Starbucks Human Resources Company Information

Company Background
Starbucks is based in Seattle, where it was founded. The original Starbucks coffee shop was founded in 1971 in Pike Place Market. Howard Schultz joined the company in 1982, and began to expand its operational scope at that point in time. In 1983, after a trip to Italy, he begins to develop the concept for Starbucks, based on what he saw in the espresso bars in Milan. In 1987, the company came under Schultz's ownership with a group of investors. It began to expand, to Vancouver and Chicago. There were 17 stores in total at this time (Starbucks.com, 2018). Since that point, Starbucks has grown to become the world's largest coffee chain. According to the latest annual report, there are 27,339 stores worldwide, 13,275 being company-owned stores. Starbucks operates in 75 countries in total (Starbucks 2017 Form 10-K).
Mission & Leadership
Schultz is the executive chairman of Starbucks. He has been the driving force in developing the corporate culture at Starbucks, as well as business strategy. When he was not the CEO, for a stretch in the 2000s, the company suffered. The current CEO is Kevin R. Johnson, who has held the role since 2017.
The company's mission is to "inspire and nurture the human spirit – one person, one cup, one neighborhood at a time." (Starbucks.com, 2018). The company does not have a vision statement. Part of the culture can be found in the human resources programs, for example the Starbucks College Achievement Plan and the Starbucks Military Commitment, which outline some of the benefits and policies that the company has for its employees. There are also progressive policies with respect to diversity and inclusion (Starbucks.com, 2018).
Industry and Competitors
Starbucks is in the quick service industry, and sits as the #2 company in the industry, and the #1 coffee chain by far (QSR, 2016). It competes with industry leader McDonalds on coffee and breakfast, and other major competitors include Dunkin Donuts, Panera Bread and a wide range of local coffee competitors, some of which have significant regional strength. The industry is mature, but there can be significant changes to the landscape due to changing consumer tastes and disruptive companies. The largest firms tend to be less affected by the pace of change than the smaller and mid-sized ones. Starbucks attracts employees versus local competitors by offering better benefits and a positive working environment, relative to many other quick service places. There are a lot of Starbucks employees who would otherwise not work in quick service. Versus other coffee chains, Starbucks seeks to differentiate with its benefits and brand strength.
Employees
Starbucks employs 277,000 people worldwide, according to the 2017 Annual Report. 185,000 of these were in the US, around 175,000 at stores and the other 10,000 in head office, warehouses and manufacturing facilities. The company states that "our partners are diverse not only in gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability, religion and age, but also in cultural backgrounds, life experiences, thoughts and ideas." (Starbucks.com, 2018). The company aims to have a lower turnover rate than its competitors by using benefits and company values to attract higher-quality employees, and to screen then for medium- to long-term fit. Starbucks has a higher benefit spend than its competitors, but benefits are better for corporate employees than for retail ones.
Noteworthy Achievement
Starbucks' efforts to create a desirable workplace have led to a number of different awards. These have included winning the award for World's Most Ethical Company from Ethisphere Institute 11 consecutive years (Starbucks.com, 2018), #5 on Forbes list of Most Admired Companies, a list it has made for 16 consecutive years. These achievements and others have significantly enhanced the Starbucks employer brand.

References

QSR (2016) The QSR 50. QSR Magazine. Retrieved January 26, 2018 from https://www.qsrmagazine.com/content/qsr50-2017-top-50-chart

Starbucks 2017 Form 10-K. Retrieved January 26, 2017 from Starbucks.com (2018). Company information. Starbucks Corporation. Retrieved January 26, 2018 from https://www.starbucks.com/about-us/company-information

Starbucks.com (2018) Creating a culture of belonging, inclusion and diversity. Starbucks Corporation. Retrieved January 26, 2018 from https://www.starbucks.com/responsibility/community/diversity-and-inclusion

https://s22.q4cdn.com/869488222/files/doc_financials/annual/2017/01/FY17-Starbucks-Form-10-K.pdf

Starbucks.com (2018) Starbucks company timeline. Starbucks Corporation. Retrieved January 26, 2018 from https://www.starbucks.com/about-us/company-information/starbucks-company-timeline