Starbucks has several advantages relating to staff:
Customer service: As discussed in the skills section above, it is important for a retail
operation to have high quality employees, since the employee is the direct link to the
customer, and subsequently embodies the brand.
Lower employee turnover: Starbucks, through generous benefits packages and unique,
flexible working environments, is probably faced with lower employee turnover rates
than its competitors. The retention of qualified, trained employees is important.
Flexible work environment: The apparently flexible work environment for Starbucks
encourages its employees to be innovative, creative, and to take chances.
Strong vision: The vision for Starbucks is reinforced throughout the organization. Unlike
some firms that have a mission statement framed on a wall at head office, the mission,
goals and vision for Starbucks seem to be reinforced at all levels of the organization. This
reinforcement leads to support and buy in from employees, who are more likely to hold
these or similar values as being important.