The quest to find good employees that propel your company forward and provide the skills and knowledge your business needs can be tedious, to say the least. So, when you do finally find those “perfect” employees, the last thing you want to do is risk losing them. Employee retention is a very large concern for employers, especially those small businesses where one employee is often responsible for many different areas.
While there are all kinds of ways to boost your employee retention rate – such as regular pay increases, offering sufficient paid holiday time, and even incentive programs, one thing you may not have thought of is the physical working environment. Employees appreciate a place that is comfortable and modern and provides them with everything they need to do their job correctly.
Now because they will need to take breaks throughout the day, an employee breakroom should be a top priority for you to provide. So, what should it look like and what should it contain? Let’s take a closer look.
A Hot Beverage Station.
One of the most important items to offer in your employee breakroom, which they are sure to appreciate, is a hot beverage station. This is a station where they can grab a nice piping hot mug of coffee, tea, or even hot chocolate.
What this means is you’ll want to provide a coffee maker and kettle, coffee grinds or individual K-Cups, tea bags, and individual packets of hot chocolate. As an added bonus, you can also provide the mugs so they don’t have to remember to bring their own. You can create a really sleek looking set-up with custom wholesale mugs complete with your company name and logo on them.
A Few Key Appliances.
When it comes to the appliances you should include, space will dictate how much you can fit in but ideally, you will want room for a dishwasher, full-sized refrigerator, microwave, and a small toaster oven. These will give employees enough to make a full meal if they choose to, or just whip up a quick snack during the day.
Plenty of Comfortable Seating.
Again, this will be dictated by the size of the room, but giving them a place to sit down and relax while on a break will allow them to get away from their desk, and feel more refreshed when they are ready to get back to work. Seating should include tables and chairs for meals, and possibly a small couch or lounge chairs.
Provide Them with Entertainment.
Now if you want to go all out and really show your employees appreciation, why not make the breakroom somewhere they can truly escape and provide them with entertainment. This can mean a TV complete with a DVD player or a streaming service like Netflix, a video game console such as Xbox or the PlayStation, and even some board games and decks of cards. Or add some ping pong tables so they can get some exercise in as well! For companies where the employees are working long hours, this can be just the break they need in order to stay sharp and focused.
Making Your Employees a Top Priority.
All of these items will help you create the perfect employee breakroom that is able to show just how much you value them.
[Photo by Helena Lopes from Pexels]
