Apple shakes up retail workforce with new and renamed job titles, other changes

The new jobs — applicable in the U.S. and the U.K., and possibly elsewhere — include "Pro," "Creative Pro," and "Technical Expert," according to MacRumors. The first is a sales position above Expert, and reserved for the people the most familiar with Apple products. Creative Pros have similar level of knowledge, but applied to learning.

Technical Experts will fill a new middleground between Technical Specialists and Geniuses, helping to alleviate wait times for support. The people will for instance take on some mobile repairs — something that was previously restricted to Geniuses — while doing troubleshooting for some other products and software, two examples being the Apple Watch and Apple TV.

Meanwhile the company has renamed the different sections of the store, changing the sales floor from the "Red Zone" to the "Product Zone," and "Back-of-House" to "Backstage." Appropriately some job titles have been altered — Red Zone Specialists are now simply "Specialists," while Back-of-House and Inventory Specialists have become "Operations Specialists" and "Operations Pros."

"Family Room Specialists" have also been turned into "Technical Specialists" though, and "Business Specialists" are now "Business Experts."

The new credo has six stanzas and sets out broad aspirations. "We are here to enrich lives," the text begins. "To help dreamers become doers, to help passion expand human potential, to do the best work of our lives."

Separately, a unconfirmed tip received by AppleInsider suggests that Apple is establishing its sixth Hong Kong store in the APM Mall, Kwun Tong in the Kowloon area. China has become a focus of the company's retail expansion, particularly Hong Kong, given the city's wealth. The person claimed that Apple could have the outlet open in time for next month's "iPhone 7" launch.