Working for Starbucks

The Starbucks Corporation has become one of the up and coming places to work for since it is one of the very few of the food industry to offer benefits and above minimum wages to both its part-time and full-time employees. As stated in the article by Weber, “Starbucks works hard to select the right employees at the outset, to keep lines of communications open throughout the organization, and to reward and retain employees with an above-minimum wage salary. Its comprehensive health benefits for full and part-time employees and their same-sex and opposite-sex partners include medical (hypnotherapy and naturopathy are covered), dental and vision coverage, tuition reimbursement, stock options, vacation and a 401(k) plan” (Weber, 2005). When individuals look for employment opportunities with the Starbucks Corporation, they must go through a recruitment and hiring process that the company takes very seriously; which is why those that are hired to become part of the Starbucks team have certain standards and expectations that they must have personally as well as professionally. The concept mapping and the recruitment and selection process of hiring prospective employees is straight-forward that is similar to other organizations, but what makes the Starbucks Corporation’s process unique is their requirements of work ethics that are enforced and duly noted on their website – this lets applicants understand what is expected before even applying.
Recruitment and Selection The recruitment and selection process is the process of identifying, attracting, and hiring the most qualified people; management should take this serious as any business may fail without the talent to execute it properly (Cascio, 2010). According to Weber, “Starbucks supplies interview guidelines to hiring managers to help them as questions that reveal whether or not candidates have the core skills necessary for the job. The guidelines provide lists of behaviors that outline the ideal employee for each position” (Weber, 2005). Once the job analysis and the identification of the job requirements are completed, the workforce planning is put into action by the human resources department initiating the recruitment process. After accepting applications for the specific positions, the initial screening takes place where a short list of applicants are chosen and interviewed. Along with this stage of selection are the reference checks, background checks, previous employment details, and testimonies from others about the applicants. Orientation is the next step where the hired party is given hands-on experience for twenty-four hours of on-site training to provide information about the products, services, and day-to-day operations. After the orientation, performance management is the next step; this allows the manager to give feedback in regards to the employee’s performance which helps determine their retention with the corporation. According to a featured article by Workforce Management, Starbucks, which is a Seattle-based company, was among the top on the Fortune’s “America’s Most Admired Companies” (Hammers, 2003). Their first store was started in 1971 and has grown to almost 7,000 stores worldwide. New employees receive twenty-four hours of in-store training on the details of products as well as hands-on experience of preparing beverages and providing proper customer service. The hiring process is usually based on the vacancy required and available in specific locations. Applications are accepted online and if qualified, applicants will be called for interviews – this process is explained earlier in the recruitment and selection process. The Starbucks Corporation has specific qualities and requirements that they look for in applicants and it is all noted on their website for applicants to be aware of before applying. These qualities include enthusiasm, maintaining proper quality of products by taking part in learning the operations, professionalism in maintenance of the store and interaction with customers and coworkers, and being trust-worthy by adhering to the policies and procedures, handling finances of register/banking, and maintenance of inventory. These qualities as well as the performance will be evaluated and will be given proper appraisal by upper management to allow room for improvement; and this evaluation assists in the determination of retention.
Concept Map The concept mapping of recruiting is set on a set of steps of the recruitment and selection criterion for any job offered. In the circumstance of Starbucks, it is important that recruiters follow a concise number of steps to ensure that the proper candidates are chosen for employment. In the recruitment, the best concept map is to start with the actual start with planning out the requisition, searching for a viable pool of candidates, providing an initial screening of the candidates, make the necessary selections, and then offering the position to the highest and best qualified applicant. Following the process can ensure that Starbucks not only selects qualified candidates, but also the one who will stand with the business and make it a career. The concept map for the recruitment and selection process developed by Team B for the Starbucks Corporation is a guideline that helps the organization in the beginning stages of the hiring process. The map starts with business familiarization to create the job analysis to attract and manage applications to select candidates to secure and make appointments for the interview to determine whether or not to join the organization. Through the Starbucks Corporation recruitment and selection process, the methods will result in the appropriately qualified candidate to meet the needs and standards of the company.
In Ending The Starbucks Corporation makes it clear what they are looking for in their employees, which is why they are specific about their qualifications and requirements. In turn, employees are offered benefits that not many eateries/coffee shops offer – there are even some major organizations that do not offer benefits like Starbucks to their employees. It is no wonder that Starbucks employees are often more courteous and give off more positive environments. As stated in the article by Weber, “Starbucks has a swift and systematic way to both screen out candidates and staff up stores quickly. The Starbucks brand is well-known for applicants to self-select to some degree, Southern says, but the company encourages this self-selection by stating upfront on its website and in its hiring advertisements what kind of employees are wanted: people who are adaptable, dependable and passionate team players” (Weber, 2005).

References
Cascio, W (2010) Managing Human Resources: Productivity, Quality of Work Life, Profits (8th edition). New York: McGraw – Hill.
Hammers, Maryann. Workforce Management, October 2003, pp58-59 www.workforcemanagement.com
Weber, G. (2005, February). Preserving the Starbucks Counter Culture. Workforce Management, 28-34. Retrieved from http://www.workforce.com/article/20050201/NEWS02/302019989