Motivation at Starbucks

In one of my classes in the first year of university we talked a bit about the importance of motivation in the workforce not only in terms of lowering the labor turnover but also in terms of satisfying the costumers and making them loyal to the firm. However, I had never experienced the importance of employee motivation in real life myself until this winter break.

It was the third of January in Greece and I had just met my friend Lisa who I had not seen for a long time. As we were walking outside a Starbucks store she said “Let’s get in to say hi to Sara.” Sara was the Starbucks barista. Not being a great fun of coffee myself it was the first time I entered a Starbucks store after three months and I looked at the barista’s behaviour from a different perspective. She was friendly, welcome and seemed to really know Lisa, who she of course called by her first name. Before learning about motivation factors I thought that Sara’s behaviour was her personal character, but I then understood it was all about Starbucks motivating her to behave in such a manner.

I then made a research and found out that Starbucks does, indeed, give great emphasis on the quality of services and the motivation of employees. The idea is that people need to be highly valued, trained, motivated and financially rewarded in order to perform in a way that would satisfy the costumers and make them loyal to the firm.

Based on the equity theory employees in the workforce should feel that they are working in a friendly, lively and enthusiastic environment, without a sense of status within the organisation. Starbucks tries to achieve that by calling their employees “partners” and by making the distinction between the managers and the employees as small as possible. As I later found out Sara was the manager of this particular store but she was wearing the same cloths and worked in the same fashion as the rest of the employees so costumers could not make a distinction.

Starbucks tries to motivate employees both intrinsingly and extrensingly. Employees get trained not only in how to make coffee but also in how to treat and deal with costumers. Gaining knowledge and being able to perform their job well is a basic intrinsic motivation. In addition, Starbucks provides performance-related payment so the more employees contribute to the business, the more they get paid, which motivates employees to work more to gain more money.

Lisa goes to this Starbucks store at least three times a week to say hi to Lisa and Starbucks gains money because of that. Lisa would then tell her friends, including myself, that Starbucks is a good place to get their coffee from, and Starbucks will gain more money because of that. So through this event I realised through a real life example that motivating employees creates loyal, satisfied costumers who then bring more costumers through word of mouth.

13 thoughts on “Motivation at Starbucks

  1. Car Games

    Passion for coffee: Starbucks employees are often motivated by their love for coffee. They enjoy being part of a company that is dedicated to providing high-quality and ethically sourced coffee to customers.

    Personal growth and development: Starbucks offers various training and learning opportunities for its employees. This motivates workers to continually improve their skills and knowledge, which can lead to career advancement within the company.

    Positive work environment: Starbucks strives to create a positive and inclusive work environment. This includes fostering strong relationships among team members, providing recognition and rewards for achievements, and promoting a sense of belonging and community.

    Connection with customers: Starbucks encourages its employees to develop genuine connections with customers. This can bring a sense of fulfillment, as employees have the opportunity to make a positive impact on someone’s day through friendly interactions and providing excellent customer service.

    Benefits and perks: Starbucks offers competitive benefits packages to its employees, including healthcare, paid time off, and stock options. These benefits can motivate employees to perform well and feel valued by the company.

    Corporate social responsibility: Starbucks is committed to social and environmental responsibility. The company’s initiatives, such as ethical sourcing, reducing waste, and community involvement, can inspire employees to work for a company that aligns with their values.

    Opportunities for creativity: Starbucks encourages its employees to bring their own ideas and creativity to the table. This can motivate individuals who enjoy being innovative and contributing to the growth and success of the company.

    Advancement opportunities: Starbucks is known for promoting from within, providing employees with opportunities for career growth and advancement. This can serve as a source of motivation, as employees know that hard work and dedication can lead to higher-level positions within the company.

    Teamwork and collaboration: Starbucks fosters a collaborative work environment where employees are encouraged to work together towards common goals. This sense of teamwork and collective achievement can be highly motivating for employees.

    Employee recognition: Starbucks values and acknowledges the hard work and contributions of its employees. The company has various recognition programs in place to celebrate employee achievements, such as the “Partner of the Quarter” award. This recognition and appreciation can serve as a strong motivator for employees to continue performing at their best.

    Reply
  2. Hanna

    This article shed light on the powerful influence of motivation in shaping employee behavior and its impact on customer satisfaction and loyalty. In fact, it made me contemplate how companies can use this knowledge to their advantage, not just in terms of improving the customer experience, but also in crafting effective buy motivation letter for potential employees to attract and retain the best talent.

    Reply
  3. Sgran

    Disposable vape Products bundles typically come with a fully charged battery. This means you can start vaping immediately without the need to worry about charging cables or finding power outlets.

    Reply
  4. John Mathew

    I read this blog and found it very informative. If you did it yourself then it should be appreciated because its worthy to read, but I think you should hire a professional writer to make your blogs more informational and professional. By the way I’m a professional photographer and content creator, few weeks ago I’m struggling through same thing as yours and doesn’t found any solution to i decided to hire dissertation experts and guess what., they helped me a lot and suggested professional photography dissertation topic ideas. I recommend you contact them to make your content more informational and valuable.

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *