It’s not like working at Starbucks

Consistently ranked by Fortune 500 as one of the best companies to work for, Starbucks has a reputation for treating their employees, even part time ones, very well. Few organizations offer employees, working as little as 20 hours per week, health and disability insurance, retirement packages, stock options and, for all, the weekly pound of free coffee. One aspect of the Starbucks mission statement is “Provide a great work environment and treat each other with respect and dignity.” http://www.starbucks.com/aboutus/environment.asp Generosity to employees demonstrates Starbucks’ understanding of the value of their employees as resources, demonstrating Resource Dependency Theory, but also reflects the company’s interest in “the bottom line”.
Employees who are happier, more connected and more confident in their work do a better job and stay on the job which is an economic benefit for the organization by bringing in or keeping customers and reducing costs of hiring and training. Cross-training is one technique which contributes to better employees.
Cross-training at Starbucks is designed to develop skills, further careers and achieve goals. Specifically these are identified by the company as education of the core product, leadership and business and communications. http://www.starbucks.com/aboutus/jobcenter_thesbuxexperience.asp

Resource Dependency Theory

The relationship between the organization and its employees demonstrates the resource dependency theory of the Modernist organizational perspective approach as discussed in Hatch (p. 80-83). Managers of organizations understand the environment in which they operate. They are dependent on the resources (physical building, coffee bean suppliers, and customers) and especially their employees. Starbucks has a product, coffee drinks, but it is an extremely successful and profitable commercial organization which sells a service; the specialized coffee drink, made to order, handed over by a skilled and friendly barista.
Although you can’t get a gourmet coffee drink at most academic libraries, the library and Starbucks share the role of service institution. The non-commercial library products are books and electronic resources and the assistance to access and use them. Library managers are dependent on the employees of the library (at all levels) to provide the necessary services to accomplish the mission of the library. Beyond hiring the library staff there is little that most library directors can offer their employees, primarily due to restricted budgets in their not-for profit environment. Certainly they can’t compete with stock options, retirement benefits and free coffee. But the consideration of the employees as a valuable resource is applicable there too.

Issue

What can libraries offer their staff members to increase their skills, knowledge and connection to the library? What do the employees want? The answers vary, of course, but like employees everywhere library staff members want a pleasant working environment, to be appreciated, adequate supplies and materials and cooperative colleagues. In the limited resources of a library, which often operates under state or federal funding guidelines, benefits can’t always be financial, but can be meaningful and earnest.

Cross-training

Perhaps an employee of the month award or a reserved parking space could boost morale but those seem like pretty light recognition, a shallow demonstration. However a manager who can organize his/her staff to share the responsibilities, foster communication, handle conflict and show genuine appreciation for the efforts of his staff will be appreciated in return. These are the meaningful benefits. Cross-training employees educates them in the work of other. Cross-training programs can be informational sessions (positional clarifications) or participation programs (positional rotation) (Metzger, 2) When employees know more about how the entire library operates they are more knowledgeable, can better contribute to the overall process, and have decreased boredom and frustration on the job. (“How Job Rotation can Enhance Training Effectiveness”, 2). Cross-training enhances the feelings of contribution and participation in the larger goals of the institution.
In a small library cross-trained employees can temporarily assist in other departments, provide more effective customer service and better communicate with the other staff members. In larger libraries knowledge of the duties and responsibilities in other departments leads to better communication among them and greater cooperation at each level and, of course, better customer service. Although some organizations and employees may reject cross-training due to issues of cost, time, or territorial ideas about responsibilities, it is a method which can work to improve working environments and customer service. Organizations benefit with more confident, satisfied, connected employees who stay on the job reducing the costs of hiring and training replacements for dissatisfied or disconnected employees when they leave.
Maybe working at the library is not like working at Starbucks but when staff members feel included, knowledgeable and connected then maybe it can be a little more like that.

References

Hatch, Mary Jo (2006). Organizational Theory : modern, symbolic, and post-modern perspectives. New York: Oxford University Press.
“How Job Rotation can Enhance Training Effectiveness,” Accounting Office Management & Administration Report 08 (August 2008): 2-4.
Isacco, Jeanne M. (1985). Work spaces, satisfaction & productivity in libraries. Library Journal, May 1, 1985, 27-30.
Metzger, Mary C. “Enhancing Library Staff Training and Patron Service Through a Cross-Departmental Exchange,” Technical Services Quarterly 24 (2006):1-7.
White, Herbert S. (1999). What to evaluate and what to reward. Library Journal, 124 (7), 62.