The secret ingredient to fuel a happy workforce

Employee satisfaction is one of the few areas where businesses can truly differentiate themselves in a competitive jobs market. People have reevaluated their motivations in the context of a record number of vacancies and the Great Resignation has seen companies struggle to retain their best staff.

While many move on because they are looking for a better salary or more flexibility, a recent FlexJobs survey found company culture was the main reason people had left a job in the preceding six months. More than 60% cited it as a factor, putting it ahead of salary or poor management.

Factors affecting employee satisfaction and retention

Employee engagement and satisfaction levels are underappreciated in terms of their impact on a business. 

As we noted in a previous article, engagement is influenced by culture and a sense of purpose that fosters passion and boosts productivity. It is complemented by a positive workplace experience, which can be affected by facilities, the services on offer and career development opportunities.

Businesses considering how to improve employee satisfaction levels need to tackle both engagement and workplace experience factors.

A Gallup study found companies with high levels of engagement have 41% lower absenteeism, 24% lower turnover and 21% higher profitability. Clearly there is value in investing in this area, but what are employees looking for in the modern workplace?

Turning the employee satisfaction challenge into opportunity

Low levels of satisfaction lead to high employee turnover rates and poor company culture. In the past, managers have tried to address these issues by adapting their styles, focusing on encouragement and recognition.

But this is no longer enough.

Discerning employees and potential recruits also need to see practical steps that support them and their priorities, whether it’s flexibility in their working hours and location to allow them to achieve a better work-life balance, or providing services that support efforts to improve physical and emotional health.

And there is one service that combines health, company culture, workplace experience and an opportunity to align with people’s values: Food.

Workplace food is not simply about providing nutritious meals to boost productivity. It represents an opportunity to create shared experiences and encourage interaction. It is an opportunity to get people excited about being in the office, and an opportunity to demonstrate a commitment to looking after employees and acknowledging their priorities.

The role of food in improving employee satisfaction

Food emerged as a key factor in encouraging people to return to the office as they adapted to post-pandemic hybrid working. Research and our work with clients in various sectors has consistently shown that people enjoy the team building and community aspects of food at work.

Furthermore, as employees embrace healthier lifestyles, they increasingly expect employers to provide food that allows them to make healthy choices. And they expect the experience to be as good as - if not better than - what they can find on the high street.

Technology plays a crucial role, as consumers expect to be able to order through apps, click and collect and easily find information about the food they eat.

As Alex Kristall, Managing Director of Sodexo’s Operations Team, explains, replicating the experiences people have outside work is all part of making their everyday lives easier.

Food now is about so much more. It’s about experience, health and wellbeing, and bringing people together. Tech is a great enabler to this. Not only can it provide a frictionless experience, but also provide information and education to our customers to allow them to make informed choices on what and where they eat.

Alex Kristall, Managing Director of Sodexo’s Operations Team

And with the right food and the right technology in place, companies can effect employee satisfaction in several important ways:

Boost creativity and employee productivity

It’s no secret that healthy, nutritious food not only supports cognitive performance and creativity, but also represents a critical factor in employee motivation. Many people started cooking more during the pandemic and they developed a better understanding of ingredients and provenance. 

As they now look for quality ingredients in the workplace, they are identifying the menu choices that will help power them through an afternoon or fuel their creativity. 

Team building and community spirit

Opportunities to socialise with colleagues were sorely missed during national lockdowns, so people appreciate the chance to share meals in comfortable environments and strengthen employee relationships during the working day more than ever.

The most successful companies are going beyond the traditional cafeteria concept and designing spaces built for shared experiences. In addition to making new use of space that might otherwise be underutilised in a hybrid environment, they can become hubs for creativity and communication.

Fedele Bauccio, chief executive of Bon Appétit, recently told TIME: “Although it’s nice to be able to be at home, employees miss the collaboration and miss coming together. Part of that is food because that’s when they come together to share their ideas, collaborate, and create innovative solutions.”

Supporting healthier food choices

According to a British Nutrition Foundation survey, 62% of people made changes to their diet in an effort to get healthier in the first year of the pandemic. More than half started cooking healthier meals, while 33% introduced more fruit and vegetables.

And with 64% telling the organisation they check nutritional labels while shopping, businesses can expect employees to be looking for healthier items on the workplace menu. Maintaining a healthy diet can be challenging when people feel under pressure, but companies can help by providing options that are both convenient and nutritional.

Feeling supported and looked after

Quality, authentic food that reflects high street trends is a tangible benefit for staff or recruits who increasingly want to see that employers understand their needs, which will significantly impact employee experience.

Subsidised or free meals improve employee retention, with younger workers particularly appreciating the reward and the recognition that their wellbeing is a priority.

Nearly half of under-35s told a YouGov survey they were tempted by the offer of a free lunch when considering going back to the office. As the cost of living continues to rise, engaged employees of other age groups may also come to value this more highly.

Meeting (and exceeding) employee expectations

Adapting to new expectations is one of the greatest challenges for employers concerned about employee satisfaction levels. But food provides a significant opportunity to engage and excite people every day of the week.

As technology evolves, companies will be able to deliver services more effectively - anticipating demand for certain meals or changes in occupancy throughout a week. Combining this insight with a culture that reflects employees’ values will ultimately allow forward-thinking companies to not only meet expectations of a changing workforce, but exceed them.

Vital Spaces

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