Keeping your employees content is a key part to running any business.
To use the age old quote:
“A happy worker is a productive worker.”
Since the start of the new century the wave of tech companies have pioneered the way we think of employee happiness with innovations, from unlimited holidays or flexible working hours to cool play things in the office.
Big tech companies like Google have led the way with this kind of employee-first approach and many smaller companies are now following the trend.
A team at ACI (Advanced Commercial Interiors Limited) recently carried out a survey to find out the cool things that employees would most like to have in their office to improve their downtime and make the time at work a little more enjoyable. This is what they came up with:
- A pool table
Pool is a fun game that anyone can learn, leading to it being the number one most requested cool thing for the office. The friendly competition is good for staff members to get to know each other better and a place for people to get together during breaks and after work.
- Coffee machine
Coffee is what keeps some people going, and there is nothing worse than having to drink freeze-dried instant coffee all day! Letting staff make their own barista-style brews could really improve morale and increase focus during the workday.
- Beer
It’s no surprise that having a beer fridge to sip a few cold ones on a Friday (or any day) after work featured high on the list of office wish lists. And with good reason too, what better way to relax and get to know your colleagues than over on cold beer or glass of wine!
- A gym
There’s a reason why we say “Healthy body, healthy mind,” – having a gym at work definitely makes a big difference. It can be hard to find time to keep fit when you have a busy working life so to combining the two can really save time and could result in a really happy workforce. In addition, studies suggest that exercise stimulates the brain, resulting in a more productive staff.
- Games console
A gaming console in the office may seem like a really bad idea from a boss’s perspective, but it takes very little cost to set up for an office asset that can make lunchtime more fun and could provide endless opportunities for team bonding.
- Ping pong table
A ping pong table is more energetic alternative than a pool table and still provide a space for team building. It’s probably best to put it in a separate room though as the sound of those bouncing balls may get annoying after a while!
- Ice cream machine
This was probably one of the coolest suggestions (excuse the pun). Eating some cold ice cream in the office on a hot summer day may make being inside at work instead of being outside enjoying the sunshine a little bit more bearable.
- Climbing wall
Certainly the most surprising thing on the list: a climbing wall. What better way to take a break from sitting all day or working on a really challenging project than to get some exercise and conquer a different sort of challenge! You’ll certainly need tall ceilings to add this cool thing to the office though.
Here are some more things that were voted for but didn’t quite make the top 8:
- Popcorn Machine
- Pinball Machine
- Table Football
- Cinema
- Dancefloor
So there you go, the people have spoken, now the only thing left to do is try and persuade the boss that these things are for the good of the company and not just some really cool ways to avoid work!
