Claim: Starbucks is the go-to option for frustrated job-seekers

This story says that "in today's tough employment market, one company has become the go-to option for the frustrated job seeker: Starbucks" and that's a problem for McDonald's as it tries to beef up its workforce. One of my friends -- a frustrated job seeker who once had a department-store management position -- applied at Starbucks and never heard back. (Over-qualified?) Are your new Starbucks colleagues coming from higher-level jobs and joining Starbucks because they were downsized and no other job is available? Are you seeing a different type of applicant because of the tough economy? Read "McDonald's faces tall order in trying to sell McJobs"

Comments

[Sad Barista]

Actually, yes we are...but we must make it look too easy as people leave really quickly after they realize how much work we really have to do. That the laughing is to keep our sanity not because we are having this "fabulous" time.

[lattelady]

@Sad, boy are you right!! After 7 years I have seen'em come and go and go and go.... People just think it's all going to be fun and coffee discounts. They really just want to stand around and talk. You have to keep on their ass just to wipe the condiment bar or to make their own coffee!

Even the really young ones get glassy eyed and freak out when they have a line and have to try and be personable AND make all the drinks lined up at their bar.

[slaw275]

We get a ton of phone calls every day from people asking if we are hiring, or checking on their application. What's bad is that the people calling or stopping by the store are sometimes rude about it, and I just want to say to them "Seriously? Do you think getting an attitude is the best way to get hired?"
It doesn't help that for whatever reason, the company decided to post openings for baristas and shifts for my store on snagajob.com and career builder, despite the fact that we are NOT hiring. So if anybody at all: overqualified, underqualified, or otherwise has applied and not heard back from me, it's because I don't have a spot for them.

[Anon]

We are in an area where one in seven are unemployed but any new partners are 18-20 and male with no real work experience.

[abc]

I wish we didnt advertise on snagajob the worst applicants ever!

[Coffee Soldier]

I've been wondering why we get tons of applicants stating Snagajob is where they heard of of hiring. I have never hired an external shift supervisor and I'm getting like 25 applications a week of people applying for non existent shift openings.

[slaw275]

word on the street is that there are job openings posted for every single store, although admittedly I have not researched this.

[adoubleshotofclarity]

Yeah, it sure looks like every store has barista and shift positions posted at snagajob... I'm surprised there isn't some disclaimer that positions may or may not be open and the postings are just to build an applicant pool.

[spence]

We annoy several people a week (that I know of) that bring in applications because they think we are hiring. We aren't.

[gc]

How is the barista or Shift Lead position not anything more than a transitory position?

Frankly, if one holds the barista or Shift Lead position more than a year maximum, I would wonder about their ambitions regarding their careers. Now, mind you, there are exemptions, such as working in these roles through high school for some extra money, but beyond high school, I couldn't imagine anyone serious about advancing holding this position. No one should be working in college, honestly, because they wouldn't be truly dedicated if they were.

After a year, though, you'd need to either move up the Starbucks ladder and get out of the stores and into corporate or find another company that can offer a real career path.

I can see an unemployed person who needs a last-resort job taking a barista or Shift Lead position, but if they're remotely worth anything, they'd surely be able to find a real career within a year easily.

The barista or Shift Lead role just isn't made for people with true career ambitions -- it seems more of a holding pattern position.

[spence]

Oh God. Green Cup is sharing his opinions. I cant help but think he's an underachiever with a good vocab. Obviously, he doesn't have a mgmt position or he wouldn't have the time or inclination to troll this site and abuse people. He would have more important things to do with his time.

[wdp]

No offense, gc, but I think you're wearing some rose-colored glasses there. Some of us who are supervisors would be interested in moving up but haven't had the opportunity. I work at the only bux in my town, and moving isn't feasible right now. The economy must be booming wherever you live...it isn't where I am.

[LV]

gc -

"No one should be working in college, honestly, because they wouldn't be truly dedicated if they were."

This just reeks of elitism. Bet mommy and daddy paid for college, yes? Or supplied you housing and food? One can be truly dedicated to college and still work, because they couldn't support themselves and still complete a degree otherwise.

[Jazzhands]

In continuing the gc bashing, the people i went to college with who worked seemed more dedicated than those who didn't. Most of them weren't just working for fun, they were paying at least part of their tuition, and usually their food expenses as well. They knew how much they were shelling out, and appreciated it far more than those who didn't have to work.
Also, not everyone who works at Starbucks is looking for a career with Starbucks. If you're looking to move up, sure, setting one year as a goal is great, but sometimes it just doesn't work out for you. If it takes longer than that year, should you be considered a failure?
We have a woman at my who's worked for the company for 12 years, still a barista, has no interest in moving up because this is her fun "retirement" job. She is literally the best barista we have. She enjoys her job, and she works at being the best barista, not at climbing the ladder. There is nothing wrong with that, so why should there be disdain?

[baristamclane]

To my understanding, we have a huge applicant pool, but not very many prospective candidates (most are students from the nearby high school). We have a few new hires and I want to rip my hair out when I have a shift with more than one at a time.

I've been trying to advance for most of the time I have been with the company. A couple involuntary moves thanks to my husband's job have discouraged the few opportunities for development that I had. I'm at a point where I am grateful for my management team who have taken an interest in helping me finally move forward, but I'm not sure if it is what I really want anymore.

[inkedmuse]

There's something to be said for the anomoly that exsists between the GINORMOUS list of applicants we receive and the morons we actually hire. I think our store requires a lack of motivation and jerry springer type baggage in order to be considered for a position.

re:OP... I have a friend who works at McDonalds, and it is truly a terrible work environment. There's no WAY i'd ever work there.

[westCstSM]

I am a SM at a tourist-driven store. When I want to hire, I throw down the $75 to advertise on CL. The more eyes, the better. It usually generates 200+ apps, plus a few transfer requests from other cities. Then comes the fun part. Sifting thru the obvious no-go's and finding out what real expectations and why the "over qualified" applicants are seeking work with us. My new hire success rate has always been 90%+

If a store doesn't need to hire, and the SM doesn't regularly check the RHH system, good applicants will not be noticed unless they make it a point to introduce themselves to the manager at some point after applying, and make some kind of impression.

[notsomuch]

Yea, most who apply are not qualified or hired. They think the job is a breeze.

[Electro-Dog]

Ahahaha, "moving up" from barista/shift. What company are you working for? 'cause that doesn't happen at the bux anymore. There is no more asm position in the vast majority of stores to move up to, and every new sm in my district in the last 2 years has been an outside hire, brought in by our still clueless outside hire dm.

[erstwhile]

I've seen at least two store managers made out of shift supervisors in my market, (mostly) due to the elimination of the ASM position. And these managers outperform external hire SM's by a wide margin. It really depends on your market.

I am totally on the bandwagon that generally says to avoid overqualified hires. From my experience, they have minimal motivation and burn out quickly on the amount of work they actually have to do. In that same vein, don't hire people who want something "fun" and some "extra income" on top of their 40-hour/week career. Yeah, that'll last a month at most.

[Slime]

I work in a heavily saturated market. Over the past two years, I have seen atleast a half dozen outside hires come in as ASMs and move into SM positions within 8 months. I have seen one shift move into an ASM position in 5 years with the company and he was sent back to being a shift when Starbucks restructured. With a tiny pay increase, Starbucks is making a killing at the expense of using their SS. If anyone were interested in moving up the ladder at Starbucks, I would suggest getting supervisor or management experience elsewhere and coming in as an outside hire.

[Kenya?Yukon!]

Come work at Starbucks! We'll only give you 10 hours a week (which we expect you to be more than grateful over), belittle just about every aspect of your performance, and make you work the most chaotic, understaffed shifts you'll ever work! Stop on by; hopefully our manager is competent! (Oh wait, our glorious DM's weed those types out).

[Lee]

I've been reading comments on this site for several days now.I was hoping to find info on bar drinks and craps as my whist, mngr.and GM have made the decision that they only want me running the early am shift @ the front which as many of you know is pretty intense, especially when you have no runner and are serving at least a person a minute. Anyway I was also trying to see if other stores have problems being bullied by their supervisors. One of my supervisors is a young girl who has a real issue with me as well as others and literally talks about every shift partner and her manager in a negative condescending manner. The problem is she parties with most of the partners and to stay on her good side at work when I am their they all blackball me but when she isn't there they are so sweet to me. the minute she walks in the store she starts in on me almost following me around barking at me constantly. She only does this with one other person and she has made it clear that she can't stand her. She hates our manager and makes everyone aware of how much she hates her. Although I love what I am doing, This has been one of the worst experiences of my life and their is no one to help me. I recently finished the new book Schultz wrote and as important he says the partners are, I have a hard time believing that if he knew what was going on at our store he would shutbit down, hire all new people and start over! Our rateing for the store are really low customers state that it is not a friendly store. Since starting there a few months ago customers tell me that Starbucks is lucky to have me! Strangers I have never met actually take the time to walk up to me at the front and tell me such. I guess I should have known something was wrong with the store when I heard this more than a few time the first month I was there. It seems to make matters worse for me as all these young kids get ticked off when their long time customers compliment me.I wanted to transfer out but am told I can't for several more months. I can't leave because my family depends on me for the health insurance coverage plus I can only work part time and no other company offers full time benefits for part timers. Does anyone have any suggestions for me? We hired about four inexperienced baristas in the past few months and although I have been told that supervisors are allowed to work the bar per our GM, the new kids are already running the bar but yet I am not allowed! One of the new comers made the comment that she doesn't know how to make half the drinks but guesses at them and knows they aren't correct but who cares! she said that right in front of our shift supervisor and he just laughed! Lately their is a lot of shortages in the tills sonthe shifts are counting all drawers. I was recently told by a supervisor thatbwas leaving that my drawer has never been an issue but I am affraid that the remaining supervisors that are all buddies will purposely show me short just to get me fired. Any suggestions ( an please don't tell me to quit, I should not have to I give this job my all and am extremely dedicated).

[Lee]

Wow! Sorry for the poor grammar! I rambled on so much and got so excited I wasn't paying attention before posting. I meant to say "fraps" not " craps" and "there" instead of " their". That's what this girl does to me! I very seldom make a mistake until she walks in the door then I get so frightened that she will start in on me that I totally screw up!

[brian]

I've been a shift supervisor for two months and I have basically taken on the role of ASST MGR in our store, although we don't qualify for one. I schedule and conduct interviews, do the weekly order, revise the schedule, and coach partners. I work 40 hours a week and my manager really appreciates me. She has recommended me for ASST MGR to our DM should the availability come open within the district. As for hiring overqualified individuals, I, for one, am against it. There are very few people with grad degrees that come into SBUX as a barista and are humble about it. I interviewed one lady who was twice my age and she told me that she would like to have my position within 6 months. My SM wanted to hire her, but I explained that me and the other shifts, also young, would have a hard time working with her when she so blatantly wants our positions and feels entitled to this position. At the end of the interview she tells me "OK, well just let me know when you want me start". I informed her that I had several more people to interview and she told me that she already knew I was going to pick her. Argh, totally turned off from people with degrees trying to become baristas.

@Lee
You need to talk to your SM, or DM. And if that fail, call corporate.