A breakroom, as the name suggests, is a dedicated space where employees can eat a quick snack, drink a cup of coffee, and relax in the meanwhile. There is usually a television screen in the breakroom where employees can catch up on the day’s important news. While snacks, beverages, and television can help employees relax and recharge, conversations in the breakroom can help motivate them and increase their productivity.
Let’s take a detailed look at how breakroom conversations improve employee motivation:
Releasing Work Stress
Snacks and coffee can recharge the body, but positive socialization relaxes the mind. Complaining to coworkers about clients and projects can shift one’s perspective. At their desks, while busy at work, every employee thinks only of their work. However, talking to coworkers helps them see the bigger picture. Such breakroom conversations can also prompt coworkers to share their experiences with difficult clients and projects, reminding employees that the stress is temporary and unnecessary.
Promoting Work Friendships
There is no restriction on topics for breakroom conversations. The space allows employees to discuss personal matters, the latest news, pop culture, and things. Sharing their thoughts and ideas besides work allows employees to get to know each other better and form work friendships.
Work friendships between employees bring several benefits to the organization. Colleagues who are also friends are more punctual, less likely to switch jobs, and more creative and efficient. Work friendships also directly improve employee motivation, making the workplace more comfortable and fun.
Encouraging Team Work
When employees don’t get a chance to talk about anything except work, there can be awkwardness and a lack of understanding between them. But breakroom conversations allow them to break the ice between themselves. Even if employees don’t get too close, it facilitates sharing ideas and action plans during work meetings, enhancing employees’ capacity to work with each other. As team members learn to work well with each other, they become more comfortable at the workplace, and overall employee motivation is improved.
Allowing Easy Communication
Employees can often face difficulty communicating with their supervisors if they don’t work on the same floor or in an open office setting. Junior employees may not know when their boss is available, preventing them from visiting their office. Junior employees may also be reluctant to make too many trips to the boss’s office, leaving their desks empty.
At such workplaces, breakrooms present the perfect opportunity for employees to talk to their supervisors. The relaxed environment allows employees to talk to their boss comfortably without the apprehension of disturbing them. It also allows supervisors and managers to provide casual and quick feedback to their team members.
Enhancing Productivity
A wellness study found regular breaks throughout the workday prevent exhaustion, keep employees energized, and improve productivity. This allows the employees to perceive the work as easy, leading to increased employee motivation.
Last but not least, the presence of breakrooms and their liberal use prevent employees from feeling overwhelmed at work. When employees know that they can take a break as and when needed, they are less likely to become stressed at work and more likely to take it at a pace they can handle.
