Out of office trend
It was only a few years ago that businesses were dealing with pandemic restrictions. Meetings moved online. Remote working policies were swiftly being put into place. Spare rooms and kitchen tables became our colleagues’ workspaces. Going into the office had to be carefully managed, with masks and social distancing mandatory. Although many things have returned to the way they were before, the pandemic really has changed the way that we work forever.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) reported that back in 2019, 1 in 8 UK (approx. 12%) workers spent some time working from home.[1] During the pandemic, that number leapt up to 49%. So where would you expect that figure to be today? The figures show that in 2023, from 25th Jan to 5th Feb, 40% of working adults spent at least some of their hours working from home.[2] Although attitudes to working from home have changed dramatically, the benefits of being in the office are also appreciated, especially when the office is an inviting environment.
This is echoed by a survey from the American Staffing association who reported that 56% of respondents consider working in the office gives them a competitive advantage over their remote working colleagues in getting pay rises, bonuses or being promoted.[3]
Hybrid is here (to stay)
Hybrid working is particularly popular with employees. They’ve had a flavour of working in the hours they’re most productive, with 78% of employees saying that it gives them a better work/life balance and 47% reporting better wellbeing. When it comes more directly to performance, 52% said working from home allows them to complete work quicker, mainly due to fewer distractions as 53% of respondents reported.[4]
That being said, most people understand that working from the office is still important at certain times and for certain tasks. People have their preferences for activities at home such as completing admin or responding to emails versus when they are at the office where face-to-face meetings, creative ideation sessions and casual interactions are prioritised. As employers, do you really understand what employees want from the office? Research into what today’s employees expect from their workplace gives some interesting insight. 84% expect their office to deliver an experience. Yet around half of employees (52% of hybrid workers and 48% of full-time office-based workers) say their workplace leaves them uninspired and 42% say their office doesn’t make them feel valued.[5]
So how can businesses provide employees with the experience they’re looking for? The good news is that what workers are actually asking for is often quite simple. The top concerns for employees are a functional desk and a comfy chair. And in third place, is coffee. Yes, employees put refreshments before a clean office, meeting spaces and natural light. Coffee and other beverages and refreshments were important to a massive 85% of those who answered.[6]
Creating the destination office
Seeing what really matters to employees, it’s perhaps unsurprising that some of the simplest changes can be the most effective and positively impact the productivity and wellbeing of employees.
Today, desks take up around 36% of the office space. That’s down from 50% of space before the pandemic.[7] Where the desks have been cleared, they’ve opened up opportunities for shared spaces that encourage interaction and casual conversations. There’s a strong business case for the impromptu productivity that happens when people collaborate in a very natural way. Away from the desk over a cup of coffee in a break-out area or kitchenette, ideas happen and conversations flow.
For larger scale workplaces, creating cafés, outdoor areas, wellbeing spaces and game rooms, can make the office seem much more attractive for employees. For smaller scale workplaces, flexible, modular furniture, comfy breakout areas, and perch spots can all increase the employee experience. Research supports that happier employees will be more productive, and promoting wellbeing at work can lead to a positive business impact.[8]
With coffee being rated as the third most important factor in the workplace, employers should focus on offering quality coffee to their employees to make them feel valued. But the benefits go even further. Drinking coffee can make employees feel more focused with greater concentration and reduce chances of human error in daily tasks. Research indicates that taking coffee breaks also strengthens the bonds between colleagues and can boost productivity within teams.[9]
With all that in mind, our team at Costa Coffee Professional has been designing a range of coffee solutions to fulfil the coffee needs of workplaces of every size. Each coffee solution includes the provision of cutting-edge coffee machines, a variety of coffee blends and drink types, branded marketing materials and ongoing service and maintenance support to minimise business disruption and simplify the daily operations of workplace facility managers.
Making meeting spaces better
For meeting room spaces and office receptions, our recommended solution is our latest capsule machine innovation; Podio. The Podio range combines all the convenience of a capsule machine with the taste experience of a barista-quality drink. This is achieved through a unique double filtration method and pre-infusion technology to give a clearer taste and a richer aroma.
All Podio machines are elegantly designed to fit seamlessly within any workplace environment and their compact footprint allows for them to be placed even in the smallest coffee corners. When it comes to serving, that’s simple. All Podio machines have an intuitive interface that makes it easy to use for employees and staff. Maintenance is a breeze and stock is monitored remotely, so your facility teams can focus on making meetings run as smoothly as the coffee.
Elevate your office micro-market
For micro-market areas, our recommended solution is the Pacto range offering a large drink variety in just 600mm of space. Our Pacto range offers an exceptional ordering and coffee making experience through a fully interactive HD touchscreen, serving extraordinary barista-quality coffee and beyond coffee drinks.
More than a coffee machine
If you are looking to make your office space more inviting, you don’t just want a coffee machine, you want a better coffee machine. And that’s what we’ve spent our time developing. We’ve done it with over 50 years of coffee knowledge and using some of the latest, and smartest, technology out there. We know your facility operators are busy. So, on top of our machine equipment, you can take advantage of our automated stock ordering and real-time operational alerts and automatic updates remotely, in real time. Making maintenance easy has been built-in to every design, and we’ve made everything incredibly simple to use, operate and service. All in all, as well as making better coffee, we’ve made the job of making office drinks a better experience too.
Better for your business and the environment
At Costa Coffee Professional, we know that sustainability is a fundamental goal for all workplace partners operating office buildings of any size. Therefore, we’ve done the same when looking for ways to help support your business with your sustainability objectives.
When it comes to the environment, we’re finding ways to work with and support farmers in sustainable operations that look after their livelihoods too. Our Roastery, opened in 2017, was the first roasting facility to achieve the BREEAM Outstanding sustainability certification. Through our Costa Foundation, we find ways to make things better for people and communities all around the world too. In 2022, the Costa Foundation celebrated building 100 schools, changing the life stories of 100,000 children.
A better office awaits
Attracting employees to the office means making it feel like an experience. That’s what 84% of today’s employees not only want but expect.[10] As the office concerns survey showed, better coffee provides an important part of that experience. Early starts… client meetings… impromptu chats… even business results… they’re all much better over a cup of Costa Coffee.