4. Evolving with workers is key, too
“When I first started at Starbucks, I went to a shareholders meeting and [then-CEO Howard Schultz] said, ‘As long as I’m here, we will never have open tattoos,’” Nielsen said. Two years later, that changed. Last summer, Starbucks announced a detailed new dress code, complete with a 15-page lookbook to both show and tell employees what was expected. Patterned shirts, hats, ties and, yes, tattoos, are now allowed.
Guidance for the new policy came directly from the baristas and millennial workforce, said Nielsen. “While the green apron signifies something for us, having to go back to something a little more local that feels like flavor and personality of store was important,” he said.