“Don’t talk to me until I’ve had my coffee” is a phrase almost all Chicago employees have heard at least once at the beginning of the workday. Whether an individual needs the caffeine to finish waking up or to just mentally prepare for the day ahead, coffee plays an important role for more than 64 percent of American adults. With the increasing number of coffee drinkers, employers have an opportunity to harness the effects of caffeine by turning it into a productivity tool. As David Sprinkle, research director for Packaged Facts, a division of MarketResearch.com expressed, “companies need to provide higher-quality coffee and related benefits as part of broader employee retention and loyalty strategies that ultimately help enhance employee productivity.”
Why Coffee?
With more than half (68 percent) of at-work coffee drinkers drinking coffee that is made or dispensed in the office break room, there is an opportunity to positively impact the majority of Chicago employees. Offering a sought-after selection of beans and roasts and other hot beverages will also encourage employees to get to the office in the morning and keep them onsite during the workday.
Increased Productivity
It is well established that the caffeine decreases fatigue, provides a mental boost, and improves, memory, reaction times, and concentration. Each of these benefits positively impacts an individual’s productivity, but recent research by the Graduate School of Management at the University of California, Davis has found that caffeine also has a positive impact on a group’s performance. Groups that have consumed coffee were more willing to work and generated a higher number of topic relevant statements. Coffee breaks also contribute to an increase in networking and spontaneous idea generation among groups of individuals.
Plan of Action
Step 1: Offer options in your Chicago break room that can compete with coffee purchased or made outside of the office. Be aware that employees value quality and flavor, but are often disappointed when it comes to at-work choices.
Step 2: Invest in higher-quality options. Packaged Facts recommends offering only “two varieties that communicate clear distinctions that matter to the target audience could make most employees happy while keeping product assortment manageable.”
Step 3: Don’t forget to offer your employees a variety of sweeteners and creamers and a selection of healthy snacks and meals to enjoy with their cup of Joe.
Step 4: Contact Mark Vend at (847) 291-9216 to customize your office coffee service or to add healthy snacks and beverages via a break room micro-market or vending machines — your employees will enjoy the added benefit.