apple is steadfast in its commitment to its Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) policies, encouraging shareholders to reject a proposal aimed at abandoning these principles.
Apple’s DEI Policies
Apple adopts a comprehensive approach to DEI, with several noteworthy examples highlighted below.
Accessibility in Product Design
Prioritizing inclusive design continues to be our focus — and we aim to enhance this commitment. The Inclusive Products Initiative, spearheaded by Jerremy Holland, Joshua Cohen from Apple University, and Denise Hui from AIML, is an internal knowledge-sharing platform for anyone at Apple interested in inclusive product design. This initiative includes a workflow developed by the Inclusion & Diversity team that allows product designers to work with Diversity Network Associations (DNAs) for project reviews.
Access to Customer Service
SignTime enables deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals to communicate with AppleCare and Retail Customer Care via their web browsers using American Sign Language (ASL) in the U.S. and Canada, British Sign Language (BSL) in the UK, and French Sign Language (LSF) in France. In 2023, the service expanded to Australia, Japan (known as HandTime), Germany (as SignChat), Spain, Italy, and Korea. Customers visiting Apple Store locations can also use SignTime to access a remote sign language interpreter without prior booking.
Recruitment
For many years, Apple employees globally have found community through our Diversity Network Associations (DNAs). These member-driven groups cultivate a culture of belonging, ensuring colleagues feel supported, connected, and empowered. Brian Rekasis from Global Recruiting Marketing has observed the positive impact of the DNAs. “Our Careers at Apple site is one of the first impressions candidates have of Apple’s culture and values, and our DNAs play a significant role in that,” he states.
Supply Chain
Our commitment to inclusivity extends to our suppliers. The Supplier Diversity Program collaborates with nearly all teams at Apple to connect with suppliers from historically underrepresented communities, fostering a fairer marketplace.
Education
We’ve broadened access to opportunities with the launch of the Apple Developer Academy in downtown Detroit — its first location in the U.S. — in collaboration with Michigan State University (MSU). Each year, the academy serves nearly 750 participants from the Detroit metro area through both short-term and long-term programs covering coding fundamentals, design, project management, marketing, and iOS app development. The academy also provides stipends to public high school seniors to support their continued education.
Entertainment
We engage with creators from across the globe as part of our mission, including activists like Malala Yousafzai, seven-time Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton, and acclaimed directors like Alfonso Cuarón, Maya Rudolph, and Natalie Portman. We believe Apple TV+ should reflect the full spectrum of human experience and recognize the power of entertainment in fostering understanding and connection among people.
The Anti-DEI Shareholder Resolution
A resolution filed by the National Center for Public Policy Research argues that Apple’s DEI policies expose the company to discrimination lawsuits.
DEI introduces risks related to litigation, reputation, and finance for companies, thereby impacting financial outcomes for shareholders […] The request from shareholders is for the Company to contemplate eliminating its Inclusion & Diversity program, policies, department, and goals.
Apple countered this assertion by highlighting that its policies stand in stark contrast to discrimination.
Apple is committed to being an equal opportunity employer, ensuring that there is no discrimination throughout the recruitment, hiring, training, or promotion processes. Our strategies reflect rigorous analyses of legal compliance and business practices across various jurisdictions, underscoring our in-depth knowledge of the related laws and regulations.
Essentially, this is a case of ‘we possess greater expertise in this field than you do.’
Misunderstandings Surrounding DEI
One of the significant challenges faced by DEI policies — particularly in recruitment — is a common misunderstanding or willful misrepresentation.
A prevalent myth is that DEI translates to hiring unqualified individuals or sidelining more qualified majority candidates in favor of less qualified minority candidates; this is not the case.
Apple clearly states its commitment to hiring the most capable candidates from its diverse recruitment and employment pools. DEI policies are designed to expand and diversify these pools. Without proactive DEI measures, historical barriers faced by minorities will continue constraining these pools, thereby limiting Apple’s access to top talent.
The same rationale applies to promotions. Apple is committed to promoting the most qualified employees, ensuring that those in the promotion pool represent all qualified candidates.
For instance, if statistical data indicates that certain ethnic minorities lack access to equal educational opportunities, initiatives such as Apple’s developer academies can provide these groups with an equitable chance to learn and demonstrate their skills, thus broadening the available pool of candidates.
Likewise, when HR data indicates fewer qualified women pursuing promotions, targeted internal programs can enhance self-confidence, ensuring that Apple can promote the best talent.
Financial Benefits of DEI Policies
Some skeptics may accept the integrity of DEI yet still argue Apple should focus solely on maximizing profits.
Disregarding that Apple operates under different principles — as CEO Tim Cook has urged those with such perspectives to “exit this stock” — numerous studies demonstrate that DEI policies drive profitability. A comprehensive McKinsey report, for example, revealed that diverse companies tend to be more profitable, supporting the notion that diversity is a competitive advantage.
This report affirms the strong business case for diversity, showing that the correlation between executive team diversity and financial performance improvement is increasingly robust. These conclusions draw upon our largest data set to date, which includes insights from 15 countries and over 1,000 large corporations […]
Our 2019 analysis demonstrated that companies in the top quartile for gender diversity on executive teams were 25 percent more likely to achieve above-average profitability compared to those in the fourth quartile, increasing from 21 percent in 2017 and 15 percent in 2014 […]
Similarly, companies showcasing the highest levels of ethnic and cultural diversity saw a 36 percent advantage in profitability over their fourth quartile counterparts in 2019, a slight increase from 33 percent in 2017 and 35 percent in 2014. Our observations suggest ethnic diversity fosters a more substantial performance advantage than gender diversity.
A study by the Boston Consulting Group highlighted that diversity plays a crucial role in fostering innovation.
Organizations reporting above-average diversity in management also noted innovation revenues 19 percentage points higher than those with below-average leadership diversity.
None of this is particularly surprising. Global corporations operate in increasingly diverse marketplaces, and a workforce reflecting this diversity can better innovate and create products appealing to a broad demographic while ensuring accessibility for all.
Apple has consistently maintained that if you act in accordance to what you believe is right, financial success will follow. Given that the shareholder resolution claims Apple’s DEI initiatives extend beyond those of other companies, and considering it is the world’s most profitable entity, one would expect a basic understanding of these principles.
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