2023 is a pivotal year for employee engagement and well-being. The pandemic and “the great resignation” flipped employee priorities, wants, and needs on their heads. It’s up to organizations to adapt fast to get ahead of outstanding turnover rates. After all, according to Gallup’s 2022 research, only 21% of employees worldwide are engaged at work. 

Plus, only 33% of employees say they are thriving in their overall well-being. Too many workers are too stressed, are lonely from remote work or lack of workplace social connections, and struggle with their overall health and wellness. Many of them, Gen Xers and Zers alike, are saying yolo and quitting. In fact:

• 1 in 5 employees planned on quitting their jobs in 2022
• Low engagement costs the global economy $7.8 trillion
• Employee engagement directly correlates to a company’s profitability
• Employee engagement is key to improving company performance
• Engaged employees are more productive, committed, happy, and satisfied at work

Based on more than 50 years of employee engagement research, Gallup states that “engaged employees produce better business outcomes than other employees—across industry, company size and nationality, and in good economic times and bad.”  

Okay, so what do employees want? How can organizations re-engage or keep employees happy and actively involved, and boost well-being? We have one solution that may have a positive and impactful role to play in the equation: combine corporate catering with workplace health and wellness programs this year. 

The Importance of Employee Engagement—and What Employees Want in 2023

What is Employee Engagement? Employee engagement is how involved and enthusiastic employees are at work and in their work. 

Interestingly, what employees want from companies is exactly what will help boost employee engagement. Highly engaged employees are recognized and acknowledged by their companies, they are healthy, happy, and connected to (and inspired by) their peers, and they are entrusted with flexibility and autonomy. 

So much of the research, employee surveys, and organizational trends for 2023 onward are all saying the same thing that today’s employees want:

1. Companies who put their people first: Appreciate, recognize, and acknowledge the individual people (and their diverse needs) that make up your company and culture, no matter where, how, or when they work.
2. Employee health and wellness programs: Establish workplace wellness programs around health (both physical and mental), safety, happiness, social connections, exercise, wellness practices, good habits, and healthy foods.
3. Real work-life balance: Employees want work-from-home options, flexibility, autonomy, and trust to get their work done when, where, and how it works best for them.

These wants and needs are interconnected and, together, create a supportive, inclusive, safe, and wellness-focused workplace culture.  

Combining Health and Wellness Programs With Corporate Catering to Engage Employees

Food is the ultimate connector, especially after too many people lacked social interactions for so long during the pandemic. Humans are social beings. But in 2020, 52% of Americans reported feeling lonely, while 47% reported their relationships with others weren’t meaningful. That takes a serious toll on mental health and wellness, leading to stress and disengagement in life and at work. 

That’s why companies that are establishing people-first cultures and implementing health and wellness programs are also offering corporate catering. Office catering goes so much deeper than just offering free food at work.  

Increase Workplace Engagement With Office Catering

Here’s how and why it’s important for positive engagement: 

Making Social Connections at Work 

Just like eating family meals together, eating with our team members has the same important role: helping us feel connected and less alone. Office lunches bring employees together to socialize, connect, and engage with peers on a human level beyond just connecting over work. It’s also good for company culture and can be morale-boosting, not to mention refueling for a productive day with good-food energy. 

Gauging the Mental Health and Well-Being of our Work Peers

Taking a coffee break or having lunch with a colleague is a great opportunity to check in on the overall health, safety, and wellness of our peers. This requires companies to establish a safe, inclusive, and open workplace culture where employees feel like they’re a part of a larger community that they can rely on for help. 

Establishing Healthy Food Habits at Work Increases Focus, Productivity, and Wellness

Offering corporate catering at work encourages employees to follow healthy food habits that promote health and wellness. Some of your employees may not eat three well-balanced meals every day. They may not have the time, interest, means, or know-how. But what we eat has a direct impact on our happiness, productivity, engagement, focus, and overall well-being at work. 

That’s where office catering comes in: make good and healthy food choices for your employees so that it’s the easiest (and free) choice. Make office meals fun and varied, rotating through diverse food types and meals every day.     

Connecting Office Meals to Health and Wellness Programs

Workplace wellness programs are multifaceted but interconnected. For instance, your company could offer free yoga, meditation, and fitness classes, start daily walking groups, discounts on therapy, and offer healthy drinks, fruit and vegetables, snacks, and meals—that are all part of the wellness package. 

Encouraging Work-Life Balance in the Workplace

Together with offering healthy snacks, drinks, and meals at work throughout the day and providing the space to socialize with peers, your employees will be encouraged to leave their desks and screens to take a social break to refuel. It also encourages healthy time management and ensures that they take breaks to avoid burnout (and disengagement). 

Part of work-life balance options at work means that employees have the flexibility to work when, where, and how they want. Give employees, who work both in-office and remotely, options and flexibility when it comes to meal plans and healthy food perks. 

“By using Foodee, we have seen a significant reduction in time sourcing our lunches—the service has enabled complete autonomy for our employees to choose their lunch.”

—Maeve Russel, Production Manager at Beyond Capture Studios

Learn More About Foodee Corporate Catering

Foodee offers easy and affordable office catering to organizations looking to attract and retain top talent across North America. Whether you’re looking for daily meals, snacks, and drinks or catering for office events, we can help. We partner with top local restaurants in cities across North America to fuel and engage workforces with a variety of tasty options. 

Order for your office in the following cities:

• Austin, Texas 
• Boston, Massachusetts
• Boulder, Colorado
• Chicago, Illinois
• Denver, Colorado
• New York City, New York
• San Francisco, California
• Silicon Valley California
• Washington DC
• Toronto, Ontario
• Vancouver, British Columbia

“Foodee coordinates lunches so I don’t have to… I can use the time that I save to focus on other areas of the business.” 

—Kelli Wallace, Workplace Experience Manager at Pagerduty

Learn more about offering free food at work with Foodee.