Starbucks training process

- 2 weeks (or 24h total)

- Orientation 8am-11am
- Coffee passport and Starbucks manual given to you by the company
- First day: watching of a couple of videos on how to brew and taste coffee
- Rotation: you learn how to do every job in the shop
- Learning of all the proportions of coffee and machines and buttons in the store
- The learning process actually continues after orientation as well: your co-workers
help you and train you. You get assigned a partner who trains you
- Training: 6 blocks of online training (how to make drinks)
- They put on the slow shifts at first if you are new
- With good trainers, it takes about 3 months before you are confident enough to
make whatever recipe and Cup is handed to you.
- You cover the POS system, answering drive thru and basic cash manegment. Proper
coffee brewing techniques and what the hell is each drink. Difference between a
latte and a cappuccino, how many pumps go in each size, which topping goes on
which beverage, what gets whip cream or not, how to remain calm when being
berated and yelled at, all of it.
- It usually takes most new hires about three months to master the basics and six
months to get really competent at being a barista. But, they stop learning. There's
always ways to learn and grow and be better. You can take on training new baristas.
- Training Program Tools to Keep it Fun. Starbucks uses tools like “Drink Dice” that
trainees roll and the dice come up with a size, iced or hot, a beverage, a syrup, decaf
or regular and the new barista must determine how to write, say (Starbucks has their
own language) and create that particular combination
- You learn the ounces in each cup, how to make frapps, how many shots in each
coffee (short, tall →1 shot; grande, hot venti → 2 shots, cold venti → 3 shots, trenta
→ none) pumps of syrups flavoring in each (short → 2, tall → 3, grande→ 4, hot venti
→ 5, cold venti → 6, trenta (only comes in cold)→ 7).
- Starbucks aims to be your “third place” meaning, a place you belong, you enjoy
being at.
- In Frappucinos, the syrups are different. For the base, you have coffee base and
creme base. Coffee is for like Java Chip, while creme is for Chocolate Chip. For the
base, you only add in two pumps for short, or two for grande or venti. For the
flavoring base, it’s the same amount as the frap base.
- The amount of ice that goes in is different for each one. On the very top, there is a
tiny one. That’s only used for smoothies. Then a slightly bigger one that’s for talls,
and so on.
- You will also need to know to how to sequence. They won’t expect you to know that
right off, but it’s definitely something to practice.
- You should Never leave espresso shots on the bar for too long
- When making a drink, you should start by steaming the milk (hold the pitcher in the
steamer, have the steamer be at the top of the milk for about four seconds, moving
it slowly in a circle motion). Then, press how many shots you want, then quickly
 pump in the syrup as the espresso is grinding. then set it down so the shots pour
then pour the milk on top. That is how to make a latte.
- With a cappuccino, it is pretty much the same thing, but you hold the pitcher at the
top for about eight seconds instead before you put it in. A macchiato is the exact
same as a latte, but it gets one less pump of flavor and instead of pulling the shots
directly into the cup, you pull them into the small pitcher, pour in the milk and THEN
put in the shots last.

Positives
- Wonderful benefits for part-time partners (just need to average 20 hrs)
- Coffee Markout every week (free bag of coffee or tea)
- 401k
- You meet some pretty wonderful customers and partners
- Discount website for Starbucks partners on certain things like - Skechers, phone bill,
insurance, ect.
- You do run into some pretty amazing leaders in the company that will inspire and
encourage you.
- Partner resources support for questions and concerns we may have, if you are
struggling emotionally there’s support for that.
- Cup Fund - Helps out partners that that fall on hard times.
- Stock - Partners get Starbucks stock that they can sell or invest.
- Sick pay - 5 days is the max.
- Barista Championship - competitions to highlight our crafting skills.
- Partner of The Quarter - highlight a partner every 6 months that goes above and
beyond for their store, customers and partners.
- Manager of the quarter - Managers also get highlighted every quarter for their work
- North Star Hero - Newer recognition program - Highlights the partner that is
everything Starbucks strives to be. Lives and breathes our mission and values. This
one is pretty special because it only chooses one partner per district.
- Tips - Every week we split tips we’ve earned.
- Schooling - Starbucks pays for you to go to school. Online schooling - ASU, they will
pay for your tuition and support you through your journey.
- Starbucks stores have a very warming environment, if you’re lucky enough to be in
the right store it is a truly special experience I think everyone should have.

Negatives
- Pay - pay really isn’t great
- Hours - Starbucks doesn’t guarantee hours, at least until you’ve made it to store
manager or ASM. As a barista you can have anything from 10 - 15 - 20 - 25 hours a
week. Most managers will try to keep their partners at 20 for benefit reasons so
they’re still eligible.
- Complicated Menu - Starbucks is pretty famous for having what many people
consider (obnoxious) drinks. Usually starting it’ll take a new partner about 6 months
to get the gist of our core drinks. Then after that it’s learning about seasonal drinks,
new recipes for certain events, secret menu that we don’t officially have in stores so
 you’d need to rely on the customer to give you that drink build. It can be very
overwhelming.
- Not given enough labor - this is a huge issue with many stores, not enough labor to
support growing business. Cut of a lot of partners after peaks (busiest part of the
day). Still, they expect you to do everything we’re suppose to do in terms of giving
amazing customer experiences and super fast drive-thru, but with less partners it is
hard to continue focus on that when you’re literally drowning in customers.
- Promotion - there’s really no room to move up.
- Starbucks is very different on how they approach moving up in every district, a lot of
hired in managers are put in stores over experienced partners wanting to progress in
the company. Sometimes you’re not even given an opportunity to interview! It’s very
stressful and discouraging to partners that have been working for many years and
doing things right to be tossed aside for an outsider that has a degree in
management. Which I believe is the reason why Starbucks has many stores that fail
and why turn over is so high at times.
- Customers - You meet the good, bad and super bad.
Most managers will step in when things get too hot and heavy but for the most part
all partners are trained to Make every moment right and sometimes it can be
extremely difficult to do so when a customer is still trying to fight rather than come
to some happy agreement.
- Policies - policies have changed a lot and there’s a lot we aren’t allowed to do which
makes our job harder indeed. There’s a lot of changes to keep up on, nothing every
stays the same. It’s important to always search for knowledge and read as much as
you can to keep updated.
- Changes - Starbucks is ever changing, always coming up with new ideas and this can
be very hard to deal with if you’re a creature of habit. They are always pushing new
drinks or new food, new coffee or new procedures. They definitely keep you on your
toes.

On-demand instructor-led training that’s the same every time.

A video platform enables trainers to record one training class and then
share it securely for any employee to view on-demand in an interactive
multi-media player that gives them the same in-class experience. Not only
does this require less of an investment in travel and central training
facilities, but it also ensures that every employee at every store is trained
consistently.
Enable social learning between stores.
With mobile apps designed for simple on-the-go recording, a video platform
can enable employees at any location to share useful tips with every other
store location. Whether it’s a simple cleaning hack or simply celebrating an
interaction that made a customer’s day, managers, supervisors, and
baristas can all film a short video with their smartphone and upload it to
a searchable central video library for anyone to find — just like they would
on social media.