words Alexa Wang
It is a popular saying that happy employees are productive employees. As a business owner, you want to create a space where your employees can feel motivated to give their best at their jobs. You want them to be comfortable in their office space and consider it as a familiar place where they can feel safe and inspired to perform. Adopting a practical approach where it is all about having just any place to work from does not make the cut anymore.
Companies are competing in creating an unmatchable employee experience unlike ever before. They understand the power of employer branding and understand how it affects all aspects of their business. It is very common nowadays to find offices that have a “game room”, “yoga room”, and even “meditation room”! Decades ago this would have been seen as complete madness, but now, it is simply a reflection of the kind of world we live in.
If you are starting up your own business and want to incorporate some ideas to jazz up your office break room, check out the cool ideas collected below.
Build a legitimate coffee station
Coffee is the trademark beverage in the corporate world. Do not just place a small coffee machine designed for homes on the counter with no coffee variety. No, go all the way get the bistro-style coffee machine along with a professional barista. Your employees will love the gourmet service you are offering them and will appreciate being able to get their midday caffeine fix without having to step foot outside the office. Make a deal with one of the companies specialized in providing office coffee catering. These companies will supply you with great quality beans, artisan brewing machines, as well as all the coffee condiments that your heart desires. They will also fulfill your cups needs and any machine maintenance work whenever needed.
Get an arcade video game console
Your employees will get super excited to have an arcade game or two to unwind in the break room after a stressful meeting. Think of it as the ultimate de-stressor and with the tournaments that your employees will arrange, it will be a very cost-efficient way to engage in some team building activities. It might be a good idea to take votes on what game exactly to get to make sure you hit a home run with your employees.
Add a ping-pong table
Ping-pong is a great way for your employees to take a break to refresh and fight off that midday slump. It allows for some friendly and essential competition to keep employees sharp and ready to finish the workday on a strong note. For this to work well, you have to make sure you have enough space to comfortably place the ping-pong table as well as a surrounding safety zone to avoid any accidents.
Have your own wellness corner
Your millennial employees will name you “Boss of the Year” when they see that you care about their well-being and trying to help them follow a healthier lifestyle. Make this corner all about natural remedies for the stress they face during their workday. Avail a collection of essential oils famous for their homeopathic benefits. You can also add a selection of green juices prepared daily to take the concept a step further. If you are not an expert when it comes to this area, you can hire one of the so-called “wellness coaches” to help you build up this corner. You can even arrange with them to visit you once a month and give meditation sessions to your interested employees. This corner will not only make your office seem like a cool place to work, it will truly help your employees to take some much-needed figurative and literal deep breaths in the middle of a hectic office day.
Build a reading nook
This will be aimed towards your bookworm employees. You can build a small library and encourage employees to take the time to “disconnect” and take a moment with their favorite books. You can even encourage them to add on from their own collection and form a company book club to promote team spirit and help them connect in different ways. For new employees, this reading nook can be a space where they can find interesting topics to engage in conversation with the other employees.
Break rooms are where a company’s culture emerges and takes shape. Do yourself a favor and stop viewing it in the traditional sense, as a mere room where employees can eat their lunch. Instead, think of your break room as a space for endless possibilities where you get to decide on the voice and personality of the business you are building. Take some cues from the above and customize them as you see fit for your office.
