The destination office emerged as a solution to the hybrid way of working that became mainstream in 2020/1. At one point, it seemed the days of ‘going into the office’ were numbered.
Throughout the lockdowns, office workers discovered that they could be productive at home whilst enjoying more comfort and freedom. The commute suddenly seemed unnecessary.
After a while, there was a breaking point. Teams and Zoom call fatigue set in. Workers yearned for human interaction, the phrase ‘living at work’ not ‘working from home’ epitomised the sentiment of many workers. So a new balance was struck, where workers would spend some days at home and some in the office – a.k.a hybrid working.
What is a Destination Office?
And how is it a solution to hybrid working?
A destination office is a workspace where employees don’t NEED to go; instead – it’s a place they WANT to be. Think of it as an optimum environment for quality work that supports employees wellbeing, productivity and motivation. Offices achieve this by creating a space that fosters collaboration, providing the latest tech and (in our opinion) …good food.
For many of our clients, they tailor their office space for collaboration and creativity. Break out spaces are more akin to trendy hotel lobbies than traditional office spaces. From what we’ve seen on-site, meetings at our clients’ destination offices’ are informal, relaxed and highly engaged.
The destination office is now the Yin to the Yang of working from home. The home environment is great for getting an assignment across the finish line. However, within the collaborative space of the destination office, teams get creative and form the big ideas that’ll drive the company forward.
So how can food shape a destination office?
We’re workplace caterers and not office interior experts. Sadly, we can’t tell you whether to go for a ‘Linanäs’ or a ‘Söderhamn’ sofa in the office foyer, but we know that good food has the power to transform your work environment.
As offices transform into more welcoming environments for employees, we shouldn’t forget the tried-and-tested methods for helping people perform well. For example, good food served on-site creates quality shared moments between colleagues. Cristina Covello, Head of Strategic Growth at Fooditude, commented for an article in Frame,
“We asked tech professionals what a lunch break means to them. 66 per cent said it’s about sharing a meal with colleagues and 45 per cent spend 30 minutes to an hour on their break.”
Most employees crave social interaction with colleagues after a day or two of working from home, and what better opportunity than at the lunch table. The data that Cristina received from tech professionals highlights that workplace lunchtimes are an important part of their day.
Sharing a meal brings together communities, families, and friends. So, why not use the social power of mealtimes for your teams? A revamped office still needs opportunities for employees to interact.
Modern workplaces need to compete with the homemade meals employees can cook themselves at home. Make supermarket meal deals and Tupperware pasta a distant memory for employees with quality on-site catering.
To put it another way, if you were eating in a sleek modern restaurant – sub-par meals would feel out of place. The same goes for destination workplaces; the food should match the quality of the space to make going into the office feel special. The attractiveness of working in pleasant surroundings is all well and good, but combined with free workplace meals it becomes a formidable offer.
It’s a wrap
Destination offices come alive only when there’s company culture. Break out spaces will be redundant if employees do not feel comfortable collaborating with their colleagues.
Mealtimes help teams let their guard down and get to know each other beyond their professional persona. Modern offices are designed with their company culture in mind. Food can help with developing a sense of community in that space.
Want to energise your teams with the power of good food?
Fooditude can help you. Discover more about what we do
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