For business leaders and office managers, figuring out how to improve focus, quality, efficiency and effectiveness of their employees is an item constantly on the top of the agenda list.
Most leaders have found that one way to achieve this is by offering snacks and coffee to their hard working employees. Looking back many years ago, when our parents began punching in the old time clock, offices and workplaces used to simply provide a simple jug of filtered water and a traditional coffee maker.
But in today’s workplace, office perks take on a much different picture; at least in the offices that are doing it right. In many modern and progressive offices, it is easy to see that break rooms have evolved into places where interesting, tasty healthy snacks and various coffee options are available for the consumption of employees.
Employees’ personal tastes and preferences are considered and providing these can go a long way in improving focus for a company’s employees. It’s clear why so many individuals look into the office perks and break room atmosphere when choosing a company they want to work for.
When looking at these trends, you can see why many leaders claim this is how to improve focus in employees. We’ve broken down the coffee and snack trends that can truly make a difference in the workplace.
Gourmet Coffee Trends for Offices:
It is no accident that more and more companies are buying into the idea of offering specialized coffees and other perks for their employees. The fact is, whether coffee is provided inside the office or not, people will seek it out.
Depending on age, between 70% and 80% of your employees drink coffee in some form during the day. That is a significant number that cannot be ignored. Around 35% of these employees are downing at least two cups of coffee during the work day.
As we know, coffee is a bit of an addiction to many; and its caffeine and energy increasing qualities make it the perfect morning or after lunch pick me up.
It hasn’t taken long for companies to realize that having coffee available right inside the office makes it easier (not to mention faster) for employees to make a quick cup of coffee.
Instead of stopping by their local coffee shop, which can oftentimes take up to 30 minutes depending on the commute and lines, they can bypass the crowds and take comfort in the fact they can get what they need right at the office.
Time is precious to you and your employees. By allowing them to take a couple of minutes to get their coffee, and then go right into their work day, allows them to get more done efficiently.
This is a win-win for both employee and employer. In addition to this, having quality and tasty coffee in the office gives your employees the boost of energy they need to be productive throughout the day and is a great way to improve focus.
It’s important to remember that no two people are alike. Each person has the specific way they like their coffee, and we aren’t just talking about cream and sugar.
When an employer offers different types of coffee options, the needs of all types of coffee-sipping employees are met. Like with anything, the way consumers take their daily caffeine has evolved over time.
With these changes, companies have begun to make an effort to place office coffee as a priority within the office. With various coffee equipment available, making a cup of coffee at work has never been easier.
As millennials enter the workplace, so do the amount of coffee drinkers. People are beginning to drink more coffee at a younger age.
The older set of the millennial generation (those born around 1982) began drinking coffee on average at around 17 years of age. The younger set of the millennial workforce, those born around 1995, on average began their coffee drinking habits at 14.
The overall consumption of coffee is growing year by year, at a rate of around 1.5% each year. Because coffee is such a staple in the daily lives of so many of the world’s work force, it’s important for business owners and employers to not ignore its significance.
By identifying the importance of coffee for so many of their employees, businesses can focus on offering this commodity in ways that is deeply appealing to its employees; potential and current. There are many great coffee options available to businesses and consumers in today’s market.
When provided and done well, many of these trends can be part of the answer for how to improve focus in employees within the workplace. To dive in a little further, take a look at a couple of different coffee options that have been extremely popular in the workplace.
Cold Brew Coffee
This is a specialty coffee that offers a unique twist to the office coffee environment. While it may sound similar, it is actually nothing like the popular iced coffee that has been consumed by many for the last several years.
Cold brew coffee is growing in popularity as more and more people discover its benefits and differences over traditionally brewed coffee. Cold brew coffee is made strictly from letting coffee beans soak in water for about 12 hours or more.
When this is done it ultimately makes the water turn into coffee. The reason so many people are learning to enjoy cold brew coffee is because of the pure, non-acidic taste that accompanies it.
In addition to a different, more pure taste, this refreshing coffee beverage has become available on tap at the office, rather than via a hot coffee pot or maker.
Drinking cold brew coffee on tap is a enjoyable way to help your employees get through hectic work days. A few sips of this refreshing foaming drink can really help improve focus and increase productivity levels.
Keurig Machines
A quick internet search or perusing through an office product catalog will prove that there is a growing list of coffee equipment available for offices to provide their employees. The Keurig, however, specifically, has made its way into many office break rooms to provide workers with their daily cup of coffee.
This coffee machine makes it very easy to personalize a cup of coffee and provides a delicious cup every time. There are seemingly endless k-cup options available on the market today, making sure to appeal to even the hot tea and chocolate drinkers.
Whether your employee prefers a breakfast blend, caramel brew, or strong and dark, a simple slip of a k-cup into the machine will grant the wish in a matter of a minute.
By buying a wide variety of flavors, from dark roast, medium blend and on up to the lightest of them all, employees can have their preference without sacrificing others by creating an entire pot full of their favorite. It is easy to see why Keurig machines have become such an office favorite!
Snack Trends for Offices:
Coffee isn’t the only answer for how to improve focus in the workplace. Just as coffee can rejuvenate and increase an employee’s efficiency, food has similar benefits during the middle of a stress filled work day.
Companies are beginning to realize the many benefits of having snacks available to employees in the workplace. Healthy and well-liked snacks can play a significant role in employee’s mood, their overall focus and their entire attitude towards work and the office.
When mid-morning or midday arrive and energy levels begin to wane, employees need something to temporarily take them away from their work and provide them with a boost of energy. With so many snacks trends available for the workplace today, we’ve put together a few that can make all the difference.
Free snacks
Imagine for a minute the last vending machine you stood in front of, contemplating your purchase to satisfy that gnawing hunger or sense of waning energy. Maybe it was in your current office.
Perhaps it was at the gym after a basketball pickup game. Wherever your encounter, it’s a pretty safe bet that the experience of choosing, paying for and consuming your product wasn’t particularly enjoyable. It is time to face it.
Vending machines just don’t seem to be cutting it anymore. Consumers are smarter, healthier and much pickier. Also, deciding between cheddar cheese chips and generic, chocolate filled trail mix isn’t going to fix the issue of low energy and focus.
To solve this problem of low expectations from a snacking vending machine, it is becoming very common for companies to offer a variety of free snacks in their break rooms. By offering this as a perk to employees, it sends a message to them that they are important.
Instead of expecting your employees to dig out a few quarters from the bottom of the middle drawer, you are providing them with a variety of great snacks for free. Of course this helps them save money, but it also saves some of their time.
For those who don’t have time to make breakfast or lunch at home, they know they can grab a quick bite in the break room and still make it through the day without leaving to get something. This food is easily accessible to your employees and is bound to taste better–free food always does.
Healthy foods
The healthy living lifestyle is taking over as a focus for many companies today. Companies are realizing that healthier employees means lower costs in health care premiums, less sick days out and a greater level of focus.
One way companies are jumping on the healthy bandwagon is by providing them with healthy snack option in the break room. By doing some research, it has been proven that certain foods can help employees be much more focused and productive.
Some of these foods include fresh fruit, dark chocolate and nuts. There are also brain foods that can be provided in break rooms for employees to enjoy such as fresh broccoli, peanut butter, and flaxseeds.
These brain boosting super foods will fill your employee’s empty bellies and recharge their minds at the same time.
Breakfast Options
It is a daily struggle to beat the morning traffic commute and get to work on time. If your employees have other responsibilities to fulfill before getting to work, it becomes even more of a struggle.
Skipping breakfast is becoming a bit of an epidemic as people often do not have enough time to make themselves a healthy and fulfilling breakfast. Breakfast is such an important part of a person’s day (the most important meal, we are frequently told).
Skipping breakfast can result in fatigue, frustration, irritation and low productivity. Companies can counteract this problem by offering breakfast food in the break room at work.
This gives your employees one less thing to worry about in the morning. It is becoming common to see oatmeal, granola bars, yogurt and other quick breakfast options appearing in the break room.
This can help your employees have a strong start to the day and maintain a solid, healthy and focused work day.
How to Improve Focus in the Workplace
The overall question of how to improve focus in your employees is answered by identifying what you can control. One area you can control is the office break room.
A break room or shared space filled with essentials like quality coffee, free and healthy snacks and breakfast options can truly help improve company culture. There are so many perks that come from a well-done office break room.
In addition to the fact that employees generally feel more at-home and appreciated, having a great office break room provides a sense of community for your employees. So often, individuals hide behind their desks in their cubicles and work within their own teams.
A great break room brings your employees together and improves overall morale. A break room also gives your employees a place to go to take a mental break.
Those that are not able to leave their work for a short period of time often become fatigued and bored. This speeds up burn out. By giving them a place to take a pleasant and enjoyable break, you can off-set this.
To make this happen in your office place, pull together a team and offer them a budget. Encourage the use of flexible seating options and visually appealing hard line products.
To make this transition easy and quick, it’s a smart idea to hire an office snack and coffee provider that can offer you with the best quality items and set your break room up with all of the essentials.
