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Apple Hired Scores of Ex-Tesla Employees This Year (cnbc.com)

According to CNBC, citing current and former Tesla employees and LinkedIn, Apple has hired scores of employees from Tesla since late 2017, including manufacturing, security and software engineers, as well as supply chain experts. The report mentions that they're hiring Tesla employees not just for the company's Project Titan self-driving car project, but for its other products too. From the report: In 2018 so far, LinkedIn data shows Apple has hired at least 46 people who worked at Tesla directly before joining the consumer electronics juggernaut. Eight of these were engineering interns. This year Apple has also hired former Tesla Autopilot, QA, Powertrain, mechanical design and firmware engineers, and several global supply chain managers. Some employees joined directly from Tesla, while others had been dismissed or laid off before joining Apple. Some ex-Tesla employees who joined Apple this year have not yet updated their public social media profiles with their new career info. That includes Apple's most noteworthy hire, Doug Field, Tesla's former Senior Vice President of Engineering. Tesla disputes CNBC's report, saying that voluntary attrition has decreased by one-third over the last twelve months, and that it has recently added talent from Apple and other companies. Regarding competition with Apple for talent, a Tesla spokesperson said, "We wish them well. Tesla is the hard path. We have 100 times less money than Apple, so of course they can afford to pay more. We are in extremely difficult battles against entrenched auto companies that make 100 times more cars than we did last year, so of course this is very hard work."

108 comments

  1. What Tesla is saying by Kokuyo · · Score: 2

    So basically Screw the lazy asses?

    Could have put a little bit more grace and a little bit less butt-hurt into the statement but I'll agree on one thing: How is it news that a few of your employees are hired by Apple unless the number represents a major chunk of your workforce?

    1. Re:What Tesla is saying by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Why does Musk not have a PR guy by this point? Delegating is leadership. He's fucking up daily now just on the sound bites. It's not confidence inspiring much.

      But I agree who gives a fuck if Apple hires them? CNBC citing Linkedin? What the AOL/Bloomberg fuck is this shit, who is bothering Musk with dumb shit like this while his factories are literally on fire today?

      If I'm Elon I get in the rocket and don't come back, fuck these idiots am I right?

    2. Re:What Tesla is saying by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Elon doesn't need anyones help - he is number one already!

    3. Re:What Tesla is saying by mark_reh · · Score: 4, Insightful

      It's news because it indicates that Apple and Tesla didn't collude to set salaries and benefits like other Silicon Valley companies do every day.

    4. Re:What Tesla is saying by Rei · · Score: 2

      Don't worry, you can also find stories today where they found a couple disgruntled salespeople to complain about the company, being reported as front-page news all over the place. One was mad that someone emailed a picture of the couch Musk sleeps on. Another was mad that people are nice to Elon in meetings.

      Given that the company has ~40k employees, they can surely run hit pieces like this every day, all year long.

      --
      I believe Bird-Person can arrange that.
    5. Re:What Tesla is saying by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative
    6. Re: What Tesla is saying by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0


      Given that the company has ~40k employees, they can surely run hit pieces like this every day, all year long.

      Given that Musk doesn't interact with probably 39900 of these, that only means the hundred that have to work with him directly do hate him with passion.

      You sure you want him on your couch in few months when he's out of this job?

    7. Re:What Tesla is saying by jellomizer · · Score: 2

      Unfortunately for a company that is trying to push out new Ideas. There is a a tight line of power, with very little room at the final decision making for debate.
      This usually means the Boss is a Power Mad Dick. Because he is completely focused on his vision, and needs people to help complete it, but doesn't want their vision to pollute his.
      This pollution or consensus building that employees tend to like because it gives them the feel of having more power, often will make too many compromises and make products fail.

      The irony of this is the fact that these companies who are trying to do big things, need to higher the best and brightest and most creative and needs to make sure they don't cross a narrow line which these people are trained to cross.

      --
      If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
    8. Re:What Tesla is saying by Rei · · Score: 4, Informative

      The very article you linked says things like "The Tesla CEO has sacrificed sleep and worked into the wee hours on the factory floor, against the conventional wisdom of mental-health advocates and CEO coaches".

      Nobody has said that Elon hasn't had a vacation in years. He very publicly went to Israel with his kids early this year, and posted photos from it. He hasn't taken more than a week off at a time in years. He basically goes through long bursts with little sleep up until specific deadlines, then gets away for a couple days, a couple times per year. The only time off since the Israel trip was his brother's three-day wedding in Spain, arriving in the morning on the same day as it started - as confirmed by the flight records. There was a several hour stopover in Belfast on the way back.

      Numerous people at the factory, both on and off the record, have confirmed that he does sleep on that couch.

      --
      I believe Bird-Person can arrange that.
    9. Re: What Tesla is saying by Rei · · Score: 1

      1) Actually, by design, he tries to interact with as large of a portion of the company as possible. He's strongly of the philosophy that a CEO should personally experience all parts of a company's business to get a real understanding of what's going on and what's required.

      2) Sales people complaining about emails not sent by him are not personally "interacting with" him.

      3) Get your shorts in! Keep your skin in the short game through the Q3 earnings report ;)

      --
      I believe Bird-Person can arrange that.
    10. Re:What Tesla is saying by LynnwoodRooster · · Score: 0
      From the Bloomberg article:

      Musk lamented having barely enough time to savor the moment, with the newspaper reporting that he arrived two hours before the ceremony and returned to Tesla’s factory immediately after. (Bloomberg News pieced together the details of his trip from Musk’s tweets and flight data.)

      So, Musk claims to have rushed in and out for the wedding only; but the data - tweets, locations, and flight data - show otherwise. I guess this is as reliable as the funding secured at $420, right? Less than 3 quarters of cash in the bank, time to enjoy the good life while you can!

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    11. Re: What Tesla is saying by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
    12. Re: What Tesla is saying by Rei · · Score: 1

      Yeah, a pile of scrap cardboard for recycling caught fire. OMG, stop the presses!

      --
      I believe Bird-Person can arrange that.
    13. Re:What Tesla is saying by Raenex · · Score: 2

      He basically goes through long bursts with little sleep up until specific deadlines, then gets away for a couple days, a couple times per year.

      Maybe he should stop stretching himself so thin. Projects like Hyperloop and his Boring company are big wastes of time when he's already in charge of an electric car company and a space company.

    14. Re:What Tesla is saying by AlanObject · · Score: 2

      Numerous people at the factory, both on and off the record, have confirmed that he does sleep on that couch.

      My housekeeper's husband who works there as a welder also told me this before it was widely spread news.

      Some people do say that overwork is the sign of a failed business model and I believe that as well. However my guess is that someone of Elon's mindset doesn't consider that overwork. He is doing something extra-ordinary (and has already achieved many such things) and there is no question he is personally willing to personally do what it takes to make Tesla successful.

      And someone wants to replace a CEO like that.

    15. Re: What Tesla is saying by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Fires like this don’t happen at competent car companies. Competent car companies remember to install all the bolts.

    16. Re: What Tesla is saying by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I finally got my paltry few shares before the prices go up again (wish I hadn't missed the recent dip below $285). But shorting tesla? Only the misled (and the ones who can't stop throwing good money after bad) do that.

      Given the last couple of days it doesn't look like the shorts can manipulate price swings as easily as they used to so they can't profit from slides (and, if they were smart, the recovery as well). It'll be interesting to see if the stock keeps being forced to around $320.

    17. Re: What Tesla is saying by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      The average Tesla Model 3 is still almost $60K. Far from the mass market under $40K car promised, and no signs they can make a profit under $40K for years to come.

      https://insideevs.com/asp-tesla-model-3-59000/

      And yes, losing some employees is no big deal. But losing key leaders is, particularly at a time when the CEO is struggling to adequately manage the operations, and cash is becoming a huge concern.

      And now we are seeing reports of poorly constructed cars, not surprising given the over-extension of capabilities to push out more than the lines can handle with quality. The scary part is the possibility of a major recall and the cash such a thing would suck up. Huge risk in the next 6 months. Feb 27 is approaching and strike price for $900M debt payment is in serious doubt.

    18. Re:What Tesla is saying by iampiti · · Score: 1

      I know you post a lot on Tesla threads and that you seem to know quite a bit about it but I find strangely funny that you know so many details about Elon's life.

    19. Re:What Tesla is saying by MachineShedFred · · Score: 1

      It actually was a Tesla representative that replied. Musk wasn't quoted. From TFA:

      Tesla's full statement about talent competition with Apple follows:

      "We wish them well. Tesla is the hard path. We have 100 times less money than Apple, so of course they can afford to pay more. We are in extremely difficult battles against entrenched auto companies that make 100 times more cars than we did last year, so of course this is very hard work. We don't even have money for advertising or endorsements or discounts, so must survive on the quality of our products alone. Nonetheless, we believe in our mission and that it is worth the sacrifice of time and the never ending barrage of negativity by those who wish us ill. So it goes. The world must move to sustainable energy and it must do so now."

      So I guess tangentally it's on Musk for Tesla having an idiot who gave a shitty official quote to a non-story.

      --
      Slashdot still doesnâ(TM)t support Unicode after it was added to the HTML standard in 1997.
    20. Re: What Tesla is saying by Mr.+Dollar+Ton · · Score: 1

      Actually, by design, he tries to interact with as large of a portion of the company as possible.

      Is that how he met you, the intern that shills for Tesla on slashdot?

      Get your shorts in!

      I'll cover at $4.20, no worries ;)

    21. Re: What Tesla is saying by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yes, but if you hire lots competent people you also know that they have aspirations and there are only so many people you can promote. It's just how it is if you run a high performing team.

      After a while you learn to deal with it. It would be hard at the beginning, but you realise competent people in a healthy culture cover for each other just fine when a few of them goes, they just share the load until we find someone new just as good and help them get up to speed. Because when you are surrounded by good people, you can take your time to find the right people.

      And because that's just the dynamics of a high performing team, you will get better at hiring and it becomes easier to find the right people too.

    22. Re: What Tesla is saying by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Don't worry, I'll sell you shares when the squeeze hits and you're losing your house just trying to cover. Gonna love me some short money.

    23. Re: What Tesla is saying by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      So badass while the big guys pump and dump...

    24. Re: What Tesla is saying by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Where’s the money to take the company private Rei?

  2. Apple is a much nicer place to work by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Now that there's no visionary asshole at the top.

    1. Re: Apple is a much nicer place to work by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Plenty of assholes there. Trust me. Nice people, total assholes. They have so much money now, they think they are another country now. Not kidding.

    2. Re:Apple is a much nicer place to work by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      apple always has and always will be shithole to work at.
      Hope these guys take the money for a few years and then dump apple.

    3. Re: Apple is a much nicer place to work by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      They might as well be. Too bad they're not doing anything useful with it.

      Yes, I have a couple things that fill the "needs an independent country and/or a sack of money to make work" bill, and even the "this'd be pretty good for mankind and/or western civilisation as we know it" bill. But since I'm not anyone much less apple, they're not gonna happen. Instead we get some more iDevices until the iFad will finally iFade, now that there's nobody to meaningfully reinvent iThings for the next generation.

  3. the future is going to be interesting by WindBourne · · Score: 2

    Google and Apple have the funds to build a new car line. So far, nothing out of either of them.
    This hiring shows that Apple might finally be getting ready to do so. One question would be, will they stay in the states?

    Another would be would Apple consider buying a company like Rivan?

    --
    I prefer the "u" in honour as it seems to be missing these days.
    1. Re:the future is going to be interesting by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      What's the lowest tax jurisdiction still left in the world?

    2. Re:the future is going to be interesting by Tha_Zanthrax · · Score: 1

      Google had worked on a self-driving electric car. Then they decided that build the whole car was madness and that they should pivot that project into a sepearate company that is now working on developing self-driving cars based on existing cars with added hardware.
      It's called Waymo and they're making great progress, they make Tesla's efforts seem like childsplay.

    3. Re:the future is going to be interesting by LynnwoodRooster · · Score: 1

      Google and Apple have the funds to build a new car line. So far, nothing out of either of them.

      Why should they? The automotive industry is all about MASSIVE volume (millions of cars a year, not 100,000) because the margins are so low, making 6.2% net is the high bar. It takes literally tens of billions of dollars of investment and decades of building up a supply base and industrial capacity to, at the end of it, hopefully make 6 bucks on every 100 dollars of revenue - provided you can sell more than a few hundred thousand vehicles a year.

      --
      Browsing at +1 - no ACs, I ignore their posts. So refreshing!
    4. Re:the future is going to be interesting by CaffeinatedBacon · · Score: 1

      Are you sure ?
      Total shipments of 8,398 units, up 384 units (+4.8%)
      Net revenues at Euro 3,417 million, up 10.0% (+11.2% at constant currencies)
      Adjusted EBITDA(1) of Euro 1,036 million, margin at 30.3% (29.8% without FX hedges(2))
      Adjusted EBIT(1) of Euro 775 million, 230 bps margin increase to 22.7% (22.1% without FX hedges(2))
      Adjusted net profit(1) up 26.4% to Euro 537 million
      Net industrial debt(1) down Euro 180 million to Euro 473 million
      Dividend distribution proposal of Euro 0.71 per common share(3) totaling Euro 134 million

    5. Re:the future is going to be interesting by LynnwoodRooster · · Score: 1

      If Tesla wanted to be a niche, specialty maker - then they should never have bought NUMMI, it's too big. Now look at companies that build more than 700 cars a month...

      --
      Browsing at +1 - no ACs, I ignore their posts. So refreshing!
    6. Re:the future is going to be interesting by CaffeinatedBacon · · Score: 1

      The automotive industry is all about MASSIVE volume (millions of cars a year, not 100,000)

      Who cares what Tesla wanted to do. You premise is incorrect.

    7. Re:the future is going to be interesting by LynnwoodRooster · · Score: 1

      No, it is not. You pointed to a tiny outlier; the industry as a whole is tickled to make 6% return. Tesla currently makes -18% return. They have a LONG way to go to even break even, let alone reach typical industry returns of 5-6%. Ferrari takes a full year to sell what Tesla does in ~2 months; and Ford sells in 1 day what Tesla does in a month.

      --
      Browsing at +1 - no ACs, I ignore their posts. So refreshing!
    8. Re:the future is going to be interesting by CaffeinatedBacon · · Score: 1

      The automotive industry is all about MASSIVE volume (millions of cars a year, not 10

      Your premise is wrong. There are different types of car companies.

  4. To enter or not to enter by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    If you open the door to an Apple car, do you void the warranty? Do you get to replace the car battery, or do you need to drive to your nearest Apple genius?

    1. Re: To enter or not to enter by cyber-vandal · · Score: 4, Funny

      Android manufacturers are waiting for Apple to release a car they can copy.

    2. Re: To enter or not to enter by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Apple are going to reveal a Toyota Camry, and then claim they invented it.

    3. Re:To enter or not to enter by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Apple are are too courageous for doors, you have to enter wirelessly.

    4. Re:To enter or not to enter by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Dont be ridiculous; the doors will be glued on.

    5. Re: To enter or not to enter by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      But it will be priced like a Lexus; so thats pretty innovative.

    6. Re: To enter or not to enter by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      With rounded bumpers.

    7. Re:To enter or not to enter by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      No. That would be covered under opening the hood clause, and work can only be done at authorized apple stores.

      That said, the tesla statements seemed incredibly whiny and unprofessional for an official corporate statement, as in I think that they need some cheese to go with that.

      Number two, as I always said musk/tesla still seem to have no idea what they're getting into mfg vehicles(and design them, ntsb, etc.) along with mfg large scale. Sounds like their stingy pay isn't helping either but then engineers have been egregiously undercompensated for decades.

    8. Re: To enter or not to enter by drinkypoo · · Score: 1

      And you can only get in if you have an Apple-shaped ass. How courageous!

      --
      "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
    9. Re: To enter or not to enter by thegarbz · · Score: 1

      Android manufacturers are waiting for Apple to release a car they can copy.

      They may be waiting for an Apple to copy, but when released they'll be able to Paste too.

    10. Re: To enter or not to enter by TimMD909 · · Score: 1

      So slap an Apple sticker over the audio in port and call it a day?

    11. Re: To enter or not to enter by cyber-vandal · · Score: 1

      And then Samsung will unveil an identical car with confusing and unresponsive controls

  5. Why shouldn't they leave? by Mr.+Dollar+Ton · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Apparently, working for Tesla is now officially a shit show: https://nypost.com/2018/08/23/...

    1. Re:Why shouldn't they leave? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      “He is very difficult to move off his stance,” says the source. “He’ll say, ‘The car can do X, Y or Z,’ And yes, that is possible — two decades from now,” the source said. “He bases his argument on the physically possible rather than the practical reality.”

      Ooh, anonymous disgruntled sources individually calling things "shit show" and making news quotes, oooh. Seems legit enough for any Trumpy I'm sure.

    2. Re:Why shouldn't they leave? by Mr.+Dollar+Ton · · Score: 2

      According to one of the narratives, your calling the media names, blaming the messengers for the bad news and complaining about "fake sources" is quite similar to the way a Trumpy would do it.

      Be that as it may, we know from different sources that a bunch of staff has left Tesla, and that since the likes of Apple hire them they are pretty good. These independent observations corroborate the nypost story.

      If you have facts that negate it, please post them instead of throwing insults and FUD, it would be a more interesting read.

    3. Re:Why shouldn't they leave? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Too harsh man, you can't tease the Foxtards like that. They're not born ready to critically think, it's a sin remember.

    4. Re:Why shouldn't they leave? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I sense a lot of butthurt here, Rei. Did you buy the stock I shorted at $380?

    5. Re:Why shouldn't they leave? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Why are you talking to yourself as if there's two of you?

    6. Re: Why shouldn't they leave? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Trump has nothing to do with Nerd God Musk fucking up a company he bought and possibly going to jail over his stupid tweet.

      Having a realistic view of Nerd God Musk is smart and nothing to do with Hillary losing.

  6. FUD * 10 000 000 000 000 $ by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    10 trillion dollar petrol industry = a whole lot of FUD

    1. Re:FUD * 10 000 000 000 000 $ by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Wait, Rei, isn't this the very same industry that had secured the funds for the $420 buyout?

    2. Re: FUD * 10 000 000 000 000 $ by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      But the petrol companies are supposed to be our friends now that they're waving their money about.

      You need to get a more up to date version of the talking points.

    3. Re:FUD * 10 000 000 000 000 $ by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The problem is you are using the Dictionary definition of secured. When you should be using the muskionary definition. Under the muskionary definition, these bumpers were also secured.

  7. Apple Hired Scores of Ex-Tesla Employees This Year by wiretrip · · Score: 1

    ...because they're used to shit employment terms and conditions, so they'll be cheap and easy...

  8. future news.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    All car companies are racing to copy Apple's car's windscreen notch in their newer cars..

  9. Weird hiring practices by The+Evil+Atheist · · Score: 1

    Why do they hire in lots of twenty people at a time?

    --
    Those who do not learn from commit history are doomed to regress it.
    1. Re:Weird hiring practices by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      That's how they sell them at the slave market

    2. Re:Weird hiring practices by aicrules · · Score: 1

      Because that was the way to make the headline sound like a bigger deal than it really is. When the two companies involved have tens of thousands of employees, one company having hired 46 of the other's former employees is both insignificant and boring. It's not news for employees in one big high tech company to move on to another one.

  10. Nice practice, but... by LordHighExecutioner · · Score: 1

    ...be careful not to hire Elon Musk when he quits.

  11. One button by Daralantan · · Score: 1

    Real fun figuring out a one button car.

    1. Re:One button by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      That's not a steering wheel?

  12. Does this mean that Tesla and Apple didn't by mark_reh · · Score: 1

    collude to set job descriptions, benefits, and salaries in order to "maintain stability" in the work force? I'm shocked at this is very un-silicon valley-like behavior.

  13. Corporate truth.. Amazing... by beheaderaswp · · Score: 2

    What a wonderful, unfiltered, nugget of truth put forth by that spokesperson. Refreshing.

    You always bleed some talent after a startup has some success. People move on for cushier positions because startup employment is hard work.

    Apple went through something similar in the mid to late 90s. The people who stayed were said to "bleed six colors". The return of Jobs put and end to that :)

    Nothing new here- except someone told the truth. Wonderful!

    --
    Another consultant who stuck it out.

    "We are the Priests, of the Temples of Syrinx..."
    1. Re:Corporate truth.. Amazing... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      What a wonderful, unfiltered, nugget of truth put forth by that spokesperson. Refreshing.

      You always bleed some talent after a startup has some success. People move on for cushier positions because startup employment is hard work.

      Apple went through something similar in the mid to late 90s. The people who stayed were said to "bleed six colors". The return of Jobs put and end to that :)

      Nothing new here- except someone told the truth. Wonderful!

      Was Apple considered at shit show by its employees?

      https://nypost.com/2018/08/23/tesla-insiders-say-its-a-s-tshow-under-beleaguered-elon-musk/

    2. Re:Corporate truth.. Amazing... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      apple is consider a shitshow by EVERYBODY!

    3. Re: Corporate truth.. Amazing... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Apple is a highly successful marketing/brand-management outfit.

    4. Re:Corporate truth.. Amazing... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I found a short! Do I get a prize?

    5. Re:Corporate truth.. Amazing... by MachineShedFred · · Score: 1

      In the mid to late 90s, Apple was considered a shit show by everybody except the evangelists, up to and including Steve Jobs.

      --
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  14. Where is Rei? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    So quiet after Nerd God Musk busted for false public statements.

    I wonder if my conjecture that Rei was a Tesla intern or even Musk himself was correct. I would lmao if we find out later Rei = Nerd God Musk himself.
    I did catch Rei referring to -we- at least once and not -they- in reference to Tesla.

    1. Re: Where is Rei? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Rei

  15. Let's Consider the Numbers by turp182 · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Apple has about 123,000 FTEs:
    https://www.google.com/search?...

    Tesla has about 37,500:
    https://www.google.com/search?...

    The article quotes that Apple hired "at least 46 people who worked at Tesla directly". Almost "four scores", which would have been historically interesting.

    Oh, and some had already been laid off or left Tesla.

    So, Apple hired a staggering 0.123% of Tesla's folk (46/37,500).

    Given the # of people that work at Apple, they probably hire far more than 46 people on a given day (maybe even a given hour).

    --
    BlameBillCosby.com
    1. Re:Let's Consider the Numbers by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      A dozen is 12; a score is 20.

      46 is almost 4 dozen (48) but nowhere near 4 scores (80).

      But what matters most is that Apple is hiring electric car engineers. Of course we can't tell if these engineers are working on an electric car project or some other random thing.

      dom

    2. Re:Let's Consider the Numbers by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Apple has about 123,000 FTEs:
      https://www.google.com/search?...

      What they heck are they doing with that many employees? They certainly aren't working very hard on laptops. Or desktops. Or apple TVs.

    3. Re:Let's Consider the Numbers by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      But what matters most is that Apple is hiring electric car engineers.

      Nope, sorry, please go back to primary school reading comprehension class and try again.

      "including manufacturing, security and software engineers, as well as supply chain experts"

      That's 4 specific groups listed, none of which are "electric car engineers".

    4. Re:Let's Consider the Numbers by hey! · · Score: 1

      Add to this that software engineering has one of the highest turnover rates of any profession. More than 13% of software engineers change their jobs in any given year.

      Assuming that Tesla is representative, and that it does indeed have 37500 engineers, you'd expect 4875 of them to get new jobs each year. So Apple would have hired a little less than 1% of the Tesla engineers coming onto the job market.

      It doesn't look like Apple is making a wholesale effort to snap up Tesla expertise. But that doesn't preclude Apple targeting Tesla more selectively. You'd have to look at the particular people they're hiring. Are they key people? Is there some kind of common denominator?

      --
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  16. Scores of them? Really? by h33t+l4x0r · · Score: 1

    Who wrote this headline, Abraham Lincoln?

    1. Re:Scores of them? Really? by LynnwoodRooster · · Score: 1

      Easiest way to tell if a person is either historically aware or "of a certain age" is to describe your age in scores. Saying "I am two score and 10" leaves most of those under 25 scratching their heads...

      --
      Browsing at +1 - no ACs, I ignore their posts. So refreshing!
  17. we need some more negative Tesla news! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Plz, I need to make some money on the stock I shorted but its not dropping. Slashdot, can you help me out?

    1. Re:we need some more negative Tesla news! by MachineShedFred · · Score: 1

      hah. Like Slashdot moves the needle on relevance anymore.

      --
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  18. Apple carts by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Don't upset the apple cart

  19. Sigh. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    At this point, Apple may as well change their name, they are Apple no more. And cry me a river, Tesla employees. Silicon Valley is now in totality what was once exemplified only by Microsoft. Sad.

  20. Name Calling? by tungstencoil · · Score: 2

    It really makes me question the culture and conditions when someone in a Position of Authority claims that person/people left because the work is 'too challenging' (unless the person leaving explicitly states that). It not only obviously casts a bad light on the previous employee, but it speaks to someone's naive thought that it paints them as scrappier/smarter/more interesting.... Spoiler alert: you almost certainly aren't.

    It's like the remember the old Marine ad campaign that essentially said "we do more hard stuff before 6 AM than most everyone does in their entire day." People were like, "And that's a recruitment ad?! That's supposed to want to make me join?!"

    It did... or rather, it targeted their demographic. Employers who do this kind of ex post facto version by disparaging employees who quit and (gasp!) get a job somewhere else are just douchey.

    Source: I once had an employer's reaction to me quitting was that 'some people just don't like the updated pace since we were acquired,' No, jackass, I didn't like the fact that I was promoted a year ago, told at the time the acquisition meant salary freeze... when the freeze was lifted my as-of-yet-unknown raise would be paid retroactively. Finally lifted, good news: my 1% salary increase would be paid retroactively. My previous boss - whose job I took - made double my salary. The 1% was an insult. Best part: she was genuinely surprised, then angry, when I quit. I understood the acquiring company paid less for the same positions and I was already in the promotion's band but... yeah.... I couldn't keep up... but the three people hired to backfill probably did OK.

    1. Re:Name Calling? by shess · · Score: 1

      Employers who do this kind of ex post facto version by disparaging employees who quit and (gasp!) get a job somewhere else are just douchey.

      Or it means that they aren't able to retain adult HR people. It's easy enough to just say "Different people have different needs in their lives, and it is not our place to share confidential information about ex-employees". Done. You can have the bestest company in the world, doing the most interesting or important work, and people's needs and goals are still going to differ from what the company wants them to do.

  21. Speaks well of Tesla then by cascadingstylesheet · · Score: 1

    If your people are worth poaching, you've got good people.

    1. Re:Speaks well of Tesla then by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      If your people are worth poaching, you've got good people.

      If you can’t keep them, it doesn’t speak well after all.

  22. Waiting for the iRocket by nospam007 · · Score: 1

    Obviously the return flight would be an in-app purchase.

  23. This was inevitable by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Tesla overworks and underpays its engineers. Most of my friends who worked for Tesla have jumped ship for more pay and a much better work-life balance.

    I think Tesla had a lot of potential but Elon's idea of "running on empty" and stretching every last dime (have you seen Tesla's cafeteria?!) was going to wear thin eventually.

    Between this, making cars in tents, and having a largely drug-addicted assembly crew it's easy to see there's not much of a future at Tesla.

    1. Re:This was inevitable by MachineShedFred · · Score: 1

      You get the unfounded FUD-of-the-day award.

      The engineers may get overworked, but as this article proves, they always have the option of going elsewhere if they feel they are underpaid. And you state that you know people that left in order to correct the overworked bit too.

      What the fuck does the cafeteria have to do with anything? And which cafeteria? At the factory? At one of their larger office buildings around the Fremont area? The one in Palo Alto? The design place in LA? Some other damn thing somewhere?

      And let's have some kind of citation for the "largely drug-addicted assembly crew" statement. No wonder you posted Anonymous - there's no possible way for you to back that up, which means it's baseless horseshit FUD from a clueless dipshit. How's the short position going? You buy the $250 options and getting desperate?

      --
      Slashdot still doesnâ(TM)t support Unicode after it was added to the HTML standard in 1997.
  24. depends on which employees... by bkmoore · · Score: 1
    • 1. FTA: "Eight of these were engineering interns." So the real number is 36.
    • 2. also FTA: "...others had been dismissed or laid off before joining Apple." So the real number is fewer than 36. i.e. they needed a job.
    • 3. FTA: "This year Apple has also hired former Tesla Autopilot, QA, Powertrain, mechanical design and firmware engineers, and several global supply chain managers..." We don't know who these people were or how vital they were to Teslas operation.
    • I'm no fan of Tesla, but when you read the article, it sound like normal turnover that any company the size of Tesla would have and is not indicative of anything else.

  25. Re:Apple Hired Scores of Ex-Tesla Employees This Y by MachineShedFred · · Score: 1

    Also don't forget: ... because Tesla had a layoff two months ago that was felt disproportionately in non-car-production positions. You know, exactly the kind of workers that Apple is probably looking for.

    Shocking that a handful of them would end up in Cupertino, what with it being oh-so-far away from Fremont, and suddenly available for full-time employment...

    --
    Slashdot still doesnâ(TM)t support Unicode after it was added to the HTML standard in 1997.
  26. Errr, by garote · · Score: 1

    I don't know if you've ever worked for a startup that crashed and burned and ruined everyone's mental health and finances and spawned multiple lawsuits and wasted gigantic amounts of seed money,

    but CEOs of those invariably sleep on couches as well.

    It's not proof of anything except the _inability_ to effectively delegate - whether for systemic reasons, or deleterious personal preference.

  27. Toxic Culture in Apple's car development by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Apple won't be building a car anytime soon. The work place culture in their software development is too toxic to create a robust system. They hired a very large number of QNX developers. QNX is a very innovative company and has some extremely smart people at it. They should have been the dominant real time OS but their execution has always crippled them. Now Apple has inherited this culture.

    Examples
    - Most people don't comment their code and some people actively strip the comments out.
    - No support for people trying to start work on a particular part of the code - this is almost to the point of being malicious. I'm not sure if it is about a need for job security or just to feel smart by being the only ones who understand how something works.
    - submitting code without a code review
    - changing code without having a reason to change it or even telling anyone
    - no support for people trying to create or document process or even architecture decisions.