{"id":11651,"date":"2019-01-03T11:33:00","date_gmt":"2019-01-03T17:33:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thinkerventures.com\/article\/\/"},"modified":"2019-01-03T11:33:00","modified_gmt":"2019-01-03T17:33:00","slug":"a-simple-snack-how-free-food-and-drinks-can-boost-employee-engagement","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thinkerventures.com\/a-simple-snack-how-free-food-and-drinks-can-boost-employee-engagement\/","title":{"rendered":"A simple snack: How free food and drinks can boost employee engagement"},"content":{"rendered":"<p id=\"E68\"><span id=\"E69\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-11652\" src=\"https:\/\/thinkerventures.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Alternative-Healthy-Office-Snacks.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"849\" height=\"565\" srcset=\"https:\/\/thinkerventures.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Alternative-Healthy-Office-Snacks.jpg 849w, https:\/\/thinkerventures.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Alternative-Healthy-Office-Snacks-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/thinkerventures.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Alternative-Healthy-Office-Snacks-768x511.jpg 768w, https:\/\/thinkerventures.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Alternative-Healthy-Office-Snacks-219x146.jpg 219w, https:\/\/thinkerventures.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Alternative-Healthy-Office-Snacks-50x33.jpg 50w, https:\/\/thinkerventures.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Alternative-Healthy-Office-Snacks-113x75.jpg 113w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 849px) 100vw, 849px\" \/>As U.S. employment rates <\/span><a id=\"E70\" contenteditable=\"false\" href=\"https:\/\/www.marketwatch.com\/story\/us-gains-155000-jobs-in-november-and-unemployment-rate-stays-at-37-2018-12-07\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span id=\"E71\" class=\"qowt-stl-Hyperlink\">continue to hover at their lowest levels in 50 years<\/span><\/a><span id=\"E72\">, employers can expect to see continued competition for top candidates in 2019<\/span><span id=\"E73\">, especially as the job market is poised to add the most new positions <\/span><span id=\"E74\">since 2015.<\/span><\/p>\n<p id=\"E75\"><span id=\"E76\">In this environment, retention will be on every hiring manager\u2019s mind, but there is an antidote to your current employees\u2019 eyes wandering to the want ads, <\/span><span id=\"E77\">as well as<\/span><span id=\"E78\"> a way to make your organization<\/span><span id=\"E79\"> stand out to well-qualified<\/span><span id=\"E80\">, job-seeking<\/span><span id=\"E81\"> candidates. <\/span><\/p>\n<p id=\"E82\"><span id=\"E83\">It can be summed up in one word: engagement.<\/span><\/p>\n<p id=\"E86\"><span id=\"E87\">It\u2019s a term that can serve as an overwhelming catch-all for overall employee happiness, but it can also be broken down to several small, achievable initiatives, some of which can tick multiple boxes with one well-executed strategy. <\/span><span id=\"E88\">As with many relationships, it turns out food can work wonders when it comes to getting people mingling at the office, and more satisfied with their professional lives. <\/span><\/p>\n<p id=\"E89\"><span id=\"E90\">More simply put, a few<\/span><span id=\"E91\"> (healthy, high-quality)<\/span><span id=\"E92\"> snacks can go a long way. <\/span><\/p>\n<p id=\"E93\"><span id=\"E94\">While some have scoffed at the idea of a business providing free food to its employees, citing it as a sign of an entitled workforce, \u201c<\/span><span id=\"E95\">c<\/span><span id=\"E96\">ompanies that think offering a paycheck is enough will soon see employees working for competitors<\/span><span id=\"E97\">,&#8221; says <a href=\"https:\/\/www.forbes.com\/sites\/forbeshumanresourcescouncil\/people\/johnfeldmann1\/#2ffb4590ab04\">John Feldman<\/a>, a contributor to <\/span><span id=\"E98\">Forbes<\/span><span id=\"E99\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p id=\"E100\"><span id=\"E101\">In fact, there are niche catering businesses responding to this increased demand for office meals and snacks, and one such entity, <\/span><a id=\"E102\" contenteditable=\"false\" href=\"https:\/\/zerocater.com\/about\/newsroom\/press-releases\/2018\/zerocater-reveals-food-in-the-workplace-findings\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span id=\"E103\" class=\"qowt-stl-Hyperlink\">ZeroCater, conducted a surv<\/span><span id=\"E104\" class=\"qowt-stl-Hyperlink\">e<\/span><span id=\"E105\" class=\"qowt-stl-Hyperlink\">y of 100 employees and office managers<\/span><\/a><span id=\"E106\">, asking them their opinions of their office food culture.<\/span><\/p>\n<p id=\"E107\"><span id=\"E108\">The results aren\u2019t surprising:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span id=\"E108\">60 percent of the surveyed employees listed free food as one of their top three favorite job perks.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span id=\"E109\">90 percent of responding employers said that they found providing meals and snacks for their employees helped build stronger internal relationships. <\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p id=\"E110\"><span id=\"E111\">Additionally, proving a wide range of healthy options could not only bolster your employees\u2019 happiness\u2014it could help bolster your organization\u2019s employee health and wellness strategies. <\/span><span id=\"E112\">What\u2019s more, <\/span><span id=\"E113\">many people are moving away from their three square meals a day, and snacking more frequently, according to <\/span><a id=\"E114\" contenteditable=\"false\" href=\"https:\/\/foodinstitute.com\/blog\/consumers-eating-more-often-sweet-snacks\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span id=\"E115\" class=\"qowt-stl-Hyperlink\">a report from the Food Institute<\/span><\/a><span id=\"E116\">. <\/span><\/p>\n<p id=\"E117\"><span id=\"E118\">Whether you\u2019re looking to beef up an existing office snack program or are looking to start from scratch, here are a few pointers to get the ball rolling.<\/span><\/p>\n<p id=\"E119\"><strong><span id=\"E120\">DON\u2019T<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p id=\"E121\"><span id=\"E122\">Assume you know your employees\u2019 tastes and preferences.<\/span><\/p>\n<p id=\"E123\"><strong><span id=\"E124\">DO<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span id=\"E126\">Ask them what they want! A simple <\/span><span id=\"E128\">electronic <\/span><span id=\"E129\">survey could do the trick, and also give a discreet, private way for an employee to disclose any potentially dangerous food allergies. <\/span>If you run a small office and have even one employee with a severe nut allergy, for example, better to avoid\u00a0that category completely. Ask employees what kind of snacks they like, and consider including beverage options beyond the standard coffee and tea\u2014maybe your team would like to mix it up with sparkling water<span id=\"E131\"> or an in-house soda stream. <\/span><\/p>\n<p id=\"E132\"><strong><span id=\"E133\">DON\u2019T<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p id=\"E134\"><span id=\"E135\">Police people\u2019s food choices.<\/span><\/p>\n<p id=\"E136\"><strong><span id=\"E137\">DO<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p id=\"E138\"><span id=\"E139\">Provide a variety of healthy options for all types of snackers\u2014jerky could be one great option for someone wanting a boost of protein, but what if someone is vegan, vegetarian, or pescatarian? Consider all types of dietary needs, restrictions, and <\/span><span id=\"E140\">preferences, and consider keeping like packages separated, by creating a \u201cgluten-free zone\u201d in one basket, another \u201cpacked with protein,\u201d one that\u2019s low-sodium,<\/span><span id=\"E141\"> halal, kosher,<\/span><span id=\"E142\"> etc. <\/span><span id=\"E143\">Your initial staff survey will be invaluable in providing some direction in this regard.<\/span><\/p>\n<p id=\"E144\"><span id=\"E145\">Note:<\/span><span id=\"E146\"> indulgent options are great, but can be a frustrating temptation for employees who are focused on health. Instead of offering free candy bars year-round, consider having more-indulgent one-offs, like an occasional gourmet hot-chocolate bar with all the fixings, or a summertime ice cream sundae station. This is a great way to support employees in their health, while also giving them a chance to treat themselves now and again.<\/span><\/p>\n<p id=\"E147\"><strong><span id=\"E148\">DON\u2019T<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p id=\"E149\"><span id=\"E150\">Put out<\/span><span id=\"E151\"> a thoughtless display of packaged snacks in a box and call it a day.<\/span><\/p>\n<p id=\"E152\"><strong><span id=\"E153\">DO<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p id=\"E154\"><span id=\"E155\">Make your snack display attractive! Part of the appeal of having free snacks is that it makes employees feel cared for and valued\u2014something that grabbing a handful of snacks out of a cardboard shipping box <\/span><span id=\"E156\">might<\/span><span id=\"E157\"> do, but wouldn\u2019t it be even nicer to offer them <\/span><span id=\"E158\">a neat, orderly, organiz<\/span><span id=\"E159\">ed display? <\/span><\/p>\n<p id=\"E160\"><span id=\"E161\">Accessibility is also key to this part of the program. Make sure the snack station is not only centrally located, but in a space that employees feel comfortable lingering and chatting with their colleagues, another win for employee engagement.<\/span><\/p>\n<p id=\"E162\"><span id=\"E163\"><strong>DON\u2019T<\/strong> <\/span><\/p>\n<p id=\"E164\"><span id=\"E165\">Set it and forget it<\/span><span id=\"E166\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p id=\"E167\"><span id=\"E168\"><strong>DO<\/strong> <\/span><\/p>\n<p id=\"E169\"><span id=\"E170\">Solicit feedback regularly. This could take the form of a biannual survey or something as simple as a <\/span><span id=\"E172\">suggestion box at the snack site. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span id=\"E174\">While this is perhaps the least-thrilling part of an office snack program, it\u2019s also important to note that you\u2019ll want to establish a point-person for inventory and upkeep. Once you start to <\/span>track which snacks need to be replenished more quickly, you can establish a routine for\u00a0automatic re-ordering.<\/p>\n<p id=\"E176\"><strong><span id=\"E177\">DON\u2019T<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p id=\"E178\"><span id=\"E179\">Waste an opportunity for additional engagement.<\/span><\/p>\n<p id=\"E180\"><strong><span id=\"E181\">DO<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p id=\"E182\"><span id=\"E183\">Make snacks a point of interaction to encourage other forms of health and wellness\u2014maybe include information about local runs, employee work-out groups, and necessary inter-company information and sign-up sheets. <\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>As U.S. employment rates continue to hover at their lowest&hellip;<\/p>\n<p> <a class=\"more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/thinkerventures.com\/a-simple-snack-how-free-food-and-drinks-can-boost-employee-engagement\/\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":11652,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"episode_type":"","audio_file":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"","filesize":"","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":"","filesize_raw":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[3],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thinkerventures.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11651"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thinkerventures.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thinkerventures.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thinkerventures.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thinkerventures.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11651"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/thinkerventures.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11651\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thinkerventures.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11652"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thinkerventures.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11651"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thinkerventures.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11651"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thinkerventures.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11651"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}