News: Food is the way to employees' hearts: Survey

Employee Engagement

Food is the way to employees' hearts: Survey

Most office workers in Singapore eat lunch alone and rush back to work. But a survey by Deliveroo for Business has found that employees who eat with their team members are happier and more productive, and if the company caters the lunch, they're more loyal as well.
Food is the way to employees' hearts: Survey

A survey by Deliveroo for Business, the corporate arm of Deliveroo, has found that office workers in Singapore will apparently be more loyal to their company if the company feeds them well. According to the results, 72 percent of respondents claimed that they would "feel more loyal to their company if [the company] arranged for their favourite foods to be available".

Ideally, that food would be provided during a team lunch, to improve engagement and productivity. 73 percent of respondents agreed that teams are happier and more productive after eating lunch together, and 37 percent actually said they worked harder after eating with their colleagues. More than half—59 percent—also said they expect their company to order and organize the lunch.

Jeanette Smerin, Head of Deliveroo for Business, Singapore and Hong Kong, said of the results: "This new survey reveals that food remains a social glue in today’s workplace and is a key element in building a team of productive and engaged staff."

The survey also looked into what kinds of food employees feel are the best for a team lunch. Local hawker food is considered the most social, followed closely by drinks and small bites or sides. Perhaps in a reflection of Singapore's very low-key drinking culture, alcohol was considered the least social food to consume at the workplace.

The results also surfaced, however, that team lunches may play an unexpectedly important role in improving general office well-being. 49 percent of office workers eat alone, according to the survey, and actually continue working through their lunch break; 83 percent do not take their full allotted break and instead return to work early. But they don't do so willingly. Over 80 percent of survey respondents indicated that they would like to eat with their colleagues more frequently, so as to bond and get to know each other better.

 

Photo:Deliveroo for Business

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Topics: Employee Engagement

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