Scooter’s Coffee is a rapidly growing drive-thru coffee chain known for its commitment to amazing drinks, speedy service, and a culture that puts people first. Scooter’s Coffee has built its success on meaningful relationships — with guests, team members, and the communities it serves. As the company scaled, it prioritized listening to employees, aligning people strategies with business goals, and preserving the culture that fueled its growth.
In 2024, Scooter’s Coffee identified several challenges that, if left unaddressed, could weaken the employee experience and undermine organizational momentum. Employees were asking for clearer visibility into company goals — especially those tied to strategic priorities and year-end bonuses. Performance expectations varied across departments, creating inconsistency in coaching and development. And while performance reviews existed, they weren’t frequent or actionable enough to support meaningful growth.
At the same time, leadership recognized the need to offer benefits employees actually wanted, improve connections across in-office and remote workers, and reduce complexity without compromising culture. These weren’t just HR problems — they were business-critical needs that touched every corner of the organization.
Rather than implementing surface-level fixes, Scooter’s Coffee saw an opportunity to embed alignment, recognition, and feedback more deeply into its systems. The organization focused on creating consistency in development language, real-time feedback loops, and stronger visibility into strategy. Employees’ desire for clarity and connection wasn’t a problem — it was a signal. Leadership used it to guide action.
With Quantum Workplace, Scooter’s Coffee activated a modern, responsive performance and engagement strategy. Using the Goals platform, they embedded the company’s strategic pillars directly into the system. This gave every employee visibility into how their work aligned with broader company objectives. Executives updated progress quarterly, which kept teams informed and motivated.
Next, they redesigned their performance process into Quarterly Performance Check-Ins (QPCs) using the 1-on-1s tool. The process was simplified into three high-impact questions about recent achievements, competency strengths/growth areas, and priorities for the next quarter. This shift made performance conversations more timely, consistent, and actionable.
Scooter’s Coffee also launched its Growth Competencies — a set of 10 clear, behavior-based expectations that define what great performance looks like across all roles. These competencies were integrated into QPCs, recognition tools, and development programs, ensuring everyone was speaking the same language.
To drive ongoing engagement, the team used Quantum’s Pulse Surveys to gather feedback on benefits, workplace experience, and company direction. Survey insights led to immediate action, including new benefit offerings shaped directly by employee input. Monthly “Smiles Awards,” bimonthly town halls, and updated office environments created intentional opportunities for connection — even in a hybrid setting.
These efforts delivered results across the board:
As one employee shared, “The feedback we give actually gets used. It’s not just for show. We’re seeing real changes — in how we grow, how we’re supported, and how we’re recognized.”
Scooter’s Coffee has transformed its approach to engagement by making strategy visible, performance conversations meaningful, and employee feedback actionable. This isn’t about checking a box — it’s about building a workplace where growth and recognition are baked into the daily experience.
“Our Growth Competencies gave us a shared language for coaching, development, and celebration,” said a member of the HR team. “And Quantum’s tools helped us bring it to life.”
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