Working at Target vs. Starbucks: Which is a better place to work?

A few years ago, when I was looking for a part-time job, I had difficulty finding what fit my schedule since I was in school. Friends highly recommended fast food restaurants and shopping malls. Before relocating to a nearby Starbucks store, my first working station was at Target. Both stores attract several clients, which is why there is always a lot of traffic in either store. However, they differ in employee features such as work-life balance, culture and values, employee benefits and compensations, CEO approval, and salaries, among other aspects. Read on to learn about the mentioned features and the differences between working at Starbucks and Target.

What are the differences between working at Target vs. Starbucks?

FEATURES	STARBUCKS	TARGET
Work-life balance	Good work-life balance/	Fair work-life balance.
Career opportunities	A variety of career options.	It has more career options compared to Starbucks.
Compensations and employee benefits	Employees have unlimited benefits and compensations.	Target has fewer employee benefits and compensations compared to Starbucks.
Positive business outlook	The company has an impressive positive business outlook.	Target is currently facing challenges intimidating its business approach.
Culture and values	It has an inclusive approach and incorporates decent values in its employees.	Target employs a teamwork approach to its employees.
CEO approval	Starbucks’ CEO receives higher approval ratings than Target.	Target’s CEO approval ratings are lower than that of Starbucks.
Job postings	It has a sound job posting system.	Target’s job posting system is relatively fair.
Salaries	Starbucks has fewer salary submissions.	Target has 45,756 more salary submissions.

Target vs. Starbucks – How does working there compare?

Work-life balance

57% of the employees at Starbucks admit to getting satisfaction with the work-life balance, while 43% oppose it. 83% of the employees work for eight hours or less, and 5% of the employee population work for longer hours. Over the lunch break, 48% take 30 minutes, 20% go for an hour’s break, and 20% have their lunch break at their desks. 47% of the employee report feeling burnt out while working, and 53% have regular work days. In general, Starbucks employees are satisfied with the work-life balance at the company.

Target is one of the busiest retail stores in the world. Employees are always active during work hours, moving and attending to customers. 78% of Target employees work 8 hours or less, while 7% have long work hours. 43% of the employees at Target take a 30 minutes lunch break, 18% take more than an hour, 16% take 45 minutes, 17% take an hour, and a small percentage have it at their workstation. Half the population admits to having burned out, and the other half are satisfied.

In this category, Starbucks wins as it offers a better work-life balance, with most of its employees giving positive reviews compared to Target, whose employees sight specific work-life challenges.

Career opportunities

Starbucks is one of the biggest renowned coffee chains across the globe. The company has employed over 400,000 workers in many stores worldwide. The high number of employees is to the high number of customers. The career opportunities available at Starbucks are retail, retail leadership, corporate, manufacturing, and distribution. Some commonly applied positions are shift supervisors, managers, and baristas. It has a limited selection since it deals with a specific niche in the industry: food and drinks.

Target has a variety of career opportunities: administrative support, assets protection and corporate security, food and beverage, business operations, finance and accounting, legal affairs, global supply chain and logistics, supply chain hourly and leadership, human resource, risk and compliance, marketing media and communications, Target tech, innovation and strategy, store leadership and hourly, financial retail and service centers, merchandising and global sourcing, product design and development, real estate, design, and property management.

Both companies have various career opportunities; however, Target wins this category. It is because the latter company has more career options than Starbucks.

Compensations and employee benefits

Target does a great job taking care of its employees’ needs compared to other retail stores. Many Target employees commend the pay rates for both full-time and part-time. The starting salary is quite pleasing as well. Just like other companies, they have health and dental insurance. The company gives bonuses but only when you have hit a certain level. As an employee, you get paid for overtime, off days, and holidays. It offers 401K matches, gives discounts, and has annual promotions.

Starbucks takes care of its employees well. The workers enjoy free food, drinks, Spotify, and education. Apart from that, they have medical insurance. Since Starbucks takes its employees seriously, they are awarded bonuses and occasionally go on paid vacation. The company also has a 401k plan where employees’ futures are protected. They also receive stock grants; employees enjoy free customer tips while working.

Starbucks has undoubtedly won in this category. It offers impressive benefits and compensation to its employees.

Positive business outlook

Starbucks has a good ambiance; you get to enjoy good service as a customer. Starbucks trains employees to give quality service to their customers whose needs come first. It is convenient, and you can rely upon it to get the same drink and food. The company is receptive to everyone; there is no discrimination against employees and customers. Its future looks promising, given all the new inclusions to its menu and an open-minded business approach.

Target has had a bad hit in its earnings. The company had massive growth and success during the pandemic, but things changed for the worse with reports of stock drops. The company is facing a lot of competition from fellow retailing companies. Online retailing shops such as Amazon have grown ever since the pandemic hit. Other than the negative revenue, Target offers a different business approach. It houses a set of other businesses under its stores.

Starbucks wins this category. The company has had steady growth through the years, hugely attributed to the company’s business approach.

Culture and values

Target employs diverse workers from different backgrounds, genders, ages, and ethnicities. The work environment is quite warm; the employees are receptive to each other. Many employees reported enjoying working at the store since they had friendly colleagues. Some disadvantages are encountering mean customers, unreasonable supervisors or leaders, and understaffing. While working there, you must be a team player, know the limits, and avoid getting involved in co-worker fights.

Starbucks orients toward providing a diverse culture that welcomes people from all walks of life. Starbucks teaches its employees to place customers’ needs first; that is why you find most workers to be warm and very welcoming. However, it is frustrating to employees as they have to deal with problematic clients. Employees have to work as a team to deliver quality service. The company hires people from different parts of the world with no discrimination. There is a sense of belonging among the employees, which customers can witness.

Both companies have an admirable set of values and good culture. However, Starbucks stands out given how inclusive it is of customers.

CEO approval

Brian Cornell has been Target’s CEO since 2014, all through the Covid pandemic era, till date. He brought a lot of changes to the company. Competing with the likes of Amazon and Walmart, Target faced much competition. However, when it comes to retail stores, Target has remained at the top. In 2019. CNN named Cornell the best CEO and has changed the outlook on Target’s retail game to what it is now. Many of its employees’ rate Brian Cornell’s leadership highly.

Starbucks’ current CEO, Howard Schultz, has worked as the chief executive officer at the company previously in 2000 before stepping down. Schultz was the best Starbucks CEO under his reign; the company has seen tremendous store growth and introduced new products into the market. The company’s employees give the CEO a high rating. However, his reign will end soon as the company has named its next CEO, Laxman Narasimhan, who will take over from April 2023.

Both CEOs have done a fantastic job and received good ratings. However, Brian Cornell has done an excellent job while running Target.

Job postings

Starbucks’ job posting system is fair to all its applicants. With stores across the globe, if you are interested in working with the company, you can apply depending on where you are. Starbucks will likely post you to a store near you or your city. Starbucks does interviews followed by training. You can find out about new openings by checking their website or inquiring at the store.

Target offers different opportunities to its applicants. There are various departments, therefore not limiting your choices. You can browse their website to see available jobs. If you want a part-time job, you can apply for that similar to full-time employment. Target offers internship opportunities as well. The company does not have stores across the globe, limiting interested persons from using.

Starbucks is the winner of this category as it has stores widely spread globally.

Salaries

Target beats Starbucks with 45,756 more salaries submission.

STARBUCKS	TARGET
Salaries for similar jobs	Salaries for similar jobs
$19/hr Shift Supervisor 6092 salaries	$72,132/yr Executive team leader 1937 salaries
$15/hr Barista 22302 salaries	$15/hr Cashier 4855 salaries
$15/hr Sales Associate 78 salaries	$15/hr Sales Associate 1624 salaries

The two companies draw in this category as they offer similar pay rates in similar job positions.

Target vs. Starbucks – Employee Reviews

Target Employee Review

A current employee gave the company 4-star rating reviews, “You can pick a schedule that best works for you. There are lots of areas to grow and move up in the company and a great team.”

Another current employee gave the company a 5-star rating stating, “The store has understaffing issues which should be immediately taken care of.”

A former employee awarded the company a 3-star rating saying, “The workload is heavier in some departments despite being on the same pay level, therefore, they should receive higher pay.”

A former employee gave Target a 3-star rating and stated, “The pay is good, and there are many breaks.”

Another current employee awarded the company three stars and stated, “It is a great place to learn, with good opportunities and experiences if you avoid drama and politics.”

Starbucks Employee Review

One employee who gave a 4-star rating stated, “The benefits are amazing and are impressive since all partners can access.”

Another employee awarded the company a 3-star rating stating, “Getting free drinks, food and getting to know many people is one of the pros of working in the company.”

A barista reviewed the company and gave it a 3-star rating saying, “Pay is low and job can be overwhelming especially since some customers can be difficult to deal with and also when working with barista’s that can’t perform a certain role.”

A former employee gave a 5-star rating and stated, “Hours are flexible and allow you to manage your schedule pretty well (if you are a barista)

A former employee rates the company with four stars and says, “Met some great people there, but the revolving door ratio is very high and not many people stay long.”

Final verdict: So, which is a better place to work? – Target vs. Starbucks

Starbucks is a better place to work than Target. Starbucks has many attractive features that are a step higher than Target. For instance, Starbucks offers more benefits and compensation to its employees. Employees enjoy complimentary drinks, food, discounts, health covers, education covers, and bonuses, to mention a few. Starbucks’ work environment is very appealing and takes an inclusive approach when dealing with employees and customers. Despite the few challenges in all businesses, Starbucks is a good cut above similar companies.

FAQ SECTION

Which company values its employees more, Target and Starbucks?

Starbucks takes the welfare of its employees seriously with various benefits and compensation plans.

Which company provides a better working environment between Target and Starbucks?

Both companies have a safe working environment, each with its challenges. Starbucks employees work as a team which relates to how they serve customers. Target employees are understaffed therefore allocating a lot of work to an employee.

Which company invests more in its employees, Starbucks and Target?

Both companies invest in their employees; however, Starbucks employees benefit from owning the company’s stocks.

Does Target provide better employee benefits than Starbucks?

No, Starbucks has better employee benefits compared to Target. Starbucks offers free food, drinks, Spotify, education, medical insurance, stock grants, bonuses, and free tips.

Which employees will likely recommend their workplace to a friend, Starbucks or Target?

Starbucks employees are more likely to refer their friends to their workplace than Target employees. Starbucks offers flexible working hours, average pay, and impressive benefits and compensations.