Missouri Business Fall 2018

HR UPDATE
Beyond the coffeepot
Snacks are a sweet perk for a happier workplace
By Kat Cunningham
Searching for an inexpensive, exciting
perk to add to your employee incentive
package? Look no further than one of
everybody’s favorite things: food.
Food is a surprisingly effective and fairly
low-cost benefit that gives employers a lot of
bang for their buck when it comes to making
employees happier. However, this incentive
is underutilized by businesses. One survey
revealed that only 16 percent of employees
have access to free food. So offering food
could give employees something more to
chew on if they are being recruited by your
competition. And while some companies,
like Google, choose to go nuts with it and
offer gourmet meals and snacks 24/7, you
don’t have to get that extravagant to reap
much of the value this benefit provides.
Free snacks on-site can boost employees’
mood, motivation, focus and energy levels.
Not to mention that employees who feel
well-appreciated will be more engaged. In
the survey I mentioned earlier, 56 percent
of all full-time employees said they were
extremely or very happy with their jobs.
Among employees who got free food at
work, that number climbed to 67 percent.
Having snacks available can also
encourage workaholics to take their breaks
and get up from their desks to grab a bite,
which has been proven to improve alertness
and productivity.
And if you want to appeal to more job
seekers, good news: In one study, almost half
of respondents said they’d consider perks
(including free food) when switching jobs.
However, be aware that you may need to
accommodate employees who have dietary
restrictions or food allergies. This doesn’t
need to pose much of a hassle, though.
Options that are gluten-free, vegan and so
on are now easier to come by than ever. All
it takes is a quick survey to ensure there are
options available that everyone can enjoy.
On that note, health-minded employees
may not appreciate a spread of tempting junk
food. Filling the snack cabinet exclusively
with M&M’s and Cheetos will probably
cause more frustration than motivation in
the long run. Besides, unhealthy foods are
known to cause sluggishness, which is the
last thing your workers need in the middle
of a long weekday afternoon.
Fortunately, there are dozens of nutritious
choices that are a far cry from the limp
veggie platter that’s still sitting in the back of
the employee fridge. How about trail mix,
yogurt, baked chips, whole-wheat crackers,
light string cheese, air-popped popcorn,
jerky, granola, protein bars, nuts, dark
chocolate, edamame and dried fruit, just to
name a few? Yum.
If you don’t want the hassle of keeping
supplies replenished, there are also
corporate plans for affordable snack
delivery subscriptions — like SnackNation
and NatureBox.
Outside of everyday goodies, there
are many other food-related ideas to try.
Sharing meals together is a great way to
foster community, so consider organizing
the occasional pizza party, picnic, Taco
Tuesday or burger-grilling session as well.
Or, as a perfect excuse to stick around after
work and socialize, some companies have
even implemented office happy hours.
Most breakrooms have a pot of coffee at
least, but maybe it’s time to start stocking
up on some free snacks to fuel your
hardworking team. While all the food in
the world is no substitute for a fair benefits
package and a healthy work/life balance,
it can be a great way to show employees
a little extra love. It doesn’t have to be an
organic smoothie bar or daily catering —
something as simple as a fruit bowl and an
assortment of munchies can go a long way.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go
pop some popcorn.
Kat Cunningham
is president of
Moresource Inc.
Contact
Moresource at
573-443-1234.
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