Starbucks to Hire 10,000 Veterans and Military Spouses in Next 5 Years

As Veterans Small Business Week kicks off, Starbucks has announced plans to increase veteran hiring and use community stores to support service members.

learn more about Kate Taylor

By Kate Taylor

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Starbucks announced plans today to hire at least 10,000 veterans and active duty spouses in the next five years, as part of a wider strategy of veteran support.

With Starbucks's growth and more than 1 million active duty members of the U.S. military transitioning to civilian life in the coming years, Starbucks sees the commitment as a strategic form of outreach to the military community. The coffee chain will also attempt to engage active duty spouses, a group who faces an unemployment rate more than double the national average.

"The values we are creating for shareholders is tied to the values that guide us as an organization," said Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz in a statement. "As I look at the opportunity ahead of us, we're going to need to hire men and women with like-minded values and the right job skills in order to continue our current levels of growth."

Related: 3 Ways Starbucks is Innovating and Why You Should Care

Currently, Starbucks offers a specialized mentoring program for veterans, provided via the Armed Forces Network (AFN). The AFN supports transitioning military by ensuring new hires have access to the information and resources they need to become successful. With the commitment to increase military hires, Starbucks additionally will expand the mentoring program.

"Companies that fail to engage the military community to identify quality job candidates are doing themselves a tremendous disservice," Marjorie James, executive director of Hire America's Heroes, said in a statement. "Veterans and military spouses are valued members of mission driven teams and working with an organization like Starbucks gives them an opportunity to establish a long term career that builds on that purpose in pursuit of a common goal."

In addition to adjusting internal hiring infrastructure, Starbucks is utilizing community stores to support services members and their families. Starbucks plans to open five community stores in U.S. joint base locations in the coming years. These stores will donate a portion of each transaction to local nonprofits dedicated to meeting the needs of service members.

Alongside these long term changes, Starbucks is offering all active duty and military spouses in the U.S. a free coffee on Veterans Day, Nov. 11.

Related: 5 Stores That Have Already Started the Holiday Season

Kate Taylor

Reporter

Kate Taylor is a reporter at Business Insider. She was previously a reporter at Entrepreneur. Get in touch with tips and feedback on Twitter at @Kate_H_Taylor. 

Related Topics

Editor's Pick

The Dark Side of Pay Transparency — And What to Do If You Find Out You're Being Underpaid
Thinking of a Career Change? Here Are 4 Steps You Can Take to Get There.
A Founder Who Bootstrapped Her Jewelry Business With Just $1,000 Now Sees 7-Figure Revenue Because She Knew Something About Her Customers Nobody Else Did
Everything You Need to Know About Franchise Law
Business News

Carnival Cruise Wants Passengers to Have Fun in the Sun — But Do This, and You'll Get Burned With a New $500 Fee

The cruise line's updated contract follows a spate of unruly guest behavior across the tourism industry.

Business News

A Scammer Posing as Elon Musk Tricked a Florida Principal into Sending $100K in School Funds: 'I Fell for a Scam'

Dr. Jan McGee has since resigned as principal of Burns Science and Technology Charter in Oak Hill, Florida.

Leadership

These 6 Leadership Skills Are Undervalued — But They Shouldn't Be, According to Employees

Pay attention to the subtle clues you give your team about your leadership style when you make a decision.

Business News

'Crying Northwestern Kid' Turned His Viral Fan Moment Into a Successful Harvard Admissions Essay. He Says the Experience Taught Him About Empathy.

Six years ago, Phillips was watching No. 8 Northwestern take on No. 1 Gonzaga during March Madness when he became a meme.

Starting a Business

90% of Online Businesses Fail in Just 4 Months. You Can Avoid the Same Fate By Using These Strategies.

It's not catastrophizing when we think about potential failure; it's in fact a chance for any business to precisely see any outcome and prepare in advance.