Company: Apple
Date: 2018-06-26
Overall rating: 1/5
Employment status: current
Experience level: Confirmed

iOS App Reviewer - don't take this job.
Pros: For the time being this job comes with most of the full time benefits many other Apple employees get.
Cons: This is not only an honest review of the App Reviewer position, but as many recent reviews here also a cry for help. This department is in shambles. The mixture of horrible management and a toxic environment that becomes worse and worse with every passing day is not sustainable. 
People reading these reviews might be confused as to why some are positive and some so negative. I will clarify that for you - look at the dates! Once upon a time working here was amazing. The previous director knew you by name and the team was very tight and close. We all worked hard but were also rewarded. More than anything there was a true sense of teamwork and community. You could rely on one another. Everyone was there to help each other no matter what their role in the department was. This is one of the most diverse departments in all of Apple and that used to be celebrated. People were happy and proud to work on that team and for each other. The older positive reviews are for the golden age of App Review. Unfortunately, those days are long long gone. 
So what happened? Management changes. And it’s been a free fall ever since. The new director put in is never there and just doesn’t care about his employees. His only concern since being put in this role has been the implementation of new tools that he created without ever having any kind of understanding or insight on how the reviewers do their jobs.
They started hiring people from AppleCare - arguably the worst department of Apple corporate. First it was the current operations manager who just has been hiring his cronies ever since. Instead of hiring from within with more than qualified candidates who also have a deep understanding and knowledge of the job function and where to improve he brings up his friends from AppleCare of his golf buddy. The managers that were with the department before have become spineless as their complaints fall on deaf ears too. Most just come in to work everyday to collect their paychecks and wait for their stocks to vest. The others have become so stressed out and take it out on reviewers by micromanaging every aspect of their time at work from what time you punch in to how long you take in the bathroom to checking your screens to see what you’re doing. Their unhappiness and helplessness trickles down to the already unhappy reviewers. 
Instead of being a united team this department is now filled with interoffice politics and drama. We no longer have fun events. we no longer have lunch provided. We work longer hours and significantly less flexible shifts. Reviewers are in fear of talking to each other and everyone is on edge. Other departments at Apple have figured this out and will not hire you from App Review. They dont want to touch us with a 10 foot pole. And so unless you decide to start sucking up with the head of operations you have no future in Apple in this department or otherwise. And trust me you do not want to be at a dead end job with this high of a work toxicity level. And if you still decide to take this job you cant say you weren’t warned.