A few weeks back there was an interesting article on “perks” behind the pay wall on the Sunday Times website, which has only just been passed to me as I am too tight to read anything other than the free newspapers online!
The thrust of the article was to flag up the huge benefit in real terms forward thinking employers gain by looking strategically at the overall cost benefit equation for staff with far more than the salary itself coming to the fore. As we continue to bump along the bottom of what appears to be an extended recession it’s good to remember that the workforce in any business is the most variable element of overhead that’s carried. To make staff feel valued, and their efforts recognised, especially if there have been redundancies or enforced changes to how people have to work, then something as simple as decent biscuits along with free or subsidised quality hot drinks, go a long way to making staff feel both appreciated and noticed.
In my experience making staff feel part of a team and taking a direct interest in how they perform, being prepared to provide perks such as workplace hot drinks can make a really noticeable improvement in individual performance with everyone feeling good about their work on the back of it. Many years ago, long before I arrived in the vending industry, I had good quality In-Cup vending machines, (yes from KSV!) installed in our new factory with free high quality hot drinks available for all staff. The appreciation that brought for very little outlay pulled everyone together as a team and certainly saved on down time for me as the old habit of a cluster of employees standing around waiting for the kettle to boil was consigned to history.
The Sunday Times article featured the owner of a London Communications Agency so it is no surprise she is so switched on towards staff moral and team building. I spotted she would regularly pay out for Starbucks coffee for all her staff, to the extent that the accountant started to flag up just how much it was costing her! She considers this “thank you” to her staff sacrosanct and is determined to keep it up however tough times are.
Perhaps I will give her a call and suggest we demonstrate the range of hot drinks machines from KSV so she and her staff can enjoy coffee shop quality drinks at the touch of a button, at a fraction of the price, and without leaving the office!
It’s a win-win for any forward thinking boss with your staff appreciating just how good the coffee really is and happy to go that extra mile in return, but the real surprise is something as sophisticated as the Flavia Creation 400 drinks system can be keeping your staff and the accountant happy for as little a £6.95 a week.
So it’s Latte for loyalty, Cappuccino for commitment, Tea for teamwork and Hot Chocolate for your champions! Reward your staff with perfect perks from KSV!!! (Yes we have biscuits too).
Written by: Colin from KSV.
