Creating a Destination Workplace: Culture

After months of virtual meetings and only being able to connect with colleagues digitally, it has become apparent that although we can work from home productively, it is starting to impact the relationships built upon “real life” communication. Office working provides a vital thing that most of us working from home have missed during the pandemic: human connection and interaction. 

The current situation, with home-working set to be part of our lives for the foreseeable future, gives businesses a great opportunity to assess whether their workspace is fit for purpose in the post-Covid world, and presents an opportunity to implement meaningful long-term change if necessary. 

The effects of the pandemic has shown that company culture is more important than ever. A strong culture helps employees build meaningful relationships with their colleagues, whilst also providing a long-term, human-centric focus to keep your team engaged. With the enhanced safety protocols and “new normal” of social distancing and mask wearing, the transition back to the workplace may be tricky for some of your team, and ensuring the space aligns with your company culture and values may help with the return to the office. 

In the world of workplace design, office coffee culture has increasingly been seen as a central part of creating a welcoming, social environment. A great coffee experience is something that the modern worker simply cannot live without and they will even be tempted to leave the office in search of a decent coffee if necessary, which is both costly and time-consuming, let alone risky in the post-Covid world. Coffee is so important to company culture, that businesses are now using the office coffee machine as a focal point in their breakout zone or kitchen area, creating a thriving office coffee culture and using the pull of the coffee machine to create an area where employees will congregate and chat over a coffee.

When it comes to integrating coffee culture, the TopBrewer machine is uniquely designed to enable face-to-face interaction and collaboration as colleagues catch up over a cup of barista-quality coffee. The minimal design, with its under-counter brew unit and sleek swan neck tap that can swivel 360º, lends itself to island settings, which are great for breakout areas and a popular place for colleagues to meet and chat over coffee.

With its app- and voice-control technology, employees are able to use their own smartphones and smart devices to order their favourite drink, meaning there is no need to touch shared surfaces or buttons, and allowing for a memorable touchless coffee experience. As well as improving hygiene and safety , app- or voice-control both play a vital role in improving accessibility. For those with disabilities or motor impairments, touchless technology (voice control in particular) can play a huge part in removing barriers that may stop individuals living an independent life.