How to Write a Barista Job Description: The Ultimate Guide

Trying to run a successful coffee shop is difficult. 

But trying to run a successful coffee shop without a team of committed, value-aligned, eager-to-learn baristas? Now that’s a whole different story. 

Hiring the right baristas for your coffee shop is a must if you want to create an environment that makes your customers feel seen, heard, and ready to come back (time and time again). And, the only way to find that “right” barista is by putting out a job description completely tailored to your ideal candidate.

In this blog, we’ll guide you through writing a barista job description for your coffee shop, starting with the rationale behind intentional hiring and ending with a free barista job description template to download and use. 

For even more insights, check out part 2 of our barista hiring series, where we teach you how to replicate Starbucks' job descriptions to attract top talent.

Ready to learn how to make your next barista hire the best one yet?

Let’s get started. 

The Importance of Hiring the Right People

If you want your coffee shop to be the best it can be, your hiring approach needs to be the best it can be, too. 

That means you’re not just rapid-hiring anyone and everyone who pushes through an application. You’re hiring intentionally and thoughtfully, putting time into finding the right people to be your coffee shop’s next baristas. 

Now, finding the right person is a much more patient process than simply hiring whoever’s resume hits your inbox first… but it always pays off in the end. 

Here’s how hiring the right people will make all the difference to your coffee shop. 

1. Customer Experience

A top-shelf customer experience can make or break your coffee shop’s chance of success. But, by hiring the right people, you can ensure high-quality service standards are always being met. 

Now, before hiring folks to improve customer experience (CX), you need to decide what good CX means to you and your guests. With some studies identifying over 75 contributing factors to CX, its determining factors are extremely subjective… and there’s no way to offer everything to everyone at once. 

So, the best way to make sure your CX is always great? Figure out what’s important to your customers, and hire people you can trust to consistently deliver that CX. Because, according to Stacy Sherman of Doing CX Right®, that’s the only way to stand out.

“If you think about it, there’s not much to coffee. It’s [just] a drink,” said Sherman. “[What] makes coffee stand out above anything else is the people who work at the coffee shops and the experiences they deliver.”

2. High Costs of Re-Hiring

When you consider that re-hiring will cost you more than retention, hiring the “right” people for your coffee shop quickly becomes a smart financial move, too. 

In 2022, The Society for Human Resource Management estimated the cost of hiring a new employee to be ~$4,700. That number includes “hard costs” like actual salaries, and “soft costs” like your time, mental effort, and availability for other parts of your job, which can add up quickly depending on your coffee shop’s turnover rate.* 

Retained employees are far more financially predictable; you know exactly how much you’re paying them, what you’re paying them for, and when that pay gets delivered. Plus, employee retention lowers a lot of those “soft costs,” too. The stress of losing a good employee and scrambling to fill labor and skill gaps can sometimes feel worse than the financial hit! 

*Note → To calculate your coffee shop’s specific turnover cost, we recommend using a formula like the one in this article! 

3. Brand Values & Culture

The vibe and “third place” feel of your coffee shop can greatly impact whether a customer becomes a regular or you never see them again. That’s where hiring the right people can help. 

Hiring people who share your coffee shop’s values or sense of culture means seamlessly integrating these elements into everything you do — something that’s only possible with value-aligned people who just “get it.”

So, if your coffee shop values sustainability, for example, hiring people with a similarly sustainable mindset is key. That way, your employees are free to be themselves at work while you rest assured your (shared) values are represented authentically and meaningfully. 

And, according to Tiger Recruitment Founder and CEO David Morel, value-aligned employees are especially important because that’s not something that can be taught. “Ability and experience do matter, but these can be developed in a way values cannot,” said David. “You can’t teach someone to buy into a company and what it stands for.”

Writing your next barista job description just got easier. 

Where to Start When Writing a Barista Job Description 

Now that you know why hiring the right people is so important, you’re probably wondering how you actually make that happen. 

Luckily, the answer is simpler than you might think:

It’s all about the job description. 

Attracting the right people to your coffee shop’s barista application starts by creating a strong, engaging job description. Your barista job description should tell applicants everything they need (and want) to know about you, your business, and the position’s requirements in a way that’s easy to follow, direct, and transparent.

To achieve that, there are a few key elements every barista job description needs. 

• Job title
• Company overview
• Job summary
• Responsibilities
• Skills
• Preferred qualifications/experience
• Benefits/salary 
• Equal opportunity statement
• Info on how to apply

Then, once your job description is complete, figure out where and how to share it with prospects. Here are a few places you might consider sharing your barista job description to increase your reach and applicant pool:

1. Job sites: LinkedIn, Indeed, Monster, Glassdoor, etc.
2. In your coffee shop: Printed out on a bulletin board, linked to a QR code at the POS, etc.

Write the best barista job description. Attract the best barista candidates. 

Barista Job Description Best Practices: 3 Case Studies

As you’re creating the job description for your coffee shop’s new barista position, there are a few best practices you’ll want to keep in your back pocket as you’re writing. 

But, instead of just telling you what those best practices are…

We’ll show you using some top-shelf barista job descriptions from other coffee shops and cafés. 

Remember, in part 2 of our series, we explore what makes Starbucks’ job descriptions so effective. 

Case Study #1 — Blank Street Coffee

→ Clear, well-organized, and easy-to-read formatting

→ Draws attention to (and explains) the company’s values 

→ Uses large, bold font to emphasize (and organize) key elements

Case Study #2 —  Blue Bottle Coffee

→ Direct and specific description of the job’s demands (especially physical) 

→ Transparent communication about compensation, tips, and benefits

→ Clearly stated and explained "Equal Opportunity Employer" statement

Case Study #3 — Arabica

→ Opens with a well-articulated purpose statement for the brand 

→ List of non-negotiable qualifications in easy-to-read bullet points

→ Language is friendly, direct, and avoids jargon/overly complicated wording

Get Started with Craver's Free Barista Job Description Template

So, your mind is jam-packed with the “do’s” and “don’ts” of crafting a good job description and your coffee shop is ready to hire its next barista… now what? 

Easy — you download our barista job description template and get started! 

With Craver’s free template, prepping a stellar barista job description for your coffee shop is easier than a conversation with your favorite regular. Just download the template, make a copy to fill in the details, add a bit of your coffee shop’s unique flair and personality, and voila! You’re ready to start searching for your next cappuccino-slinging champion… one who’s just right for your coffee shop, of course.

Your coffee shop’s best-ever barista job description is waiting…

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Written By Melissa Mertsis

Melissa is a freelance writer for Craver.