Starbucks Corporation is a very famous American coffeehouse chain with an international presence in 80+ countries worldwide. It is headquartered in Seattle, Washington, and was founded in 1971. This multinational company is the world’s largest coffeehouse chain. Starbucks is popular for its hot and cold drinks, espressos, lattes, macchiatos, Frappuccinos, juices, pastries, and snacks. The CEO of the company is Kevin Johnson. In this article, we’ll talk about working hours and partner schedules at Starbucks and will learn a bit more about the company. Here, let’s know about Starbucks Partner Schedule.
Starbucks refers to its employees as partners. Talking about the partner schedule at Starbucks, the hours are quite flexible. However, according to Indeed, they schedule everyone based on their needs. The scheduling also depends on the store manager and how kind the manager is. Hence, the working hour flexibility is determined by the store’s needs. The employees are encouraged to have an open work schedule at least 12 hours a week. According to Payscale, Starbucks pays its partners an average of $75,927 a year. Salaries at Starbucks range from $42,618 to $129,296 annually. Therefore, in theory, it’s very flexible but management can quickly pin you down as an opener, mid, or closer. Let’s go more into detail below.
Working Hours –
Starbucks’ working hours are pretty flexible, according to most partners. They schedule their employees according to their own needs and also on their availability. Most people don’t have any particular days off. All partners must be paid an average of 20 hours per week, which would be equal to about 520 hours during each six-month measurement period. For store managers, it’s usually 40 hours per week. Starbucks shifts can range from 4 hours to 8.5 hours. Part-time employees have to work for about 12 hours to 20 hours per week, depending on their availability.
Benefits –
There are several benefits of working at Starbucks. Some of them are as follows: It offers its partners multiple choices for medical, vision, and dental plans as well as health care and dependent care. They also provide life insurance, disability, and accident coverage. They also offer a 401k retirement plan, discounted company stock, and an equity reward program called Bean Stock. Starbucks also provides paid time off. Both retail and non-retail partners are eligible for paid vacation days and sick time. They observe 7 paid holidays during which a partner is paid 1.5 times their base hourly rate of pay for any number of hours worked during these holidays.
Leaves –
Partners are also provided parental leave. Starbucks also offers its eligible partners the opportunity to earn a bachelor’s degree with 100% full tuition coverage, counseling, and coaching through Arizona State University. They also offer a commuter benefit to their partners like transit passes funded by pretax payroll deductions. Starbucks also has a Caring Unites Partners (CUP) Fund which helps their partners in financial crises, such as illness, death, natural disasters, etc.
Perks –
Starbucks partners are eligible to receive a free box of tea or a pound of coffee every week. Partners are also offered a 30% discount on the purchase of food, beverages, or merchandise. They also hold recognition programs to reward partner achievements through formal and informal programs. They also provide affiliate discounts like home, pet, and auto insurance. Plus, all U.S. partners get a Spotify premium subscription. For partners working in the Starbucks Support Center, get multiple services under one roof such as an on-site gym, daycare and dry cleaning facilities, and much more.
Training –
After submitting an online application for the job, Starbucks calls individuals for an interview within a week. Once the interview is cleared, the training process begins. The training is usually for about 2 weeks. In the first section of training, the partner roles are explained. In the next section, the training is conducted by a Barista and it involves hands-on training and computer-based learning.
Holidays & Payments –
Starbucks partners are paid biweekly, that is, twice a month, or once in two weeks.
Starbucks only observes 7 holidays a year. They are – New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day. On other days, they remain open. The holiday season is by far the most crowded and the employees earn a bit extra during this time.
Work Environment –
A typical day for most partners at Starbucks includes serving customers, preparing beverages, taking care of ingredients, generalized cleaning tasks, taking orders, getting food and coffee ready, heating food in the oven, and finally cleaning and stocking up to get ready for the next day.
Internships –
Starbucks offers internships to students during the summer. It’s usually for 10 weeks. Students at least 16 years of age are allowed. This is usually a paid internship. Starbucks also has apprenticeship, which is on-the-job training.
Now let’s take a look at the various types of jobs, the menu, and the merchandise available at Starbucks.
What does a Barista at Starbucks do?
Starbucks baristas have to perform several duties and customer service. They take orders, make coffee, tea, and other drinks according to what customers order. They may also operate cash registers or credit card machines. Baristas are also supposed to clean coffee machines, restaurant areas, preparation areas, and restrooms. They also have to maintain good customer relations and deliver the orders on time. A Barista usually makes an average salary of $18,484 per year.
What’s the role of a Shift Supervisor?
The shift supervisors have to count money, tell the baristas where they are working that shift, ensure that all aspects are covered and all partners are working. They run the morning, mid or closing shift. Apart from assigning roles to partners, they also have to open or close the store and train new employees. Usually, everyone starts as a Barista and later can be promoted to the shift supervisor position. Typically, a shift supervisor will earn about $16 an hour, which is equal to about $32,000 per year.
What does a Store Manager do?
According to the Starbucks website, the majority of the time of a store manager is spent on supervising and directing the workforce, making staff decisions, ensuring customer satisfaction and product quality, and managing the store’s financial performance and safety. Averagely, a store manager can earn about $50,000 per year or more.
What’s the role of a District Manager at Starbucks?
District managers have to lead a multi-store portfolio. They are accountable for store performance in their district. They need to have leadership qualities and delegate key responsibilities and practices to the store management team. They also have to develop strategic and operational plans for the workgroup and manage execution. They should provide functional expertise, coaching, and feedback to their teams. A distinct manager earns approximately between $86,513 to $98,316 per year.
What’s the menu like for Starbucks?
Starbucks has a wide variety of drinks, with the primary ingredient being coffee in most of them. They have americanos, brewed coffees, cappuccinos, espresso shots, flat whites, lattes, macchiatos, mochas, and clover brewed coffees in the list of hot coffees. In the list of cold coffees, the list has mostly iced drinks of the hot coffee versions. Apart from this, they also have hot teas, iced teas, cold drinks, hot drinks, and Frappuccinos which are blended beverages. They also serve snacks mostly consisting of hot breakfast, lunch, bakery goods, sweets, and oatmeal dishes. According to several partners, most people in the morning are busy office-going people who grab a hot coffee and some breakfast, such as sandwiches or wraps. During the afternoon and evening, students are mostly found in the place for lunch, such as paninis or pretzels and Frappuccinos.
Is there any merchandise? –
Starbucks also has its merchandise sold in most of its stores. The majority of their merchandise just consists of cold cups, tumblers, and water bottles, but on a few special days, such as the holiday season, they come out with new merchandise such as coffee cups, etc with limited stock.
Frequently Asked Questions –
Following are some FAQs about working at Starbucks.
What’s the hiring age at Starbucks?
According to several sources, the hiring age is usually 16 years or older. Although it may vary from state to state. Some may prefer 18 years or above too.
What questions do they ask at the interview?
Possible questions could be –
- Tell us something about yourself.
- What do you know about Starbucks?
- Why do you want to work here at Starbucks?
- What is your strength?
- What are your weaknesses?
- How would you deal with a difficult customer?
- Where do you see yourself in the next five years?
- Why should we hire you?
- What hours can you work?
- Tell us something that motivates you.
- Something that demotivates you.
- What are your salary expectations?
- Can you work standing for long periods?
- How would you define excellent customer service?
- Why did you leave your last job?
- What is your favorite drink at Starbucks?
- How do you handle stress?
- Do you have a question for us?
- Do you like coffee?
- Can you make a good drink?
What is the dress code at Starbucks?
Starbucks allows black, grey, brown, navy blue, or khaki pants and only white T-shirts or tops. The green apron along with the badge must be worn at all times. Colored hair, facial hair, tattoos, piercings, chunky accessories or jewelry, perfumes or colognes, and long nails are not allowed.
Therefore, Starbucks is an excellent place to work, especially for coffee and drink lovers. Starbucks employees aren’t allowed to wear any perfumes or colognes because they feel that the smell of perfume would mix with the smell of coffee, which won’t be liked by customers. That’s the reason why all Starbucks stores have an aroma of coffee in them.
Initially started in 1971, this coffeehouse chain now has a multinational presence, making it the world’s largest place to grab a coffee. The flexibility in hours and offering of part-time is the best thing here. Even if you want to work according to your availability, you will be allowed to do so. The good part about here is the friendly environment.
Starbucks refers to its employees as partners. The managers at times can be strict, but also kind. It is perfect to work for college students or high school students who want to earn some money on their own for their necessities. Starbucks also comes out every season with their special drinks, which are very popular. For example, during the fall, the Pumpkin Spice Latte is a Halloween favorite for several customers. During Christmas time, the season’s offering is mostly the popular Mocha Praline, which is said to be a Christmas classic.
Several students also take part in the internship help during the summer at Starbucks. They learn Barista techniques like making Frappuccinos, lattes, etc. Hence, we conclude that Starbucks has a great partner schedule, along with excellent benefits and perks. The working hours are flexible and will suit all employees, whether they work part-time or full-time.
Overall, it’s a good place to work and reap its several benefits and perks with good pay and coffee and food for free. If you’re a coffee-lover, then this is the place for you!