Lately, more and more emphasis has been put on employee satisfaction and creating an optimal work environment that will make both the company and the people who work in it thrive. Of course, since your employees are your most important asset and basically those who make your business go round, it’s in your best interest to make them happy.
And if what makes them happy is a hot cup of joe, you should seriously consider getting a professional coffee machine for your office – it’s a small price to pay for a warm and positive atmosphere, is it not? But how exactly does coffee benefit your workplace? Here are several reasons that will convince you to brighten your employees’ day by bringing in a coffee machine.
A coffee machine will make your employees happier
Quite simply, most people like coffee. Whether they are true coffee aficionados always looking for the newest exquisite blends or just like a cup of joe to get their day going, chances are they will rejoice if you make quality coffee available right on your premises. It will basically raise the satisfaction rate and your employees’ morale, both of which factors are significant when it comes to talent retention and, ultimately, your company’s success. It might sound like a small thing but for some employees, knowing that a warm drink awaits them in the office might mean the difference between hating to go to work or realizing it’s not all that bad.
In addition, we can even say that coffee literally makes people happier: it is proven to lower the risks of depression (or alleviate the symptoms), as studies show that women who drank four or more cups of it a day had 20% less chance of developing this condition. And a happy employee is a productive employee!
It fosters coffee culture…
Having a coffee machine in the office and thus a space that serves as a social hub your employees will flock to is basically the manifestation of a phenomenon called “coffee culture.” Coffee has a long history and it always possessed an important role in people’s lives, which is also true today. Just in the US, about 400 million cups of coffee are drunk on a daily basis, which is a lot, to say the least. But instead of just grabbing it and going, sometimes it’s worth sitting down and taking that coffee break.
Basically, coffee is somewhat of a “social lubricant” in some cultures, meaning that it creates the perfect conditions for social interactions, small talk, and bonding. And that is exactly something every office can benefit from immensely. Getting or renting a bean coffee machine and designating a room for laid-back conversations will further foster a coffee culture in the workplace, allowing your workers to feel like a part of a collective while having their daily cup of joe.
… leading to better relationships and communication
As coffee culture is fostered via your designated coffee nook, your employees are going to get more opportunities to talk to each other. It can be a problem that employees start feeling isolated, especially in larger offices where everyone is ‘locked away in their respective cubicle all day, barely having any opportunity to get to know their co-workers. This, of course, lowers their satisfaction levels, which, consequently, affects the entire company negatively. However, with a professional coffee machine where everyone can choose the type of coffee they like, there is no doubt that employees will not feel reluctant to leave their office or cubicle and engage in some chit-chat for 5-10 minutes.
In these breaks, they can communicate information and share news related to the workplace (perhaps even gossip), and thus create better relationships. If your workers are on good terms personally, their teamwork will be like a well-oiled machine. Not to mention that these coffee breaks might become the most important way of exchanging essential work-related information that further smoothes out any possible issues that might otherwise arise from lack of communication!
Reduced stress in the office
Continuing on the previous note, there are other benefits to fostering the personal relationships of your employees. Since today, most of the time, people work in a digital environment, typing emails on the computer, and answering instant messages, they can sometimes start feeling isolated. Regardless of the type of work the company does or if the employee in question is introverted or extroverted, a little bit of face-to-face interaction can go a long way in improving the employee’s mood and reducing their pent up stress.
In addition, if you took our previous advice and created a room just for coffee breaks, equipping it with comfortable furniture and friendly decoration, these coffee breaks can become real stress-relievers from which the employee returns to their work completely relaxed and energized, ready to solve whatever task comes their way.
Improved office productivity
It is perhaps no news that coffee is an energizing drink thanks to its caffeine content. So, as long as the person drinking it does not choose decaf, they are bound to get a bit of energy boost once they have a coffee. The sleepiness that hits most of us several times throughout the day is because of our adenosine levels: this compound is basically responsible for making us feel tired. What caffeine can do on this front is changing places with adenosine, tricking our receptors, and keeping our adenosine levels low by taking on its role. Of course, you cannot go on this way forever, but when that one task really needs to be finished and you feel sluggish, this boost is more than enough.
So, imagine all your employees dawdling around their tasks, taking twice as much time as they normally would just because they feel low on energy. This is massively inefficient for your company’s productivity, which can be remedied by encouraging those coffee breaks and taking advantage of that coffee machine in the break room. In addition, those employees who would otherwise go out and grab a coffee at the nearest coffee shop will not have to step out, break their routine and lose time this way, since all they would have to do is walk a few meters to get their much-needed coffee. Time and productivity saved!
Coffee is even healthy!
Finally, a reason that is good enough in itself to overwrite all the previous ones and single-handedly make you go out and get a coffee machine for your offices is that coffee is in fact – healthy! While a lot of people have the belief that this beverage is unhealthy, the truth could not be farther from this. Coffee is actually beneficial for your mind as well as your body in many ways. First of all, it has been shown to boost short-term brain functions, such as short-term memory, problem-solving skills, and reaction time. In some situations in the office, these are crucial skills so having a cup of coffee in the morning will help your employees handle tasks requiring them to be sharp better.
As if all of this wasn’t enough, coffee drinking has also been linked to a reduced risk of diabetes type 2, heart disease, and several types of cancer. Finally, just the fact that your employees stand up, walk around a little and spend some time not sitting by their desks is already a step towards a healthier day. And who wouldn’t want their employees to be healthy and strong?
All in all, it’s probably quite obvious by now that a coffee machine is a small investment that pays off on many, many fronts once implemented. From making your employees more satisfied with their work conditions and overall happier through fostering better relationships in the office and improving the teamwork all the way to fixing little productivity gaps and even boosting your employees’ mental performance and health, coffee is truly a magical beverage that every workplace should offer to its workers.
