How a Portland coffee shop makes sure it hires the most cheerful and devoted baristas

Anyone interested in working for Ladybug Organic Coffee Company has to fill out a five-page application that includes 10 essay questions. More than 2,000 people have downloaded the application from the Ladybug website (I can't find it but here are the questions), more than 150 people have completed it, but only about 25 applicants have been offered jobs, including former Starbucks barista Tyler Cox, whose essay answers included his account of how he used finger spelling to learn the signs for a deaf patron’s favorite drink -- an extra-hot, nonfat, 16-ounce chai latte with five pumps of chai concentrate. || Read "An Application for Baristas That's More Than Milk and Beans"

Comments

[Mike]

All that build-up and the kid left after less than a year anyway....hmmmm....lol

[mary]

Most of those questions really aren't particularly out of the ordinary...when I went through the Google hiring process, I don't remember what the question specifically was but I remember submitting a writing sample that was all about an instrument I played. And the example of great customer service/greatest strengths/weaknesses-type questions are straight out of the job interview playbook.

The question about the best friend was a little too wacky/cutesy though for me though; when I go to a coffee shop I'm not looking for a buddy, I want someone who's cordial and polite, but above all can make a terrific latte. None of this "chefs, rock stars, baby sitters, comedians, bartenders and therapists all rolled into one" nonsense, thank you.

[Steve R.]

The real irony is that the service at Ladybug kind of sucks. Also, their coffee isn't any good, their bio-cups disintegrate before the coffee cools, and their pastries taste like cat hair. Other than that they do a real nice job, though.

[CamSpi]

for those that are partners, what did you put down on the essay part of the starbucks application? i remember wanting to write a lot on there, so i wrote super tiny. "why do you like coffee? ... Well, I love coffee because the smell, the taste, how it brings people together. Not just in a family or with a group of friends, but the world. (The purchasing, etc.) I love the variety and how coffee isn't just one flavor but there are so many varieties. blah blah"
i'm glad starbucks exists so i could take my coffee loving to the next experience, sharing it with others!!

[P.R.I.D.E.]

From my perspective, these are the same basic questions we ask from our behavioral interview deck- it's just that we would prefer to ask the question verbally rather than have them write their response. Reason being is that we can ask follow up questions when we want to know more detail, or have additional questions based on their response. I think the written approach is kinda lazy, to be honest, as you're asking the applicant to do a ton of work, when all the manager is going to do is scan it for 30 seconds then trash it without even asking any follow up.

And we get to connect over coffee, which is something I see applicants enjoy. I like to watch how they act and what they say as their tasting, smelling, and generall talking about coffee.

It's all part of the application process, to me.

[P.R.I.D.E.]

one more thing- I still end up posting like I work at Sbux ("we") but I'm not there anymore- former partner speak. Sorry, it's a habit.

Looking over that list, i noticed a bunch of the questions were in the two starbucks interviews i had. Personally, i think asking them in question would produce a more genuine and valid answer versus a long application form.
my two cents.

[javajohn]

In a word, big deal. Frankly, the folks at Starbucks and Peet's are friendly enough - if not too friendly - for me. They know my name and my order. All retail folks who deal with the public should be friendly towards their customers. This application process is typical 'over-the-top' Portland. What a lot of these coffee places need to understand is people just want a good cup of coffee. It's not rocket-science and it's not artistry [really, it's not].

[smokeyroast]

I once filled out an application that asked me to draw a self-portrait, I still miss that job.

[Rocker]

I hope after all that work the pay is good