Although the pandemic has ended, many workers have still hesitated to return to the office. As a result, employers are responding in different ways, from fear tactics to threats or even firings, negative reinforcement has been a common theme in employee-employer negotiations.
However, tactful leadership in successful organizations has increasingly turned its attention to creating the kind of office employees actually want to return to. As they’ve found, fostering a more pleasant working environment is an effective tactic to encourage employees to return to the office.
If you’re in the process of upgrading your conference rooms and other work areas, consider enhancing your employee break rooms to motivate your employees to return to a space where they feel comfortable.
The employee break room is a place where employees can get away from the hustle and bustle of the rest of the office. A modern, relaxing break room will encourage employees to quiet their minds, socialize, and re-energize before returning to work. These easy-to-follow tips will help you upgrade your employee break room and reap the benefits of an improved workplace culture without losing valuable employees or having to break out negative reinforcement.
Why is the Employee Break Room Important?
In the corporate world, company leaders are keenly focused on improving productivity and getting work done in the most efficient manner possible. However, office culture has a profound impact on employee engagement and productivity.
Studies show that companies with poor company culture experience lower productivity, engagement, and retention. A strong company culture is vital to the overall success of any organization, and improving your employee break room is an effective way to strengthen social connections between employees and encourage collaboration in the workplace.
Moreover, employees are more productive when they have the opportunity to rest. Research shows that when employees are able to take breaks, they become more creative and engaged when they’re at work. If you’re interested in experiencing these benefits within your organization, begin by updating your employee break room.
Employee Break Rooms Create a Sense of Community
A communal break room creates a safe space for positive interactions between employees. In corporate culture, staff tend to communicate primarily within their department. A quality employee break room allows employees from all departments to connect and build relationships for stronger company culture.
Employee Break Rooms Prevent Burnout
Replacing an employee can cost companies 50% to 60% of the employee’s salary due to recruiting, onboarding, and employee training. Consequently, it is in every company’s best interest to keep their most talented employees around for as long as possible, so your organizations should take every measure possible to avoid employee burnout.
A well-made employee break room allows employees to relax and relieve themselves from work-related stress, which makes them more productive. This, in turn, increases company profits and employee morale.
Employee Break Rooms Attract Talent
Educated, high-performing employees expect a comfortable work environment. Companies that meet employee standards may retain top talent from competitors. A comfortable, relaxing employee break room complete with modern technology allows your organization to stand out and show your employees how much you appreciate their hard work. Additionally, it shows you value your employees as people, motivating them to become more productive for your organization.
5 Design Tips for Your Employee Break Room
Designing a high-quality employee break room is easier than you may initially think. Follow these simple design tips to enhance your break room with AV technology.
1. Install Digital Signage
The right digital signage can elevate your employee break room while ensuring all employees can see company announcements. Digital signage, complete with changing text and imagery, makes it easy for employees to stay up-to-date with HR updates, policy changes, or even birthday announcements.
You may also use digital signage in the break room to increase employee morale with inspirational messaging. Large organizations with multiple employee break rooms may utilize digital signage to share information with employees simultaneously.
2. Utilize Lighting Automation
Wellness and productivity are closely related to lighting. AV integrators may recommend lighting automation that changes color temperature and intensity throughout the day. This advanced lighting automation technology follows the human body’s natural circadian rhythms, which increases the staff’s energy and supports a healthy sleep cycle.
Motorized window blinds may also be beneficial in employee break rooms. Users can control the blinds and lighting with wall-mounted touch panels for ease of use.
3. Incorporate a Wellness Area
Employees need access to calm, private spaces in the workplace to promote wellness and better mental health. Consider connecting a wellness area to your employee break room for a healthier work environment and encourage employees to relax during their full break time.
A wellness area is particularly beneficial for workers in high-stress industries. For instance, AV integrators created a wellness room for law enforcement officers to help mitigate the effects of workplace stress.
This wellness area may include exercise equipment, massage chairs, and audiovisual displays for calming imagery. AV integrators may also recommend ceiling-recessed speakers to play tranquil nature sounds, meditation music, and dimmable LED lighting to create a peaceful environment.
4. Install Interactive Maps
Interactive maps are an efficient, professional way to share wayfinding information with new employees, guests, and remote workers. Since virtually everyone in the office will visit the employee break room, software-enabled interactive maps empower guests by allowing them to navigate the office without asking for assistance.
When employees and visitors can navigate the office independently, it decreases workplace distractions, increasing productivity and motivation. Interactive maps add a modern touch to your employee break room, supporting your company’s image as a progressive organization.
5. Integrate Speakers
You’ll need audio equipment to support this technology if there’s a digital display in your employee break room for video calls. This way, employees will not need to struggle to hear audio from a built-in speaker.
Employee break rooms without a digital display can still benefit from speaker installation. Large organizations can utilize these speakers to spread information throughout a large building. Additionally, ambient music can promote relaxation and cultivate a feeling of separation between the break room and the rest of the office, an effective way to boost employee productivity.
Create a Modern Employee Break Room with Applied Global
If your organization seeks assistance from AV specialists, Applied Global Technologies (AGT) offers various AV solutions to improve workplace productivity. Our team has the tools and expertise to help your business make the most of its auditorium and other office spaces.
To learn more about our AV solutions, contact us today. We’ll be happy to discuss your specific needs and recommend the right solution for your business and budget.
