01 Sep Can Breakrooms Lure Employees Back to Work?
Companies are discovering that improved breakroom services can entice employees back to the office. And for companies that have decided it’s time to get their team back in the building it is an important thing to consider.
How can your breakroom make employees excited about returning to work in person? One way is to create a breakroom with an environment that fosters a team atmosphere. Another is to fill it with refreshments employees can’t get at home. What else? Keep reading to find out just how to create a breakroom that will have employees excited about coming back to work.
Create a Destination
Give employees an amazing place to enjoy a variety of snacks and beverages. A micro-market brings fresh food, snacks, and drinks in a retail format to your breakroom. Basically, it’s full of amazing products your employees will love, including options they may not experience at home. After all, in a micro-market, you can buy just one can of that new energy drink or sparkling water to try.
An increasingly popular choice is to provide free meals and drinks onsite. This is easy with office pantry service. A service provider can bring in bulk snacks in dispensers, food, and even high-end water coolers that make customized beverages on demand. Employees will rave about the free items and personalized water they can’t get at home.
Build in Seating
Besides offering refreshment options in the breakroom, it’s important to consider seating. Why? Because you want to build a sense of community that draws employees in. For example, you may want to provide a mix of tables, booths, and counters for peers to eat lunch together. This will invite your team to bond over food. One of the things employees like best about returning to the office is the chance to reconnect and socialize with co-workers. Even going in for that afternoon pick-me-up can lead to a conversation between co-workers, which isn’t possible working from home. Your seating can also double as a casual location for meetings between departments. Be sure to power up your seating areas with outlets so that it’s easy to bring laptops or tablets into the breakroom if necessary.
Temp with Unique Offerings
To make your breakroom back-to-work worthy, consider adding products that aren’t available for home use. Certain premium coffees specialize in office coffee and can really push your breakroom forward. You can use these in traditional coffee machines. Or, perhaps you want to offer fresh espresso, cappuccinos, and lattes. If that’s the case, you can opt for a bean-to-cup coffee brewer. Bean-to-cup brewers can help create a cafe vibe in your breakroom by making specialty drinks fresh from delicious whole coffee beans.
Support Healthy Initiatives
Since Covid-19, people are trying to be healthier, and an employer who supports this effort is appreciated. Use your breakroom to provide healthy snacks and drinks. Even a vending machine can provide options that meet keto, vegan, and other specific dietary needs. Simply talk to your service provider about showcasing healthy products and clearly identifying them in the breakroom. That way your employees can see what choices are there for a better lifestyle.
Don’t stop with food. Consider sponsoring monthly presentations that focus on different aspects of health or even daily mediation breaks. These can be held in the company breakroom and offered as a perk to employees in the office. Incentives like these make returning to the office more appealing for employees.
Coax Employees Back to Work with Better Breakroom Services
In the end, a workplace environment that offers incentives employees can’t get at home will ensure they want to return. Your breakroom services can make a difference by providing exciting food and beverages and a comfortable environment that encourages employees to make the most out of their time together. Unique, gourmet coffee-related drinks will also tempt employees into the office each morning. Add educational or health-related programs to show your team you care about their wellbeing. These efforts will get employees excited to get back in your building and reconnect with their co-workers in person.
If you need help creating a great breakroom experience for your employees, contact Coolbreakrooms. We specialized in all things breakroom and our Authorized Providers will create the breakroom of your dreams. Call us at (800) 795-6799 to get started.