Before I wrote this blog I was curious.. How did the coffee break become a norm in every office? According to my research, the coffee break came as a result of the 8 hour work day, adopted and enforced by unions in the early 1900’s. Initially, the goal of these coffee breaks were solely to improve their labour forces’ productivity. In today’s workplace, employee productivity is still an important focus and measure, however, a study by Gartner in 2019 found that today, improving the employee experience is a mission critical goal for organizations.Throughout my interactions with many leading organizations, I’ve noted that one thing is consistent amongst them all. HR leaders acknowledge that coffee plays a significant role in the modern workplace experience. From enhancing employee and client experiences, to helping build community- coffee plays a role in culture, collaboration and relationship building of the organization.
As the workplace demographic changes, so do the elements that influence employee experience. With millennials expected to make up 75% of the workforce by 2025, this groups’ emphasis on connection – both to the work they do and the people they work with, becomes an increasingly important consideration. So, how does one create an environment that encourages interaction and collaboration?
One aspect of the answer is simple: provide opportunities for employees to form personal relationships within the workplace. Scheduled workplace networking events can feel forced and occur too seldom to help form concrete relationships. In contrast, coffee breaks are organic, regular and cost effective. They are also a perk that truly influences almost every office employee in the organization, making them a simple tool to help connect employees.
In addition to seeing the opportunity in coffee breaks, HR leaders are also taking note of the disproportionate payoff of investing in quality. The National Coffee Association found that those under the age of 35 are most likely to consume gourmet or specialty beverages. As such, if employee experience is the goal, the coffee preferences of this large demographic should be a key consideration.
Reducing costs may be tempting, but our experience shows that the cost of employees leaving the office is much higher than the cost of providing premium beverages. If employees are choosing to leave the office for a coffee or latte (likely catching up with Instagram or Facebook vs. a colleague) you not only lose the opportunity help them form a relationship with a colleague, but you also end up paying more due to the lost time and productivity while they stand in line.
A recent article from HBR was titled “to be happier at work, invest more in your relationships.” HR plays an important role in helping create an environment where employees can invest more in their relationships. It is up to the modern HR leader to embrace the important role that coffee plays in achieving this goal.