Redesigning the workplace to boost employee experience
Discover how redefining the workplace experience to cater to changing work styles and employee expectations.
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Fostering a community at work
By the looks of things, hybrid work is not going away anytime soon. According to a Randstad survey, four in 10 Singaporeans would rather work remotely rather than receive a bigger bonus. This is likely due to the myriad benefits that employees got to experience first-hand while working remotely during the first years of the pandemic. With more employees preferring to work away from a physical office, culture is no longer about snacks or foosball tables. Instead, companies are relooking what it means to foster a connection with their employees, especially as more organisations move towards flexible work arrangements (FWAs).
Organisations and employees have realised that culture goes beyond the traditional office perks. Instead, to build culture, the trend has shifted towards mindfulness and being intentional when communicating with each other. These are all ingredients to building connections and forging a tighter community at work — and it doesn’t have to involve overly complicated company-wide strategies or policy changes, either. Instead, it can be as simple as a reminder to slow down and connect with co-workers over a cup of coffee, whether it's done remotely or in person.
Rethinking coffee catch-ups
Prior to the pandemic, the go-to place for co-workers to meet up and hang out was the pantry. The pantry has always been the place for casual, collaborative chats with one another, and the benefits of such interactions are plentiful. These include an increase in wellbeing, a sense of belonging, as well as an increase in productivity. However, working remotely means that these interactions have been stifled.
To help companies regain a sense of community, here are some ways to make the most of a simple coffee catch-up:
Encourage employees to arrange coffee breaks 1-on-1 or in groups in office or online
Setting up a buddy system is a great way to help new joiners feel welcomed to the company and give them a friendly face to speak to whenever they have questions
Getting to speak to someone you might not work with helps employees discover less-known departments or colleagues and the work that they do. This strengthens the culture and prevents internal silo mentality
Limit or have no conversation about work
Dedicate time in the day or week strictly to catching up and getting to know one another without work getting in the way. Set it up as more of a casual way to get to know someone and find out about their interests. To help employees, companies can even prepare some icebreakers to help guide or kickstart the conversations to help steer the conversation clear from work
Set up a coffee recipe kit corner
When employees are back in the office, encourage them to come together (in line with safe-distancing rules, of course) in the pantry and try out simple but fun coffee recipes, to destress. This is also a wonderful opportunity to get the laughs and creative juices flowing.
Employees can also come together to be creative and come up with entirely new coffee recipes that they enjoy together - this can be something as fun as adding mint or lemon soda to their coffee.
Reconnect and recharge at work
Bonding over a nice cup of coffee and introducing a work break can help employees remain collaborative and create a sense of community within the organisation. Having a cup of coffee can be a way to reconnect not only with others, but with oneself, and this break can offer a much-needed timeout in a busy day to help provide structure and a routine at work.
Start rebuilding your office culture. Head over to our corporate coffee solution or get in touch with us to find out more about our customised solutions for businesses.
