Page 24 - The Starbucks Experience

Introduction

That training pays huge dividends for Starbucks in retain-
ing employees, maintaining connections with current cus-
tomers, and bringing new customers into its stores. Starbucks
staff retention is unprecedented in the quick-service restaurant
sector. The employee turnover rate at Starbucks, according to
some reports, is 120 percent less than the industry average.
Maryann Hammers states in Workforce Management, “Star-
bucks employees have an 82% job-satisfaction rate, accord-
ing to a Hewitt Associates Starbucks Partner View Survey.
This compares to a 50% satisfaction rate for all employers
and 74% for Hewitt’s ‘Best Place to Work’ employers.”
While not every leadership team can reward employees
with stock options or health-care benefits for part-time
employees, every business leader can treat those individuals
with enough daily care and concern to inspire passion and
creativity in their work. 9
In its mission statement, Starbucks leadership has com-
mitted to “provide a great work environment and treat each
other with respect and dignity.” As with all aspects of its mis-
sion, Starbucks management has established internal checks
to make sure that leaders are actually living the company’s
espoused values. This process encourages all partners to bring
their concerns to a Mission Review Committee when they feel
that policies, procedures, or leadership behaviors are stray-
ing from Starbucks commitments.
One such concern involved the lack of paid leave for adop-
tive parents. Within three weeks of this issue making its way
to the Mission Review Committee, Starbucks leadership pro-
vided this parent group a two-week benefit. If leaders expect
staff to meet and exceed the expectations of their customers,
those same leaders must respond to concerns and exceed
expectations on behalf of their staff.