Geniuses, the fine folks at Apple retail stores that are supposed to know all the ins and outs of the company’s latest devices in an effort to help with any troubleshooting needs a customer might have, are a staple. They’ve been around for so long, it’s just an expectation to get help from a Genius when you set up an appointment to get a device fixed or otherwise checked out. But it sounds like Apple is slowing down on hiring this particular member of the staff.
That’s according to a story recently published by Bloomberg, which states that Apple has slowed the hiring of its Geniuses at retail stores. The report states that Genius positions that have been previously vacated by former employees are not being filled. And the report also states that Apple has even gone as far as to take back verbal job offers to those who were supposed to take a Genius role at a physical retail store.
Some employees have said they see it as a “cost-cutting move,” while others believe that it’s meant to be an adjustment following some retail stores simply not being as busy as they used to be.
It’s an interesting move, if true. Especially considering the company opted to gradually remove the dedicated Genius Bar from its retail stores. The Genius has been part of the Apple Store experience basically from the get go, since 2001.
As it stands, the Genius role at Apple Stores has not been completely dismantled. The employees are still making the rounds at the physical retail spots. Though, it’s worth noting that the report also states Apple has decided to outsource its Mac repair efforts to external repair shops.
So, if you see fewer Geniuses at your Apple Store, this might explain why.