What value can coffee present to an employer?
Do you provide your employees free coffee? I’m sure you do. Who on earth would work without an aromatic dose of caffeine in the morning, right? But what kind of coffee do you provide? And why?
I’m not asking about whether anyone can have a coffee break at any time or whether there are no limits etc. I assume you run at least a small firm and you’re not fanatically strict (nor despotic). So the only question that’s left is…
Is it instant coffee, ground coffee or maybe fresh coffee beans?
‘What?! Are you nuts?’ – yes, I can read your mind. Of course I know you’re an employer, not a cafeteria. But please, let me just analyze this subject and simply follow my thoughts.
Is instant coffee not enough?
It’s hard to say. Many people drink it and don’t complain. But is it really a decent argument?
First of all – do you really think they’re not complaining, because they find instant coffee that delicious? The best scenario is that no one thinks about its taste.
The second thing is your image as an employer. I mean it’s no sin to provide just instant coffee. But maybe a little improvement would pay off, huh? Even if it’s not about what people think about you as their boss. Maybe coffee at work wouldn’t be just a must – it could also be nice. Perhaps a reason for a short break, a bit of relaxation to make one’s battery charged.
Perhaps a drip coffee maker could do the trick?
That sound like a good idea. The machine itself isn’t be very expensive and ground coffee should be more tasty.
On the other hand the preparation takes a lot of time. Of course one can set the coffee making and return after some time, but… well, who would? After all it’s always a reason to take a break. A long break, in this particular case.
And you’d have to know something about coffee. Some of the ground ones might be even a bit sour or bitter. If you buy crappy coffee, people might still prefer instant. Or tea.
Shall I afford an espresso machine?
That surely would be nice. For the employees of course. Coffee beans freshly grounded, the delightful aroma and nice crema. But yes, it’s expensive. And I don’t mean only the machine, but also the coffee itself. The good news it that if someone drank instant coffee all the time, then probably even coffee made from the cheapest beans should taste better for him.
But again, would anyone even appreciate this or just use it as an excuse to take breaks and chat in the kitchen. Who would refuse a nice cup of espresso of glass of latte?
Or maybe it would be just what they needed. An everyday caffeine boost with a delightful aroma. A nice accent, something great about working for you. Energy and enthusiasm boost. Even a small one is worth it.
So what to choose? Or how?
We still don’t know much more, do we?
Actually I do know. Frankly speaking, I’ve had the answer all the time.
The thing is, that it’s not really about the coffee. It’s about knowing your people, how they think, behave, what kind of teams they make.
You have too many employees and can’t know them in person? I’m sorry, that’s no excuse. You have to be aware of the ambience in your firm. Whether people are nice to each other or they just come to sit for eight hours and make a break for it at 4 pm. After all, you’re the one that was supposed to create the unique and friendly character of the place.
‘Uh, what are you telling me again?’ – you ask? I’m saying that you’re not just the owner, leader, face, general manager etc. You should care and think about everybody.
Don’t be cheap on people. I’m not talking about their salaries here, but their attitude. Make them feel good at work, not search for another job.
Think about it. It’s a win-win situation. They’re happy and in consequence – more enthusiastic. They’ll do their work better this way, so you’ll be happy as well. And you’ll build yourself a great opinion as an employer, you’ll be able to hire new really good employees.
People will want to work for you.
