One of the most challenging tasks for companies now remote working is popular is incentivizing their staff to return to the workplace. Plus, it is not just remote working that’s making it hard for companies to fill their workplace.
Hiring new workers to fill vacant roles and new positions is very competitive.
A healthy salary is not the only factor considered when committing to a business as an employee. Smaller companies must think outside the box to win over existing staff and job applicants.
Everyone loves snacks, and this applies to employees as well. Staff who are very comfortable with their new standard working from home can be encouraged to take the journey to the office a few days a week when they know they have access to healthy snacks! 🙂
Plus, job applicants will also view the provision of healthy snacks as a critical point of difference between your business and competitors.
Healthy Food Snacks
There was a time when late afternoon drinks in the office on a Friday with your colleagues was the winning recruitment and morale-boosting strategy. Now businesses need to prove they about the health of their staff, so it’s free healthy snacks that attract and retain staff.
With different food intolerance conditions, your business will need healthy snacks for dairy-free, gluten-free, vegan, vegetarian, and keto diets. Managing snacks in the office can be challenging for some companies.
In charge of your snack program
You’ll find everything you need in our snacking management guide to implement a plan to retain your current remote workers and attract new hires.
1. Establish a Gathering Space
It’s crucial to provide greater opportunities for workplace interaction during food breaks. Make sure there is a designated area in the workplace with periodicals and newspapers so that workers can have a snack break without getting crumbs on their workstations.
The workers will start chit-chatting about their snack break as they consider their options. In the long run, adding appealing snack options will increase productivity and engagement.
2. Present wholesome options
Eating fast food at work might decrease productivity, weariness, and sluggishness. The best way to handle the snacks would be to make healthier options more profitable and alluring.
The best way to foster a culture of sustainable snacking is to offer healthy alternatives like dry fruits, oat biscuits, and fresh drinks. The office will see increased production as a result, as will the well-being of the staff.
3. Discover Staff Preferences
Before setting up a useful snack station, it is essential to understand staff preferences. The workplace might run a brief survey to find out what kinds of snacks staff prefer.
Additionally, the office can keep track of their preferred choices by only glancing at the inventory. The goodies that disappear the fastest are the most popular. However, the ones that are still on the market are not well received.
4. Comply with recommended snack station procedures
When offering staff snack alternatives, innovation is crucial. There are a few inventive ways the office can use snacks, including the ones listed below.
To keep all the snacks, choose storage and jars that are both functional and beautiful. It doesn’t look good to store them in shopping bags and may confuse other employees.
Invest in individually packaged goods to promote portion control and fair snacking.
Additionally, with portion packaging, you won’t have to deal with stale food or germs spreading like bulk food items in big compartments for self-service.
To avoid crowds and disorder, the office should provide enough for everyone.
5. Follow Up on Recommendations
To assess whether the snacking system is effective, the workplace must maintain a feedback loop. Asking employees directly and following up on their input is always a smart idea.
If the office is short on time, they can use surveys to determine preferred snacks and reduce the amount of less popular ones. It will not only assist a company in reducing expenses, but it will also increase worker satisfaction.
6. Snacks Ingredients
Nowadays, offices must be inclusive and offer different options according to employees’ tastes and preferences. Some employees may prefer vegan, organic, or Kosher-friendly foods. Therefore, it is essential to provide opportunities for everyone.
The office must ensure they offer extensive snack options that cater to everyone’s preferences and likes. The snacks cater to the food preferences of your staff, including products that are:
- Vegan and vegetarian
- Healthy and raw
- High-protein, low carbs
- Low-calorie snacks
- Organic
- Gluten-free
- Dairy-free
- Nut-free
Providing these options will make an office more inclusive and help satisfy employees’ cravings.
7. Designate a Snack Master
Offices can recruit a snack master and take their snack game to the next level. A snack master will ensure that all options align with employees’ preferences.
Some duties that an office can assign to a snack master include:
- Selecting snack providers
- Managing inventory and display
- Maintaining the snack corner
- Feedback and reporting
Businesses don’t have to hire a specialized foodie for the snack master role. Instead, an existing employee may want it, or the task can be on rotation, so all staff gets a turn.
Summary
Incentivizing staff back to the office with healthy food is a win-win for them and you.
Your staff will realize they are appreciated, and another bonus for them is that if they forget to supply or buy their lunch when working in the office, a few healthy snacks will fill the gap.
Plus, new hires may see the provision of healthy snacks as the tipping point for choosing to work for your business.
Plus, while there is a cost to providing healthy snacks, analyze the improvement in worker productivity, and you’re sure to see a healthy return on your investment.
