How To Get A Job At Starbucks

Starbucks has grown to be a giant in the coffee industry, with nearly 15,000 locations in the United States alone. The brand is unmistakable with its mysterious mermaid logo and the forest green aprons wrapped around the waist of every employee.

In addition to delicious varieties of coffee drinks, Starbucks also offers an abundance of job opportunities for people with varying experience levels.

If you’re wondering how you can get a job at your local Starbucks, read on through the following article.

Common Job Titles at Starbucks

Starbucks has a lot going on behind the scenes to properly run each franchise. There are many job titles cohesively working together at every location to make the perfect cappuccino for every customer. Below are some of the common positions offered at Starbucks.

1. Barista

   Average hourly pay: $10.73/hr

   The most popular job at Starbucks locations is working as a barista. These are the individuals on the ground floor directly interacting with customers to make the experience a great one. Their standard daily responsibilities include:

   • Taking customer orders and offering advice when requested

   • Preparing iced and hot coffee and tea beverages

   • Cleaning equipment and work station

   • Collecting customer payments

   • Stocking

   Working as a barista at Starbucks is an excellent option for entry-level employees who haven’t worked before, like high school and college students. It’s a perfect starter job to start bringing in a steady paycheck as a young adult and learn the structure of a customer service business.

2. Shift supervisor

   Average hourly pay: $13.06/hr

   The role of a Starbucks shift supervisor has more managerial responsibilities to uphold. They often have a little more experience than a barista and act as a guide to maintain their location’s customer service according to Starbucks ’ standards.

   In short, a shift supervisor acts as a role model for other employees and oversees operations with the help of the store’s assistant manager.

   Other tasks associated with being a Starbucks shift supervisor include:

   • Monitoring the location’s operations for success

   • Keeping cool during periods of stressful situations

   • Training new employees

   • Communicating with the assistant manager about employee performance

   • Handling customer issues that arise

   • Sticking to set Starbuck’s policies

   Since being a shift supervisor requires a fair amount of leadership, they need to have good communication skills, teamwork, and experience managing a retail store.

3. Assistant store manager

   Average hourly pay: $17.56

   Working as an assistant store manager is another step up on the hierarchy at Starbucks. Their job is to support the manager in running the location’s operations and supervise the shift team.

   It’s another position that relies heavily on portraying good behavior that’s in accordance with the Starbucks values of a customer-focused attitude.

   Common responsibilities of an assistant store manager at Starbucks include:

   • Encouraging a positive team mentality that motivates others to succeed

   • Building rapport with both the shift team members and managers

   • Communicates to evaluate customer needs

   • Identifying potential store issues to alert a manager and come up with solutions

   • Coaching employee performances to meet Starbuck’s standards and providing productive feedback

   Many of an assistant store manager’s tasks are similar to that of a shift supervisor, but they have more authority and often coordinate with the higher-up managers.

4. Store manager.

   Average hourly pay: $26.32

   A store manager is the main director of a Starbucks store’s workforce. They’re the leaders of every other supervisor in the store. They’re concerned with the quality of service that their Starbucks location is putting out to the customers and how well the location is being managed.

   A Starbucks store manager’s main concerns are:

   • Monitoring Starbucks store staff at various levels

   • Setting SMART goals for the shift employees and associate managers

   • Supervising disrupted transactions

   • Implementing Starbucks employee programs and action plans

   • Displaying a trustworthy management style

   • Using tools to evaluate store performance and make changes when needed

   The duties of a store manager extend past providing excellent customer service. They work diligently behind the scenes to ensure that every other employee can do their job properly.

5. District manager

   Average hourly pay: $43.40

   A district manager’s role in the Starbucks corporation involves devising large-scale plans for continued success. District managers are accountable for the performance of multiple Starbucks store locations.

   The goal of their job is to drive business towards the Starbucks franchises they manage and adhere to the company’s vision.

   Some of a district manager’s responsibilities include:

   • Executing company-wide initiatives

   • Supporting their store’s management team

   • Handling any issues or unusual occurrences in their store

   • Monitoring staffing decisions

   • Delegating tasks to supervise staff

   • Keeping a close eye on store environments to quickly solve any problems that arise

   A Starbucks district manager needs a lot more professional experience than other positions at the company. They supervise the operations of multiple stores and motivate their management staff to succeed. This position requires at least five years of retail management experience.

Where to Find Starbucks Jobs

If you’re interested in finding a job at Starbucks but don’t know where to start looking, you’ve come to the right place. Below you can find three reliable sources for various Starbucks.

1. Job boards. As with many professions, the first place that Starbucks applicants should begin their search for an open position is a trustworthy job board. A job board is a place where employers, like Starbucks, advertise the positions that they’re currently hiring for.

   These postings include details about the role’s responsibilities and requirements.

   Check out Zippia’s job board for Starbucks positions that are hiring in 2021.

2. A referral. Starbucks in its entirety employs 349,000 people as of 2021, which spread across many different kinds of jobs. With all of those employees, you likely know someone who works at a Starbucks location or used to, that can give you a referral.

   A referral. Starbucks in its entirety employs 349,000 people as of 2021, which spread across many different kinds of jobs. With all of those employees, you likely know someone who works at a Starbucks location or used to, that can give you a referral.

3. Starbucks career page. Perhaps the most reliable resource for finding jobs at Starbucks is their own website. On the Starbucks career page, you can find all their open positions according to your location and role preference. This information is regularly updated to include new job listings as they become available.

Tips for Applying to a Job at Starbucks

1. Review the Starbucks values. Every company has a unique set of values and goals that they want to encourage in their employees. Before applying for a position with Starbucks, review what traits are important to them.

   Examples of Starbucks values and objectives include:

   • A culture of inclusion

   • Delivering a welcoming atmosphere

   • Minimizing their environmental footprint

   • Creating valuable career opportunities for all

   • Ethically-sourced coffee

   • Strengthening the community

   The Starbucks website is a great resource for more information about their company views.

2. Visit a local Starbucks to get familiar with their menu. Since Starbucks is a massive coffee retailer across the globe, there’s a greater expectation for applicants to be familiar with the brand.

   If you’re a long-time regular, this shouldn’t be a problem. For applicants less experienced with the organization, visit a store to get a little knowledge of their menu items and how a Starbucks system operates.

3. Consider the questions you’ll be asked in a Starbucks interview. While it might sound a little hasty to think about an interview before applying, it’s never too early to be prepared. Research the types of questions that you’ll be asked during an interview for a Starbucks position.

   The benefit of applying with a major corporation is that many people have already been through the application process. They can provide details about the exact questions that were asked when interviewing for a particular position at Starbucks.

The Starbucks Interview Process

You’ve received the good news that your online application has been received well by a hiring manager at Starbucks, and they want you to begin the interview process. Take a moment to be proud of yourself because it’s an accomplishment to have gotten this far. Now that you’ve basked in the glory, start getting prepared for what’s ahead of you.

After your online application materials have been approved, you’ll move on to the next three steps of the hiring process.

1. Personality screening. One of the more unique aspects of the Starbucks interviewing process is the personality assessment. The assessment is an online test that evaluates a candidate’s character or choices in particular situations.

   It helps the human resources team decide if a candidate has the type of personality that will help him succeed while working at Starbucks.

2. Phone interview. If a candidate demonstrates desirable personality traits in their personality screening, they’ll be asked to coordinate a time for a phone interview.

   The phone interview is another layer of filtering out the perfect applicant to fill an open role. Expect the phone interview to take less than 30 minutes and ask questions about your availability and general work experience.

3. In-person interview. Once making it through the phone discussion, you’ll finally schedule a time to meet up with the hiring manager for an in-person interview.

   Since this is the final test before Starbucks decides to hire you, it’ll be a little more intense. The interviewer will ask behavioral questions to understand how you might act in common workplace situations.

   The best way to secure success during an in-person Starbucks interview is by getting comfortable with the questions you’ll be asked and preparing strong responses.

5 Common Starbucks Interview Questions

1. Why do you want to work for Starbucks? The Starbucks Corporation wants to hire people who are interested in the job for the right reasons. To figure out more about a candidate’s intentions and familiarity with the company, the interviewer asks, “why do you want to work for Starbucks?”.

   Expect to receive this question early on in the interview. It’s helpful to know a little about the company culture of Starbucks so as to be able to throw in some details that you appreciate about their organization.

   Example Answer:

   “I want to work for Starbucks because I’m interested in developing my customer service skills further. I have previous experience working in a restaurant, and I love giving people an excellent service experience.

   I think that Starbucks is the perfect environment to use my knowledge and gain leadership skills. Additionally, I’ve noticed that the Starbucks corporation values teamwork and inclusivity, which sounds like an ideal work environment for me.”

2. If you saw a co-worker steal a dollar out of the register, what would you do? The hiring manager for Starbucks is likely to ask behavioral interview questions to see how you would react in a tough professional situation, such as witnessing a co-worker stealing.

   This particular question is testing your integrity in the workplace. Answer by explaining the steps you would take in this scenario while trying to maintain this principle.

   Example Answer:

   “If I saw a co-worker steal a dollar out of the register, my first reaction would be to check with them and make sure it wasn’t a mistake since a dollar is such a small amount of money.

   If the co-worker refused to return the dollar, I would be forced to report the situation to my supervisor because stealing would go against the Starbucks code of ethics.”

3. How would you tell a customer that we ran out of an item they wanted? Another type of Starbucks interview question that you’ll get is inquiring into how you would handle common workplace interactions, such as telling a customer the store is out of a product.

   This question is also best answered by breaking down your process for this exchange into several steps. While it may seem like a simple situation, explain it with a little detail.

   Example Answer:

   “When discovering that the store is out of an item that a customer requested, I would return and apologize for the inconvenience. After the letdown, I would offer a suggestion that was similar to the product that they wanted. Throughout the process, I would continue to be apologetic and solution-oriented.”

4. What is your favorite Starbucks drink? This interview question tests your general familiarity with the Starbucks brand and products. Hopefully, you’ve frequented a Starbucks location at least once before your interview and can provide a drink you like.

   Try to name the full product name as Starbucks refers to it. If you can’t think of anything, everyone enjoys a nice warm hot chocolate.

   Example Answer:

   “I have a few Starbucks drinks that I like, but my all-time favorite is iced cloud foam macchiatos. I wish they weren’t seasonal!”

5. What do you think makes good customer service? At the end of the day, the business model of Starbucks is centered around providing excellent customer service. Be prepared to receive a few questions about your experience, skills, and opinions about this.

   When answering this question, mention specific skills that contribute to a positive customer service experience.

   Example Answer:

   “I think the main qualities that encourage excellent customer service are communication skills and working well under pressure.

   The service environment is fast-paced, and you need to keep your cool to understand what a customer needs. Communication helps build rapport with a constant stream of customers and effectively solve problems when they arise.”

Author

Sky Ariella

Sky Ariella is a professional freelance writer, originally from New York. She has been featured on websites and online magazines covering topics in career, travel, and lifestyle. She received her BA in psychology from Hunter College.