Hiring and retaining baristas and employees is arguably one of the toughest tasks of owning a coffee shop. The personnel you hire will play a large role in the success of your shop. Finding like-minded people that you can trust is daunting, but there are ways to attract the right people effectively.
“Barista-ing” requires a wide range of skills, some teachable and some of which take months to master. Being able to recognize these skills and attributes in an interview will go a long way.
First and foremost, whoever is doing your hiring, whether it be yourself or your manager, must understand the ins and outs of every aspect of the job. Moreover, they need to understand the goal of the shop itself and the team dynamic. Is the shop a hip one with loud music? Or one that is focused on work from your computer with a chill atmosphere. These are all things that the hiring manager needs to think about and be mindful of when entering into an interview or hiring process.
How to hire the best of the best:
Post that you are hiring across all platforms
Whether you market your coffee shop on social media or not, platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook are powerful tools to reach local people who want to become baristas. You can also utilize job platforms such as LinkedIn or Indeed. Use every platform to your advantage in order to reach the widest pool possible. It can be as simple as a graphic posted to a story or an actual job listing. Tell your current employees to think of anyone they would love to work with. Use every resource possible.
Your branding should convey not only yourproduct but also what it is like to work at your company. When your team embodies the why behind your brand, it will show.
Job Posting Checklist:
- Define the role and key responsibilities.
- Clearly outline qualifications and required skills.
- Create an appealing job description that reflects your brand's culture.
- Choose platforms for posting (e.g., social media, job boards).
- Design a social media graphic or post.
- Inform current employees about openings and encourage referrals.
The Interviews
When setting up interviews, be aware of how quickly they respond to your emails, texts, or calls. Finding reliable people is arguably the most difficult part of hiring baristas. Especially in this day and age, this speaks volumes about how serious a candidate is about the job. Next, personality is just one of those things that cannot be taught. You should know within the first minute of an interview if they would fit on the team. Finally, the most important thing to look for is reliability. They need to show up, period. Ask a question like, “How important is it to show up early to your shift?” and pay attention to how many jobs this candidate has had in the past two years.
Being a barista involves dealing with real people and a wide set of emotions, so it is crucial to find people who genuinely are interested in customer service and making sure the customer experience meets their expectations.
Some key things to look for:
- Schedule flexibility
- How quickly they respond to your communication
- Willingness to learn
- Honesty with their previous roles.
Interview Checklist:
- Prepare relevant interview questions andget to know them as a person.
- Review candidates' resumes in advance.
- Set up the interview space in a comfortable environment.
- Schedule ample time for each interview and take notes
- Assess communication skills and enthusiasm.
- Evaluate personality fit with the existing team.
- Ask situational questions related to customer service.
- Check responsiveness to questions regarding punctuality and reliability.
- Inquire about flexibility in scheduling.
Plan for training
The training period is essential to see how your new hirefits into your team. Managers and owners should step back and evaluate what team members excel in different areas of the shop. Some are amazing on the register, while some feel more comfortable being on the espresso machine. Putting baristas or pairs of baristas in the best spot will help flow and efficiency.
During the training period, these shifts should be with a shift lead or manager who can walk through your process behind the bar. Having the new hires physically do these new skills will help in the long run instead of showing them. Some shops will schedule a training day to see how the barista fits into the shop and team before even hiring them - we see shops have success with this.
Training Checklist:
- Assign a mentor or shift lead for new hires.
- Create a structured training schedule - opening and closing shifts
- Provide hands-on training across different roles (register, espresso machine, etc.).
- Schedule check-ins to address questions or concerns.
- Gather feedback from trainers on the new hire's performance.
Clear path for growth
Offering how baristas can improve beyond being a barista is an amazing opportunity to motivate new hires. Outline opportunities for advancement (example: from barista to shift lead). Most of the time this looks like having a clear list of goals that, once they have all completed, they will get a wage increase. So the growth path could look something like this: training → barista → pay raise → shift lead.
Path to Growth Checklist:
- Lay out the roles available for growth (e.g., barista to shift lead).
- Develop a goal checklist for advancement.
- Communicate wage increase opportunities associated with skill improvement in advance.
- Schedule performance reviews at a regular cadence.
- Provide access to training resources or courses for skill enhancement.
- Encourage team involvement in setting personal and professional development goals.
Don’t be afraid to make mistakes
The pressure of not having enough people behind the bar can often blindside us into a ‘maybe’ hire. The desire is that you can pick the best hire from a pool of amazing people who are inspired by coffee and your shop. Hiring the wrong person can waste time and money, but this should not keep you from hiring. Trust your gut and the experience that you have to choose the best person for the job. If you do end up hiring a “maybe,” do not prolong the process and cut ties as swiftly and respectfully as possible. This is your business at the end of the day.
By following these steps and focusing on these attributes, you can enhance your chances of hiring baristas who will not only meet the demands of the job but also contribute positively to your coffee shop's atmosphere and success.