It’s National Donut Day and nothing goes better with a sweet, sticky donut than a cup of coffee. That cup of joe might be useful for more than just washing down your morning pastry: A new report has found that offering workers a good cup of coffee in the workplace might be good for employee productivity and retention.
American businesses seeking to improve productivity should consider investing more in employer provided, higher-quality coffee options, advises Office Coffee Service in the U.S.: Market Trends and Opportunities, 3rd Edition, a new report by market research firm Packaged Facts. While the average employee does not expect an employer to provide brew that outshines their usual cup purchased or made outside the office, they do expect their employer to deliver drinks that can reasonably compete with it.
“Office coffee is a thriving industry that’s expected to continue to see sales growth through 2021,” says David Sprinkle, research director for Packaged Facts. “Among the market’s key growth factors is the increasing realization that companies need to provide higher-quality coffee and related benefits as part of broader employee retention and loyalty strategies that ultimately help enhance employee productivity. Not only will great coffee keep employees onsite at work, but it could also provide extra incentive to get to the office in the first place.”
When coffee successfully is integrated as a productivity tool it often translates to growing a company’s bottom line, finds Packaged Facts. The research reveals that 68% of at-work coffee drinkers usually drink java made or dispensed onsite at their workplace. This underscores the fundamental utility to having at-work coffee options—employees do use them. Meanwhile, 51% usually drink coffee from outside of work and 46% bring it from home. Ultimately, the question is whether at-work options can be improved and/or offered as a perk, making them more appealing to employees.
While employed coffee drinkers are more likely to be satisfied than dissatisfied with their workplace options, they are not generally enthusiastic about them. Packaged Facts found that given the importance workers place on various coffee-related attributes — such as quality, flavor, and roast — their satisfaction falls short when applied to their workplace brew. For example:
- Coffee drinkers are heavily inclined to give both quality and flavor high importance. However, when asked if they are satisfied with these attributes at their workplace, the response was lukewarm.
- Positive responses were likewise underwhelming in regards to employee satisfaction about the type of roast (dark, light, etc.) and selection/variety that employers made available to them.
So how can you make sure you are offering employees the most beneficial brew? Packaged Facts suggests simply offering both a light roast and a dark roast to please most coffee drinkers, and providing a choice of brands, as well.
