Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol says he’s aware of the company’s staffing shortages, and he’s looking into the reasons why that’s so.
Bloomberg is reporting that the coffee chain’s newly minted boss has been advised of the “skeleton staff” issues and stated that he’s working to correct them.
Based on previously confidential internal survey data obtained by the outlet, only 33% of employees believe that their locations consistently have enough staff to perform efficiently. Staffing received the lowest approval rating out of all the 45 questions employees answered in the poll conducted in April.
According to the corporation, there has been growth in several areas of the worker experience, and employee satisfaction is increasing.
One former employee has a theory on why Starbucks employees are so disenchanted with their positions: the staggering increase in customization. Nicole Palmer, the military family advocacy CFO of IGY6, said on LinkedIn that too many people are over-customizing their drinks for social media purposes, which puts an increased strain on overworked employees.
“Customization is a double-edged sword. While it keeps customers coming back, it also overwhelms staff,” she wrote. “Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for having my drink made to order, but within reason. Customizing drinks is part of what makes Starbucks wildly successful, but it comes at a cost, particularly for the employees. During peak hours, we had just 45 seconds (may not be current practice) [to] move an order from the edge of the building to the window, but with custom drinks often requiring multiple baristas to work at different stations, those 45 seconds turned into minutes. It wasn’t just about making the drinks; it was about managing the stress and burnout that came with the constant juggling act.”
Starbucks Has a Persistent Employee Retention Issue
Starbucks’ persistent employee retention problem due to what some say is its intolerable working conditions has prompted the formation of a worker’s union for its employees.
Earlier this month, it was announced that the 500th store to join the union in Bellingham, Washington, completed its necessary steps to do so. A news release that CNBC obtained states that since the first location chose to unionize in 2021, more than 11,000 baristas have joined the union.
“This milestone is a testament to workers building power from the ground up,” Lynne Fox, president of Workers United, said in a statement. “Starbucks partners have boldly demanded a voice on the job and with it, strong contracts that ensure respect, living wages, racial and gender equity, fair scheduling and more.”