Best Job EVER

LEADER'S FIELD GUIDE

Which markers does Glassdoor use to rank the top 100 ‘Best Places to Work’ and what does a Starbucks Frappuccino have to do with it?

I have always imagined how much fun it would be to work at a coffee shop! I wouldn’t run the cash register; I would be a barista. I know, you probably have to refill the paper towels in the restrooms and take out the trash. But, wouldn’t it be fulfilling getting to know customers and their favorite drinks? I have close friends who suggest I wouldn’t be very good at that job. What?! Admittedly, I am better at enjoying coffee drinks than making coffee drinks. A lot depends on the customers and where you work.

Perhaps you saw the tweet titled “on today’s episode of why I wanna quit my job” featuring a photo of a Starbucks customer’s thirteen “modifications to his Carmel Crunch Frappuccino including what appears to be seven pumps of dark caramel sauce, five pumps of Frappuccino roast coffee, and a random single pump of honey blend.”¹ Ok, complex customer requests do impact job satisfaction and employee perception of the workplace matters, too!

Glassdoor presents “Employees’ Choice Awards for the Best Places to Work” every year. They compile anonymous opinions on the pros and cons of working for an employer and solicit advice employees have for management. An overall ranking of satisfaction is also obtained, along with the rating of their CEO.²

Here are the other markers Glassdoor uses to select the best places to work:²

1. Career Opportunities: Employees must see a path for growth. They want to learn more and earn more. Mentor and trainer roles can be created for those craving more challenge.
2. Compensation & Benefits: Employees are really good at math when it comes to salary, bonuses, and benefits. Employers can inspire through simple, meaningful adjustments.
3. Culture & Values: Ideals unify teams, elevate purpose, and empower employees. Reinforce tenets of philosophy and behavior even after employees are reciting them.
4. Senior Management: Each leader contributes to a reputation of the workplace. Ignoring bad habits is approving bad habits. The impact appears subtle, yet it is very cumulative.
5. Work-Life Balance: Business and personal time slides out of whack a little every day, becoming weeks and months. Leaders must model and require balance for employees.
6. Recommendations: Rating willingness to endorse a workplace is an excellent measure of confidence and trust in the organization, as few will subject friends to bad experiences.
7. Future Outlook: Employees are generally aware of the company’s overall health and future prospects. Perception of the employer’s six-month business outlook is important.

Customizing beverages at Starbucks and our baristas’ expertise in helping customers find and craft the right beverage has and always will be the heart of the Starbucks Experience. ~ Starbucks, May 2021

In response to Edward’s complicated Frappuccino order, Starbucks chose to reiterate their mission-- suggesting $14.00 beverage orders are welcome.³ By the way, Starbucks did not make this year’s Top 100 Best Places to Work. Ok, maybe my friends are right, my mission is to empower leaders and teams, in part, by improving their workplace. I have the best job EVER! (I do make a mean decaf Americano: no cream, no sugar, no modifications.)

Sources: ¹ Food & Wine: Starbucks Baristas Are Sharing Customers' Most Complicated Orders on Twitter; ² Glassdoor: Employees’ Choice Awards for the Best Places to Work in 2021; ³ People: Starbucks Responds After Barista's Viral Tweet About Complicated Order.

by Michelle Sugerman • Leading Synergies, LLC • © All Rights Reserved

Visit a Synergy Group and discuss the transformative Leadership Development and
Spiritual Growth presented in the Leader's Field Guide. Synergy Group Members
can access this week's Synergy Group Agenda in My Gym Bag.