Learning from Starbucks 3 hour training

Bradley Savoy March 9, 2008

By now you’ve probably heard of Starbucks shutting down all US stores for 3 hours on February 26th to train their 135,000 barista’s on the fundamentals for making a cup of coffee as well as connecting with the customer.

After I got over the initial withdrawal symptoms of not having Starbucks, I realized there were a couple of things that stood out from this decision:

It speaks volumes on the employer brand of Starbucks, specifically related to training. Imagine one of your primary attractors of employment is hinged on a company’s philosophy of continual education. What better statement of a company’s commitment to training than to make a public statement that your organization is so committed to training and education that it will take a loss of revenue by shutting down operations.

As the head of HR and/or Recruiting, what fundamentals would you train your people on? …..for me, Interviewing.
In our research, the interview by phone or in person, is the most important step in the recruiting process. Done well, the interview acts as an evaluation and also a sales tool for your candidate pool. It also enables you with an opportunity to truly represent your employer brand. For all of the media and messages a candidate has seen about your company, this is your opportunity to make those statements real, and further exemplify your brand.

If you focused on one fundamental training area for your function, make it the interview. It speaks volumes about your employer brand, and is the single most important influencer of a candidates decision during your hiring process.

Posted in Human Resources