OfficeMax survey: Workers want good coffee and a quiet space on their return to the office

Workers want the same coffee and quiet they had working from home when they return to the office. Photo / Getty

Good coffee, soundproof pods, better technology, and promises of hygiene are the hooks that could lure reluctant workers back to the office.

A new study by OfficeMax has revealed employees have high expectations heading back to the office after long periods of working from the comfort of home.

The OfficeMax State of the Workplace research also found employees were more concerned with company values than before the pandemic.

The survey of more than 1000 office workers found a high majority were focused on the societal impact of an organisation, with two-thirds (67 per cent) stating they will only work for a company that has a positive impact on society.

When on the job hunt, 80 per cent of employees say that a company's stated purpose
or mission was important.

And 35 per cent of those surveyed seek out companies that provide goods or services that benefit society and 22 per cent said they want to work for a company that served a local or global need.

Kevin Obern, managing director at OfficeMax told the Herald salary still topped the list of priorities for employees but having good quality coffee and clean hygienic workspaces was also important.

"People have been working at home for a long period of time now and they have had time to reassess how and where they work.

"For some, they have come to the realisation they need their work-life needs to align with their values."

But businesses needed to walk the talk.

Obern said employees weren't happy to just hear about the good a company was doing in society. They needed to see it.

Employees were evaluating how companies follow through with their publicly stated values, with more than a third (35 per cent) of under 34-year-olds claiming they would leave their job if their employer contradicted its values or mission.

"It's not good enough to say they are inclusive or diverse or they are doing the right thing environmentally - they have to actually act on these values."

Caffeine was also placed high on the list of essentials.

Obern said many surveyed placed importance on their physical workspace, having access to new technologies, and great coffee.

"Workers want their employers to rise above tin and spoon coffee and offer good quality hot beverages," Obern said.

"Some have an on-site barista or machine that makes good coffee."

When asked how their employer could improve the physical workspace respondents to the survey said they needed some of the quiet of home in the office.

Obern said employers had responded with an increase in the number of offices which now had soundproof booths where people could make a phone call or have some quiet time to focus.

"Over the last few months, as businesses have been preparing to return to the workplace, we've seen a huge focus on areas like soundproofing, introducing quiet booths, and significant investments in technology and cafeteria enhancements."

"Businesses seem to understand that after spending the better part of a year working from home, employees now expect some of those comforts – like high-quality coffee, the ability to concentrate outside of an open-plan environment, and ultra-clean workspaces – in the office."

Obern said there was a clear message from those surveyed that what's important to workers in an employer has changed over the past couple of years.

Business values, integrity, and doing good matter as much as competitive remuneration and workplace perks.

"That's something all business leaders need to hear and a message we'll be sharing with our customers and taking on board ourselves," he said.