After two weeks of pent-up feelings about my experience in offices, I have decided that a pantry will be included in the list of important criteria when selecting an office or a workplace.
Everyday as I stepped into the office, a nice friendly greeting from the receptionist definitely brightens up my day. But what happens after you passed the nice facade of the reception counter? Countless files, boring cubicles, the buzz of the copier machine (which spells b-o-r-i-n-g) and then... the whiff of COFFEE fragrance permeating the air! All of a sudden, excitement feels the air as you look forward to a good day at work.
After settling down one's bag(s), the first thing most of us would do is to head to the pantry, for sure (right?). So here's why A PANTRY is essential to the welfare of the staff.
1. A Well-Stocked Pantry Makes Your Staff Happy.
Dollars and cents matter to every business for sure. But if you tried measuring happiness with dollars and cents, it is almost always a waste of money to be spending on good coffee machine, a selection of coffee and tea, electrical appliances such as microwave, refrigerator or even kitchen fixtures. However, all these meant a lot to the staff. Here's why. In Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, the bottom-most section represents the physiological needs of humans and this include food. We need food to start the day and sure enough, we are able-bodies who are self-sufficient but by providing some welfare to show the staff that you care, definitely makes us a happier being.
2. A Sanctuary For The Well-Being Of Your Staff.
On average, if an employee works 9-5 a day for 5 days a week, 52 weeks a year and excluding an hour of lunch each day, that would make total up to be 1,820 hours spent sitting at their workstation. It is hard for them to associate any kind of peace to their workstation. The next best place to regain some peacefulness would be the pantry. A well-designed pantry should have some potted plants, small water fixtures, warm lightings with comfy places to seat and relax for a few moments. The pantry should be their next best place to find their inner peace, unless you would prefer them to hang out in the washroom?
3. A Social Ground For Interactions And Cohesion.
Social interactions keep the mind sane and the body healthy. If your work does not require you to discuss much with your colleagues, you could possibly have only spoken less than 10 lines each working day. Not talking dulls your mind, affects your creativity and prevents stress-relieving. Typing it down is not quite the same as when you could just chat heartily with your bunch of friends. Agree? A pantry allows people from different department to meet and have small-talks. Having a pantry also enables more room for social events such as celebrations and parties. This fosters cohesion among the company as a whole. A pantry is just like the living room of a house. In an ideal home, the living room is where the whole family gather and hangs out together, do an activity together and grow closer at the end of the day. That, is the magic of the pantry.
While cohesiveness, happiness and health of a staff cannot be measured directly, employees will appreciate what the company has done for them and develop a stronger sense of belonging to the company. Having a well-stocked and comfortable pantry allows employees to work longer hours knowing that their needs are covered. At the end of the day, companies with well-stocked and designed pantries will be able to retain their staff and attract better employees.
To end it off, this post was also inspired by Nicholas Tse's video on his business and leadership.
Check out his video, a familiar actor to most of us but I have never seen him in this perspective before.
P.S. This is merely a reflection based on my past experiences working in offices. None of these are in any way associated to any companies which I have worked in.
After settling down one's bag(s), the first thing most of us would do is to head to the pantry, for sure (right?). So here's why A PANTRY is essential to the welfare of the staff.
1. A Well-Stocked Pantry Makes Your Staff Happy.
Dollars and cents matter to every business for sure. But if you tried measuring happiness with dollars and cents, it is almost always a waste of money to be spending on good coffee machine, a selection of coffee and tea, electrical appliances such as microwave, refrigerator or even kitchen fixtures. However, all these meant a lot to the staff. Here's why. In Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, the bottom-most section represents the physiological needs of humans and this include food. We need food to start the day and sure enough, we are able-bodies who are self-sufficient but by providing some welfare to show the staff that you care, definitely makes us a happier being.
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| Pantry offered by Compassoffices. |
2. A Sanctuary For The Well-Being Of Your Staff.
On average, if an employee works 9-5 a day for 5 days a week, 52 weeks a year and excluding an hour of lunch each day, that would make total up to be 1,820 hours spent sitting at their workstation. It is hard for them to associate any kind of peace to their workstation. The next best place to regain some peacefulness would be the pantry. A well-designed pantry should have some potted plants, small water fixtures, warm lightings with comfy places to seat and relax for a few moments. The pantry should be their next best place to find their inner peace, unless you would prefer them to hang out in the washroom?
 |
| Union Swiss Office's pantry. |
3. A Social Ground For Interactions And Cohesion.
Social interactions keep the mind sane and the body healthy. If your work does not require you to discuss much with your colleagues, you could possibly have only spoken less than 10 lines each working day. Not talking dulls your mind, affects your creativity and prevents stress-relieving. Typing it down is not quite the same as when you could just chat heartily with your bunch of friends. Agree? A pantry allows people from different department to meet and have small-talks. Having a pantry also enables more room for social events such as celebrations and parties. This fosters cohesion among the company as a whole. A pantry is just like the living room of a house. In an ideal home, the living room is where the whole family gather and hangs out together, do an activity together and grow closer at the end of the day. That, is the magic of the pantry.
 |
| Wise old saying: All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. |
While cohesiveness, happiness and health of a staff cannot be measured directly, employees will appreciate what the company has done for them and develop a stronger sense of belonging to the company. Having a well-stocked and comfortable pantry allows employees to work longer hours knowing that their needs are covered. At the end of the day, companies with well-stocked and designed pantries will be able to retain their staff and attract better employees.
To end it off, this post was also inspired by Nicholas Tse's video on his business and leadership.
Check out his video, a familiar actor to most of us but I have never seen him in this perspective before.
P.S. This is merely a reflection based on my past experiences working in offices. None of these are in any way associated to any companies which I have worked in.
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