How to Hire,Train & Retain Baristas | Specialty Coffee Podcast

Learn how to hire, train, and motivate baristas from Elena, Head of Training at Drinkit — real insights on specialty coffee staff development and café team building. In this debut episode of In Between Coffee, we sit down with Elena, Head of Training at Drinkit, to talk about what it really takes to build a café team that stays motivated, grows with the business, and delivers consistent quality every shift. Elena shares practical, real-world strategies from her experience training baristas at scale — covering hiring the right people, treating staff well, building development paths, and even how to roll out a new drink launch as a team. Whether you’re a café owner building your team, a barista thinking about your next step, or a coffee professional interested in the people-side of specialty coffee, this conversation is full of insight you can actually use. 2:45 - 18:06 : Elena's Professional Journey Elena reflects on her start in the industry in Russia as a coffee helper. She details her rapid progression to a trainer role, driven by her passion for constant learning, participating in coffee championships, and her philosophy of never giving direct answers, but instead guiding others to find them. 26:34 - 33:06 Building a Scalable Training System With 77 baristas across nine outlets in the UAE, Elena emphasizes a structured, human-centric approach. Each intern is paired with a personal trainer to foster a supportive environment rather than just focusing on technical skills. 47:06 - 55:16 Training Infrastructure & Communication: The company uses a multi-layered communication strategy, including: Internal Chat Groups (Telegram): For daily updates and operational communication. Internal Wikipedia: A central repository for standards, SOPs, and instructions. Learning Platforms (iSpring): Used for theoretical education, onboarding, and tracking progress through quizzes. 38:48 - 42:37 Growth and Development Drinkit implements a clear growth path from intern to barista, then to shop trainer, head barista, and beyond. This structure provides employees with a roadmap and tangible instruments for career advancement. 1:10:54 - 1:13:12 : Managing Product Launches Elena shares the complexities of rolling out new menu items across multiple locations, highlighting the importance of early preparation (at least four weeks) and logistical coordination. 1:15:32 - 1:17:42 : Advice for Small Shop Owners : Elena suggests three critical habits: prioritizing a solid feedback system, maintaining a transparent communication style about team performance, and clearly defining expectations for every task.