To be a part(ner) of something bigger

Last week was a special one at Starbucks for many reasons, not the least of which is the graduation of 350 Starbucks partners who earned a tuition-free college degree from Arizona State University through the Starbucks College Achievement Program.

Our partners who participate in the Starbucks College Achievement program make us better. They stay one and a half times longer and are promoted at nearly three times the rate of their peers. 

Since our earliest days, we have worked to build a culture grounded in the aspirations and the success of our partners. That’s why, even part-time partners who work just 20 hours or more a week have had access to comprehensive health insurance, stock ownership and a 401(k) retirement benefit as part of their total compensation at Starbucks. And that’s just the beginning. We’ve continued to listen to feedback from partners to offer creative benefits like access to a tuition free education to help them grow both within and outside of the workplace. Most recently, we introduced access to backup child and adult care through Care.com, and we also expanded paid sick leave and parental leave benefits.   

I am proud to say our total benefits package is valued at three times that of any other company in the industry. And as a company that also pays above minimum wage in every market, we remain in constant pursuit of doing more to create an inclusive and equitable workplace. 

Partners in our stores and the customer experience they deliver each day is a differentiator for Starbucks. With a proud history of industry-leading retention, we embrace a challenge to maintain Starbucks partners realization that they are a part of something bigger. An industry-leading total pay approach along with inclusive and equitable hiring practices are just a couple of the ways Starbucks continues to create the best jobs in retail where partners feel uplifted and inspired to come to work every day. When we take care of our partners, they take care of our customers.