The kitchen space in your workplace will easily become the area in which folks gather and chat with one another during breaks and to grab that much needed snack or drink to power them through the next meeting. If your kitchen space is lacking, it can bring morale down. Just like at home, a good kitchen is a great perk and keeps your employees happy and ready for a work day. Here are ways to make your kitchen the next best thing to the corner office.
Bring On The Coffee
Coffee lovers are everywhere and many offices have those employees that need the cup of java to get through that conference call or the late nights. Bringing coffee into the office will certainly please your employees tremendously. Many modernized companies in large cities will provide a service for coffee and other caffeinated drinks. Something like coffee service Chicago is a fantastic example of bringing coffee to the office without breaking the bank. A coffee service can bring all your supplies and even maintain/repair a coffee machine (they provide) so that you don’t have to lift a single finger. Have a few non-coffee lovers? No problem! Many coffee services offer tea options as well.
Provide Room
Some offices find themselves in a sticky situation when the kitchen is the size of a closet. Do yourself a favor and make room for a kitchen. People want to bring food from home, they want a comfy place to sit to eat or to escape to for just a few minutes. A closet space of a kitchen just won’t keep your employees very happy, space does! If expanding the kitchen is simply not an option, find space to create an additional place they can go to unwind.
Make it Home-like
Bring in furniture that is comfortable, functional, and gives the feel of home. You can easily scour yard sales and estate sales for affordable options that will easily fit the budget and provide a great place to gather. Think about it! Many of us have grand memories of sitting in kitchen with family and nothing will promote team building better than encouraging a home-like area for breaks and meals. A workplace shouldn’t feel like work.
Provide Some Essentials
Do provide some essential items in the kitchen, besides a coffee service, to keep the feel of comfort and homeliness going. A few suggestions are:
- Refrigerator appropriately sized for the number of employees working
- Dishwasher
- Dishware
- Mugs and glasses
- silverware
- Microwaves (about 1 for every 4 employees you have)
- Toaster oven (just one or two)
- Cleaners for cleansing items between uses
By providing the above items you will promote; happy employees, team building, and an eco-friendly environment.
Give Them Their Space
With refrigerators and possible cabinet space available in your workplace, many employees will want to bring items for the entire workweek in to eliminate their need to run out for items. If you can, provide designated refrigerator shelves and cabinet shelves so that they can do that without encroaching on their office space with food distractions. Of course, there is always the risk of thievery in the office place when it comes to kitchen wares. Hopefully, your employees will respect that space and avoid such dramatics but it is a good idea for people to write their names on all of their items regardless of assigned spaces.
Happy employees are a wealthy gold mine to any company. It takes a little investing to create the right kitchen but if you do, the employees will value you that much more and feel valued. Do create policies around kitchen etiquette to keep the dirty dishes minimal and the food theft non-existent. Your employees will thank you!
