Starbucks CEO to Cut Jobs to Optimize Support Teams
Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol announced on Friday that the company will be cutting jobs as part of its ongoing turnaround efforts. The cuts, which will be revealed by early March, will not affect the company’s in-store teams or its investments in store hours, according to Niccol. The move is aimed at optimizing the company’s support teams, which he believes have become bloated and slow down the company’s operations.
“This is about making sure that our size and structure can be even more supportive of our customers and partners,” Niccol said in a statement. “Our size and structure can slow us down, with too many layers, managers of small teams and roles focused primarily on coordinating work.”
As part of the company’s ongoing efforts to turn things around, Niccol plans to examine the role, structure, and size of support teams globally. The company has also been working to revamp its U.S. locations, adding features such as comfortable seating, ceramic mugs, and a coffee-condiment bar, with the goal of reducing customer wait times to less than four minutes.